So yesterday, the news was that the three Senators involved in the run for the presidency couldn't be bothered to do their current jobs:

Congress is poised to vote on the biggest government intervention in the financial markets since the Great Depression, but it's unlikely that any of the three senators vying for the White House will be there - even though all three have talked of little else for over a week.

Arizona Sen. John McCain has no plans to return to Washington this week, even though on Monday he expressed discomfort with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's trillion-dollar bailout plan and has offered his own rescue proposal.

"Sen. McCain is monitoring the situation closely," Steve Schmidt, a manager of the campaign, said on a conference call Monday. "We will see how this unfolds this week."
...
Senior Obama strategist Robert Gibbs said the campaign would also be monitoring the process as it unfolds, but as of Monday, the campaign would not commit to Obama’s making the trip back to Washington - even though the bailout proposal has taken a central role in Democratic presidential nominee’s stump speeches.  "It's safe to say people will know where we are" on the issue, Gibbs said.

Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, Obama’s running mate, is also monitoring the bailout situation, said his spokesman David Wade, calling the rescue legislation "a critical issue."

Because if they actually went to Washington and did the job they're currently paid to do, which is represent the people of their respective states, they'd actually have to take a stand that one of them would be held accountable for during their Presidency.  As I said Sunday, the two of them are really looking for a pass on this issue... trying to leave it up to somebody else to decide now, so that by the time innaguration roles around, they can't be blamed for the fallout.

But boy howdy... didn't they sound Presidential when they talked about how they weren't going to do anything?  They were all busy "monitoring the situation closely", and seeing how things "unfold".  It's like they're already Presidents, instead of Senators.  Gives me shivers just thinking about it.  But now we have a new twist.  McCain is asking for Friday's first Presidential debate to be delayed so that both he and Obama can head back to Washington after all:

"I am calling on the president to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself. It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem," the Republican nominee says in a speech distributed by his campaign. "We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved. I am directing my campaign to work with the Obama campaign and the commission on presidential debates to delay Friday night's debate until we have taken action to address this crisis."

No word yet on whether Obama will accept this proposal (see Update below).  First of all... very clever move by McCain.  I have a feeling he was planning this chess move at the same time he was saying he wouldn't go to Washington for a vote.  Of course, by calling for a delay in the debates until this crisis is resolved... well... that could delay the whole election now couldn't it?  Because frankly, the bailout plan is being so badly mungled that it could take well into next year to work out something reasonable.

If I might make a suggestion... why not do the first debate from Washington.  I bet you could even use one of the committee rooms in the Capital building.  Can you picture the scene playing out?  Two powerful Senators with their sleeves rolled up, having just come out of a long hearing, dedicated to upholding the confidence in the American people by showing that they can multi-task like any good President ought to be able to do.

Update:  Looks like the Obama camp want to keep the debates on, saying it's more important to debate now than before.  One problem is that Friday's debate was supposed to be about foreign policy, but it's still a good press line.  Of course, I suppose now he'll also say he won't come to Washington to vote.  I'd suggest that voting is now more important than ever Senator.  Why can't the candidates do both?