Some People can't Walk and Chew Gum!

John Marshall writes

At 8:30 this morning, Senator Obama called Senator McCain to ask him if he would join in issuing a joint statement outlining their shared principles and conditions for the Treasury proposal and urging Congress and the White House to act in a bipartisan manner to pass such a proposal. At 2:30 this afternoon, Senator McCain returned Senator Obama's call and agreed to join him in issuing such a statement. The two campaigns are currently working together on the details.

Then we hear

The McCain camp has just sent word that the senator is suspending his campaign and returning to Washington to deal with the financial crisis.

McCain is also calling for a postponement of Friday night's debate and for Obama to suspend his campaign as well.

And John Marshall pegs it:

What's changed today in the financial crisis other than John McCain's poll numbers tanking? Isn't this the campaign equivalent of faking an injury when you're down late in the 4th quarter? Note too that McCain was in the mist of debate prep when he made this decision.

Look at what appears to have happened. Obama reached out to McCain privately to agree to a shared set of bailout principles. McCain went off the handle again and tried to use the crisis as a way to call off the debates.

Thanks to Talking Points Memo for keeping me informed.