McCain attempts to use financial crisis to avoid facing Obama in debate.

ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos and Rick Klein report: Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Wednesday said he would "suspend" his presidential campaign to come to Washington to help negotiate a financial bailout bill and argued Friday's first presidential debate should be scrapped -- a dramatic move designed to seize a powerful issue.

McCain said he called on the Commission on Presidential Debates to postpone the debate scheduled for Friday in Mississippi, to ensure quick congressional action.

"I have spoken to Senator Obama and informed him of my decision and have asked him to join me," McCain said in New York City Wednesday. "I am calling on the president to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself. It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem.”

Okay so here is what REALLY happened.

According to Obama spokesman Bill Burton, Obama called the GOP nominee this morning seeking to put out a statement about their "shared principles and conditions for the Treasury proposal" and urging Congress and the White House to quickly pass a bipartisan plan to deal with the nation's economic crises.

McCain called the Democratic nominee back this afternoon and agreed, so the two campaigns are hammering out an agreement.

Meanwhile, McCain announced that he is halting his campaign and urged the first presidential debate, scheduled Friday, to be postponed because of the dire need to finalize such a plan.

Okay so after agreeing to making a JOINT announcement with Obama, McCain calls FOX News and tells them he is suspending his campaign and that he is calling on Obama to join his in suspending his campaign and postponing the debate.

So in other words McCain is using this supposed financial crisis to avoid having to appear on stage with Barack Obama for a little while longer. Is it possible that this was the real reason for this crisis to suddenly have reached critical mass? It certainly seems awfully convenient. (Gryphen straightens out his tinfoil hat a little.)

And how is Obama responding to this?

Preparing for the debate in Florida, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama held a previously unscheduled news conference, arguing the debate should go on.

"I believe that we should continue to have the debate," Obama said. "It's my belief that this is exact time when the American people need to hear form the person who in approximately 40 days will be responsibly for dealing with this mess and I think that it is going to be part of the president’s job to deal with more than one thing at once."

That my friends is the greatest response to this transparent manipulation that anyone could hope for. Clearly Obama is much too intelligent to be tricked in this manner.

So the debates are still a go. McCain better get his shit together because it is clear that Obama certainly does.