What, pray tell, is McCain accomplishing by skipping the debate?

I realize I am biased, but I really don't see anything except the basis for a cheap campaign commercial. I guess I can imagine it being a good idea to postpone the debate a little since no one is really focused much on foreign policy. But lets not pretend that John McCain is going to give that decisive shot of economic wisdom that is going to save the financial system. Feel free to enlighten me if you understand it differently (there ARE people who read this blog, right?). Some pertinent snippets:

Colbert King: The Right Soapbox for McCain

What is John McCain going to do in Washington this week? The Senate banking committee, led by Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), has the lead in fashioning legislation to enable a bailout of the financial industry.

McCain is not a member of that committee.

He serves on the armed services committee, the commerce committee and committee on Indian affairs. Those committees do not have oversight of the financial markets nor responsibility for putting together a rescue package.

Banking committee members -- Republicans and Democrats -- don't need to check with the GOP presidential nominee before they act. Nor should they. After all, McCain has already admitted that he needs to get up to speed on the economy. He'll have plenty of time to express himself once a bill is reported out of committee . . .

CNN: McCain suspends campaign

"It's my belief that this is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person will be the next president," Obama said in Clearwater, Florida. "It is going to be part of the president's job to deal with more than one thing at once. It's more important than ever to present ourselves to the American people." . . .

"I am calling on the president to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Sen. Obama and myself. It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem."
. . .

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid issued a statement saying. . .

"It would not be helpful at this time to have them come back during these negotiations and risk injecting presidential politics into this process or distract important talks about the future of our nation's economy," the statement said. "We need leadership, not a campaign photo op.

"If there were ever a time for both candidates to hold a debate before the American people about this serious challenge, it is now," he added.

. . .

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said McCain's move was "just weird."

"We haven't heard hide nor hair of Sen. McCain in these negotiations," said Schumer, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. "He has not been involved except for an occasional, unhelpful statement, sort of thrown from far away, and the last thing we need in these delicate negotiations is an injection of presidential politics."