Uncertainty still surrounds first presidential debate

WASHINGTON -- Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama took a detour off the campaign trail to visit the house both hope to occupy next year, wading into contentious talks over the government's proposed bailout of Wall Street and leaving their first debate up in the air.

At a White House meeting Thursday with congressional leaders of both parties and President Bush, the two senators provided a bipartisan show of support for moving ahead quickly with a plan to settle the nation's shaky credit markets. They differed sharply, however, on the wisdom and effectiveness of their intervention.

Both expressed a desire to attend Friday night's scheduled debate at the University of Mississippi-Oxford, but McCain remains uncertain.

"I believe that it's very possible that we can get an agreement … in time for me to fly to Mississippi," McCain said on ABC News. The Arizona Republican put in motion the chain of events that led to the day's unusual White House meeting when he announced Wednesday he was suspending his campaign to return to Washington to join the bailout talks. He has said he will not debate unless a deal is struck.

After a hastily organized trip to the nation's capital, Obama made a last-minute decision to remain in Washington overnight, stranding staff and most of his traveling press corps in Clearwater, Fla., where he had been preparing for the debate.

He told reporters here that he still plans to attend the faceoff. "The most important thing John McCain and I can do (Friday) is to go to Mississippi," he said. He questioned the value of his and McCain's presence at the negotiating table. "I'm not clear that in a very difficult situation like that, doing things in the spotlight is necessarily useful," he said.

Both candidates maximized the moment, however, conducting TV interviews to end a day that saw each make a rare appearance on Capitol Hill. McCain, who arrived in town first after speaking at former president Bill Clinton's Global Initiative in New York City, huddled with House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, and supporters before heading to the White House.