SEPARATING THE SPIN FROM THE SUBSTANCE!

Just as he had suspended pompous activities lined up for Day 1 of the Republican National Convention last September 1 to respond to any emergency posted by a hurricane, Senator John McCain is now suspending his campaign to focus on helping solve the US financial crisis.

The first presidential debate was scheduled for Friday, September 26 in Mississippi, but McCain practically threw the campaign into turmoil Wednesday by calling for a delay in the debate to try to forge a Wall Street rescue plan.

He is expected to return to Washington Thursday to try to help negotiations over a stalled $700 billion bailout plan for Wall Street.  Americans are generally skeptical about bailing out Wall Street with a plan that would cost the United States more than it put into the Iraq war, and with the economy hurting citizens at the level of bare essentials, the bailout plan is getting attacks from everywhere.

McCain urged Senator Barack Obama to join him in trying to reach a consensus agreement by Monday.  Obama, however, said he saw no reason the debate could not proceed on Friday, adding that it is exactly the “time when the American people need to hear from the person who in approximately 40 days will be responsible for dealing with this mess”.

Simply put, we ask… should they talk or act?   Here were are, before an arena where both White-House hopefuls are about to show off their expertise: Talk the talk… or Walk the walk!?