(CNN) - McCain supporter Sen. Lindsey Graham tells CNN the McCain campaign is proposing to the Presidential Debate Commission and the Obama camp that if there's no bailout deal by Friday, the first presidential debate should take the place of the VP debate, currently scheduled for next Thursday, October 2 in St. Louis.
In this scenario, the vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin would be rescheduled for a date yet to be determined, and take place in Oxford, Mississippi, currently slated to be the site of the first presidential faceoff this Friday.
Graham says the McCain camp is well aware of the position of the Obama campaign and the debate commission that the debate should go on as planned - but both he and another senior McCain adviser insist the Republican nominee will not go to the debate Friday if there's no deal on the bailout.
From CNN Politics
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This is turning into such a farce
This absolutely unbelievable Is this to give Palin more time to learn how to be a world leader? I also think McCain is
What a joke. This has to be a joke, or he really thinks we're that stupid. He has been hiding her for weeks, and now he wants to push back the VP debate. What a guy.
If McCain has better things to do than debate on Friday, why not have a debate between Palin and Biden instead?
Or is it McCain's strategy to use a series of postponements to keep Palin muzzled until after the election?
For all you Democrats shouting the McCain is ducking debates...might I remind ALL OF YOU that McCain has been CRYING for Obama to DEBATE HIM since he was selected as the nominee. He asked for 10 debates.
You Democrats defended Obama for ducking those debate requests previously, now you come out trashing McCain when he is trying to get Washington to come together.
So if McCain goes to DC works hard, THEN flies Friday to debate Obama that is what I call multi-tasking...
This will backfire hard on you all so be careful when you say he is ducking debates...Obama has been ducking since day one!
ah hah! now i understand why its going on.. they want to give Palin as much time as possible to memorize her lines. This is so transparently political it's just total nonsense. McCain couldnt find credibility if it crashed into one of his foreign made cars
Hey Johnny, it's called multitasking–if you can't debate for 90 minutes and still do other stuff that day than being President is way over your head. Does us all a favor and lose.
So the Gorgeous One isn't ready to debate yet and John wants to use this bailout bill smokescreen to protect Sarah.
Ladies, aren't you ashamed of this VP selection?
I for one will not allow the standards or the performance expecations to be watered down.
I say let Biden and Palin debate on Friday ... THIS FRIDAY!
1. Get in your jet and fly to Mississippi on Friday.
2. Have the debates as planned.
3. Get back in jet and return to "worshington".
Simple... or McCain trying to postpone his slaughter?
What a shock–Palin doesn't want to debate. I think I was just blown over by a feather.
You have got to be kidding me. This is like "the dog ate my homework". McCain didn't prepare for the debate, so now he won't show up. McPalin is unbelieveable. I cannot believe any American in their right mind is fooled by these people.
Ah! now we're getting at the real reason for postponing the debates – to cancel the VP debate for GOOD! How much you want to bet they will never be able to find a good date to re-schedule it for! Unbelievable!
pathetic! they just want to hide sarah palin again!
So now he is continuing to avoid having Palin in the spotlight, and if he does not get his way he just won't show up? That's the kind of leadership we need, just hunker down in the bunker and hope it all goes away! This is the most ridiculous and cowardly stun I have seen since I began voting in 1968! No McCain, No Palin, No How, No Way!
He would not dare!
Ohhhh, I'd love to see McCain completely refuse to attend the debate. That would be so... Bush-like.
The Smoke Screen parts and we see the whole McBush scheme was to keep Bambi Palin in hiding as long as possible. It was not the Presidential Debate we are postponeing. It is the VP debate !
so that's the real reason he's postponing this debate.
Imagine that...the McSame campaign trying to buy time for Pailn. Hhmm...I wonder why.
I SMELL A RAT!!!
Until now, Sen. McCain has been able to continue his job in the senate "and" carry on his campaign. The debate will take a small amount of of his time. It is definitely important for the American people to have the opportunity to hear from both candidates regarding "all" the important issues confronting the country.
These two men are in the last days of the campaign for one of the most important elections in my lifetime. I am not convinced that McCain's presence in Washington is that critical to the negotiations....I do think Sen. McCain is making a "political" decision when he decided to suspend his campaign and the debate....because he wants to make it an example of his "leadership" qualities.....an obvious attempt to grandstand! I also believe that, similar to his outlandish and unexpected selection of Palin as his VP candidate, he is looking for another "game-changer"...another distraction from his current lagging poll numbers.
The negotiations about the potential bail-out of financial institutions are critical and should not be in any way made to be a part of the political campaigns. Unnecesarily suspending an important debate in an important election sounds like a political manuever to me!
oh...so it wasn't McCain they were concerned about, it was Palin. So lets move the VP debate until after we sort out this whole economic mess..let's say after the new year.
This was McCain's plan all the time, they wanted to find a way to postpone the VP debate because Palin needs as much time as posible to prepare. If this sham worked they would keep finding ways to make it to the election without having Palin debate Biden. Biden will destroy her with knowledge. She might beat him in being the most gorgeous. Although Biden does dress nice!
Oh, I see. This is another way for Palin to get more time to cram. Sorry, McCain and Palin, the final exam is coming regardless of whether or not you're prepared!
A true leader can do more than one thing at a time.
THEY ARE FLAT OUT SCARED.
Watch them turn this into Obama "NOT" caring about the present crisis. Its always a spin for these arrogant people.
Scaredy-cat, scaredy-cat. Never would have thought macho maccain would actually be afraid. Its pathetic.
Plus, they'd like to kill 2 birds with one stone, in trying to eliminate the VP debate altogether.
What a complete joke!!!