A senior campaign official says that McCain will NOT debate -- no matter what -- if Congress hasn't reached an agreement on a bailout package.
I was talking with Schecter this afternoon and we concluded that Senator Obama ought to show up at the podium anyway Friday night. Just Obama and Lehrer for an hour. Maybe they could put a cardboard cutout of McCain up there, too.
This is why Schecter and I aren't running any campaigns right now.