So they have the final text ready, then? That was quick. I thought these things took careful consideration.

Or are the candidates supposed to just go back to Washington and sit outside the committee room thumbing through back copies of Time till they're done?

As I understand this, the committee puts together the plan. If Obama and McCain are not on that committee, they don't serve any useful purpose by being there, and may well confuse the issues. Or am I wrong?

I am among the many who are not buying this at the moment. I understand that you are sticking up for McCain (or at least, that's the way it looks and it would be consistent with your previous politics-related posts) and I respect that, but I don't think he deserves the loyalty, for this move at least. I think (quite apart from my blatantly paranoid speculations on other matters) that it's a ploy.