FLASH! AP - McCain attempts to postpone debate- cites "Crush a Can Day", "Rosh Hashanah"

[Poll_Blind]

--STAIRE--

AP - Washington
  In a surprise move late in the afternoon on Wednesday the McCain campaign, after attempting to postpone the debate with Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama so Senator McCain could "focus on the economy", indicated there were other "exigencies" which required the Republican senator's full attention: "Crush a Can Day" and the Jewish holiday of "Rosh Hashanah".

  In the third hastily-called news conference of the day Carly Fiorina, McCain's senior spokesperson, indicated that the debate would have to be put off "at least another few weeks" while Senator McCain dealt with several other "quickly emerging" situations. Earlier press conferences had been gone poorly for Fiorina, as many reporters questioned the necessity to postpone presidential debate over the rapidly-degrading economic situation in the U.S.

  Shortly after taking a hastily-erected podium outside a Denny's in the nation's capitol, Fiorina recapped the McCain campaign position and elaborated further: "I forgot. It's not just the economy which, as you know, except for this ancillary exigency, is going strong. It's also going to be 'Crush a Can Day' on Friday as well as 'Rosh Hashanah'. Senator McCain is showing leadership by focusing on this emerging situations. They need a leader to address them- this is not a time to 'play politics'.

  A reporter from NPR explained to Fiorina that "Crush a Can Day" was on Saturday and that "Rosh Hashanah" didn't start until next Monday, a full three days after the scheduled debate.

  Fiorina explained "Senator McCain is serious about crushing cans. So serious is the epidemic of un-crushed cans that the McCain campaign is willing to be pro-active and crush cans a full half-week before anyone else gets around to it. As to 'Rosh Hashanah', it actually falls on Friday- the Arabs use a different calendar than we do."

  Several reporters interjected that the holiday of Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish holiday and questioned what the "Arab calendar" had to do with it.

  After a moment of silence during which Fiorina's eyes darted across the crowd of assembled reporters, she appeared to use one of her legs to kick the other one out from underneath her. She and the podium tumbled onto the asphalt parking lot. As McCain security helped her into a black limousine she could be heard shouting "It's starting! It's starting already! The Arabs slipped us a trick calendar!"

PB