JOHN McCain last night sensationally SUSPENDED his presidential campaign — to sort out America’s credit crunch meltdown instead.

The Republican candidate scrapped TV interviews to jet back to Washington from New York where he was meeting world leaders.

He blasted party squabbles for threatening a £380billion rescue package for the country’s creaking financial system — which is facing its worst battering since the Great Depression.

Snub ... Barack Obama wants TV debate

McCain, 71, said the US was facing a “historic crisis” and politicians needed to unite as they did after 9/11.

The senator insisted: “We are running out of time.” He called on Democratic rival Barack Obama to join him in shelving his White House campaign and said they should postpone the first of their face-to-face TV debates tomorrow.

Obama REFUSED — accusing him of playing politics with the crisis.

He also claimed it was HIS idea in the first place that they should unite to ensure the rescue Bill gets through.

Important

Obama said he phoned his rival with the suggestion early yesterday — and hours later got a return call from McCain saying he was interested in issuing a joint statement.

He said of the TV debate: “It’s my belief that this is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person who in approximately 40 days will be responsible for dealing with this mess.” He sneered: “I think that it is going to be part of the president’s job — to deal with more than one thing at once.”

He also said he had already informed congressional leaders battling to hammer out the rescue plan that he was prepared to go to Washington if it would help.

But he added: “What is important is that we don’t suddenly infuse Capitol Hill with presidential politics.”

Obama’s refusal to postpone the much-anticipated TV debate was backed by officials responsible for organising it.

They said in a statement: “We believe the public will be well served by having all the debates as scheduled.”

McCain warned that if the Bill does not pass, “credit will dry up with devastating consequences for our economy”.

President Bush was due to address the nation on the crisis.