Will he debate? / disingenous suspension of campaign

The empty debate stand
--an awful sight, we have seen it too much in the last quarter century.

Yet, with the change of leadership must months away, and the election a mere 40 days away, Sen. John McCain has bailed out of this week's debate.

Tonight's news has, as its lead story, news of a tentative bipartisan deal on the financial crisis. And, as Sen. Barack Obama has noted, people are able to both vote on the urgent legislation and fly down to Mississippi for a debate. (The trip is only about two and a half or three hours, John.) Yet, McCain still ***has not*** committed to participating in tomorrow night's debate at the University of Mississippi.

Even Mike Huckabee said that McCain made "a huge mistake" by bowing out of the debate.

UPDATE: WHAT SUSPENSION OF CAMPAIGNING?
This so-called suspension of campaign is clearly a weasling out of tomorrow's debate. As noted on Open Left, John McCain hasn't suspended campaigning. Look at how he has made stops on all the major television networks tonight.
And of course, notice how the neo-Rovean-Rick Davis-led McCain campaign continues to run television ads. Is that suspension of campaigning John?