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| McCain calls for TV debate delay | McCain calls for TV debate delay |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Republican White House hopeful John McCain has said he is suspending his campaign and returning to Washington to help deal with the economic crisis. | Republican White House hopeful John McCain has said he is suspending his campaign and returning to Washington to help deal with the economic crisis. |
| And he called for a TV debate with Democratic rival Barack Obama, scheduled for Friday, to be delayed. | And he called for a TV debate with Democratic rival Barack Obama, scheduled for Friday, to be delayed. |
| Mr Obama is expected to give his response to the request shortly. | Mr Obama is expected to give his response to the request shortly. |
| It comes as President George W Bush prepares to make an unscheduled TV address on the state of the economy in the next few hours. | It comes as President George W Bush prepares to make an unscheduled TV address on the state of the economy in the next few hours. |
| Mr McCain called on the president "to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself". | Mr McCain called on the president "to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself". |
| "We must meet until this crisis is resolved," he said. | "We must meet until this crisis is resolved," he said. |
| The BBC's Kevin Connolly in Washington says Mr McCain is billing his dramatic move as a gesture above party politics at a moment of national crisis. | |
| But, our correspondent says, it is smart tactics too because it conveys a sense that Mr McCain is taking the lead on an issue where so far voters appear to have been finding Barack Obama more convincing. | |
| Earlier, US Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke urged politicians to "act quickly" to support the proposed $700bn (£378bn) bail-out of the financial markets. | |
| He added the US economy risked "serious consequences" if action was not taken. | |
| Bail-out plan | Bail-out plan |
| President Bush's address - expected at 2101 EST (0101 GMT) - will be covered live by the main television networks in the US. | President Bush's address - expected at 2101 EST (0101 GMT) - will be covered live by the main television networks in the US. |
| Mr Bush is likely to seek to persuade US citizens to back his treasury secretary's $700bn bail-out plan. | |
| Lawmakers from both parties have cast doubt on Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's proposal, which was triggered by the collapse of a number of high-profile US banks. | Lawmakers from both parties have cast doubt on Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's proposal, which was triggered by the collapse of a number of high-profile US banks. |
| Mr Paulson wants to use the money to purchase banks' "troubled assets" in order to reassure lenders and restart the flow of credit on Wall Street. | Mr Paulson wants to use the money to purchase banks' "troubled assets" in order to reassure lenders and restart the flow of credit on Wall Street. |
| Democratic and Republican congressmen have asked for assurances that the plan would benefit ordinary American home-owners as well as Wall Street. | Democratic and Republican congressmen have asked for assurances that the plan would benefit ordinary American home-owners as well as Wall Street. |
| The White House has indicated that it would accept a Democratic Party proposal to cap executive pay as part of the bail-out package. | The White House has indicated that it would accept a Democratic Party proposal to cap executive pay as part of the bail-out package. |