Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) this afternoon announced that he is suspending his campaign and seeking a delay in the first debate — scheduled for Friday — until Congress is able to iron out a deal with the Bush administration to address the nation’s economic crisis.

McCain, who spoke this afternoon in New York, said he was moving to “set politics aside” in the same manner lawmakers did following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, saying he believed a deal could be arranged before the markets open Monday. “Now is our chance to come together to prove that Washington is once again capable of leading this country,” McCain said.