Sorry Tyler but if you give 300 million people, a million dollars each that doesn't add up to 300 million dollars.
You could give 300 million people a dollar each and you would get to 300 million dollars!

With those sort of financial calculations no wonder America is in a mess!!!

Pete, chelmsford, uk

Obama must show up fot his debate even if McCain don't show up. Its free campaign opportunity, and a chance to get his message across.

Daphne Kenward, Cambridge, UK

If there is 300 million Americans. Wouldn't it be cheaper to give them each a million dollars.
Total cost 300 million
Total bail out cost 700 billion.
maybe I should run for president I bet I could buy 300 million American votes.

Tyler, Springfield, USA

I don't know that John mcCain "seized the initiative" by sidestepping the debates. He has already said in the past that "economics is not my strong suit". It was a Republican congress and Bill Clinton, in 1999, that passed deregulation legislation that allowed this mess to happen.

D Voss, St Charles, MO, USA

It's an approach worthy of a man who wants to be president of the United States.

The chance that McCain would win the debate is at least 50-50. He fared better than Obama with Rich Warren.

He is proving to be something I never saw in him: an outstanding politician. That is more important.

Jennifer, Phoenix, U.S.A.

Shame on you McCain!! You don't have the ability to multitask yet you seek the U.S. presidency??!! Send Ms. Palin to debate in your place. Prove to the world that she is fit and ready for duty.

kim grundy, chicago, IL, usa

What, does McCain think the Senate will still be working at 9 p.m. Friday night？

Gaby, Shanghai , China

The partisan atmosphere of a debate and the influence it yields might add to the diviision of the parties in congress and the nation by focusing on their differences of the financial package. If the debate has the potential of this result it is wisdom to postpone until concensus.

R. A. , Fort Worth, USA

Oh dear - some respondents have their knickers in a twist. McCain / Obama cannot resolve this. It is a decision of Congress. But instead of rewarding "me too' financiers lets distribute the $700B to every American over 20. Say $350,000 each. That would repay mortgages and boost consumer spending

Ian, Wellington, New Zealand

To christine in NY
Last vote cast by Obama july 2008
Last vote cast by McCain Aptil 2008

So who will have difficulty finding his office?

Bruno, bruxelles, belgium

Why can't Barack go to his job and make the change we need. The bailout proposal needs the attention of serious men who will get thier hands dirty and put thier interest aside. If Barack can't lead his party to work on this bill what makes him think he can lead as president?

Rick, Columbus OH, USA

It is pathetic to see how much Obama does not care about any crisis but himself!

Nino , Manchester , UK

Run, John, Run. Nice to see him be able to multi-task--not!

gregory gross, hbtch, United States

McCain proposed bills back in 2005 and 2006 for investigation into Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac but congress rejected them. Bush has raised the issue 17 times while in office.

Christine, New York City, USA

If the federal reserve does underwrite the toxic debts with tax dollars it will mean the end of global capitalism and the start of global socialism. The choice should be transparent, as should the consequence. It is clear that throwing the promise of future taxes after rash loans is simply a gamble.

Alexander Roc, Bournemouth, UK

"...survey suggested that...it is not the government's responsibility to rescue private companies with taxpayer dollars."

Whether the bail-out will work or not is another debate, but don't these people get it?

It's them being bailed out, not the banks!

The economy needs a stable financial system.

Rob, Hong Kong, China

Now that the economy is tanking, McCain needs to work up some new talking points about why he was for financial deregulation before he was against it. Currently, the debate is still scheduled to proceed. At this point, it won't matter at all if McCain is present or there is an empty lecturn.

Christina S., San Francisco, USA

John McCain is using the economy as an excuse to chicken out of the Presidential Debate this Friday!! He obviously hasn't prepared for it, like Sen. Obama has! This is pathetic and a lack of leadership on McCain's part. Will he also want to postpone the election because he is behind in the polls?

Jimmy C, Letchworth Garden City, UK

It’s the biggest political grandstand of the year. Clearly done to halt the shift in momentum toward Obama

Phil, Washington, DC ,

McCain is suspending a debate he had no chance of winning.
His campaign manager has troo much invested on wall street. To be bother, with his campaign. McCain money he was getting from Fannie & Freddie could land him in Prison. With the FBI investigation many is going to Prison if Obama WINS.

Daphne Kenward, Cambridge, UK

McCain is a high risk gambler. First, the stunt with Palin and now this... seems to be regressing back to his days of high risk flying with equally hilarious results of totalling his plane five times during his career. God help America if he gets in!

CG, Singapore,

"Seize the initiative"? What bias! Now that is what I would call "putting lipstick on a pig!" His campaign is imploding, he is tanking in some polls and his running mate says "I'll have to get back to you on that," when asked by Katie Couric today to name one accomplishment of his in 26 years!

Martin, Chicago, USA

If Mr Bush had been in in Crawford, TX when for the last week attending to some business or another and had announced that he was going to stay on there despite the current crisis because Presidents have to be able to do more than one thing at a time, Obama would be singing a different tune.

Joe Baich, Lake Ridge, United States of America

Both can address the crisis-issues w/o having to physically be there unless casting a vote. Sen. Obama has been on top of this- kept in touch, laid out concerns-proposals. I imagine Sen. McCain talked with his party also. McCain Camp wants Media control, now trying to stall debating- what's next?

Sunshine, California, USA

Of course.....his lobbyist friends are calling him home to help them. Will Americans wake up to this fraud.

M.J., Iowa, U.S.A.

If they wait until the problem is solved until having the debate it won't happen until after the election??? What is he going on about they aren't going to solve this crisis in a few days in Washington.

Nathan, Penang, Malaysia

Chicken!

John Small, Faversham, UK

Nobody can seize the initiative by canceling an agreed event.
Why can't he postpone the whole economic crises as well or can't he handle 2 problems at any one time?

torun chakrabarty, Hong Kong,

There's no reason to cancel a Friday night debate. Who really gets work done on a Friday night?

Andrew, New York,

It is an act of cowardice that McCain is using the financial crisis (which his party and their cronies created) to wimp his way out of a debate in which he is going to be made to look like the inarticulate old duffer he is. Campaigns don't stop for war, why should they to reward failed gamblers?

Joel, Cambridge, England

Why suspend the campaign? doesn't McCain know how to multi-task? What are two more senators in Washington gonna do that the other lot there can't figure out? Gimme a break this is another ploy, just like changing the structure of the debates and hiding Palin from the press.....whats really going on?

clio, London,

Mr McCain is, as he has himself admitted in the past, not an expert on economics. So what can he add to the debate that senators more learned or experienced in this field cannot? A good President should be able to delegate - why not instead send his expert advisers to assist senatorial colleagues?

Giles, Hitchin,

Christine... It's a stunt just like the one that backfired before the Republican Convention... Remember? He had to go to NewOrleans to save them. Whoops, Hur.Ike didn't come and he went back to the convention because Houston was not sexy enough. "Country first!, Country first!" signed: Keating5

Carey P, aptos, CA, USA

Washington has had since the Enron scandal to reign in Corporate investment fraud and has done nothing during this entire decade.

What a joke. How did these guys become leaders of the free world? Hey Britain, how about sponsering Canada's entrance into the EU? Please? Pretty please?

Wayne Moss, Fredericton, Canada

McCain takes is job as a Senator seriously. Naturally a military man would respond when his country needs him - for vote in Washington.

For Obama being a senator is simply a stepping stone to the Presidency.

Nona, New York City, USA

If McCain rides in to Washington and "delivers" his grumbling Republicans, he will ride out on a white horse as the person who "singlehandedly" saved the country. This could be his "second coming". Halleluyah!

Lenny, Los Angeles,

McCain offered to debate next Thursday. Pres. Bush has called both Obama and McCain to Washington to help solve this crisis. Harry Reid stated that without McCain, there is no deal. Obama stated this crisis is of the highest priority. At the end of the day, McCain will come out on top.

Shannon Eubanks, Brookhaven, USA

Let's be clear: McCain has not "seized the initiative." This is a cheap, transparent ploy to postpone the presidential debate because 1) McCain is unprepared on economic issues and 2)they want to pre-empt the VP debate on Thursday and never reschedule as Palin comes across as the neophythe she is.

Maggie Wilde, West Hollywood, CA, USA

What a joke: Suspending the campaign is just another way of campaigning; it also saves McCain money (of which he has less than Obama).

Wolfgang, Boulder, CO, U.S.A.

I stated months ago and I'll say again,The world is heading into the worst depression since 1929, Go figure this, How long [even if it does go through] will the markets remain buoyant when all that stands between them and disaster is a begrudged $700Bil, I cannot see a second visit to the Congress

Peter, Vancouver BC., Canada

Sounds like a way to scare the American public. The show must go on. The economic crisis did not just suddenly appear. Did McCain just notice?....

lee, naperville, usa

Curious that the US presidential elections have continued on schedule, every 4 years, regardless of what has also been going on. If voters are expected to turn out while World War II is going on, for example, then why should a Credit Crunch derail them now? Desperation politics?

K. Edwards, London, UK

Obama rebuffed McCain and said this is when the American
people need to hear from them the most. Obviously the free market people have to retrench in the financial industry, which Bernacke and Paulson have be oblivious to... yet stiil
want to lead. They both should resign. Mark Whitehurst

Mark Whitehurst, Santa barbara, United States

McCain is no "fighter pilot". McCain is an old man who is running scared. Its an obvious ploy to try and avoid debating on national television with Obama. He openly admits economics is not his strong point yet he can suddenly help in Washington?

Tactics of a scared man, run rabbit run rabbit.

Ryan, Glasgow,

Was it not long ago, a lady called Margaret had been quoted as saying 'one cannot buck the market'. So, why are US/UK govt's doing exactly that now, trying to save the greedy private bankers from ruin, by using the money belonging to the man on the street to coff up for them!! Interesting Capitalism

Arvin, Lon, GB

Seize the initiative? Come on. Drops the ball, is more like it. If there is a more transparent admission that McCain's handlers are afraid what he will say in open debate on broadcast TV, I can't imagine what it is.

Randy Stortroen, San Francisco, USA

McCain is running scared. Things were looking bad for him earlier today, with his confusion about the economy, the poll released showing him 9 points behind, the revelations about Rick Davis' firm doing lobbying work for Freddie Mac, and the upcoming debate. No wonder he seized this opportunity.

Steve, Cardiff, UK

If you can't handle thinking about the economy and debating foreign policy in the same week you should disqualify yourself from the presidency.

John Caine, Scranton, PA, USA

A ploy recognized the world over: Being admittedly weak in some subjects, McCain is trying to skate on the oral exam.

By his own admission, McCain has little or nothing to contribute to a discussion of economic theory or practice. What help will he be in Washington now? Time to face the public.

peter, miami, usa

What a publicity stunt. McCain you're not running the country -- let those people get on with it while you take the election seriously.

Tony, Islington, London, UK

This might cost McCain the election, but it shows what a good man he truly is. His priority is doing what must be done.

Obama has missed so much work in the senate that he probably doesn't even know how to find his office - 40% of the time not voting.

Christine, New York City, USA

This is "fighter pilot" McCain. Tactically Obama simply cannot keep up with this guy. That doesn't mean McCain wins the election. Rather, it shows why he is the only candidate Republicans could have nominated with a chance to win.

Eric, Mt View, USA

One of the congressmen recently said very clearly: "It is not fair that one selected gropup of profetiers to rip all the benefits, and the tax payers to burden the losses of the Wall Street".
This is neither a democracy nor capitalism

Miro, Sacramento, USA

Does this mean that the election itself will be cancelled?

dan, London, UK

Interesting, a calculated risk on the part of his campaign advisors-
-It is easy to forget sometimes that aside from being candidates, Senators McCain and Obama are in fact still both acting Senators who still need to address all major issues and developments on a daily basis-

Scott Benowitz, Rye, New York, U.S.A.