Obama agrees to three presidential debates

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Likely Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Barack Obama agreed to three debates with his presumptive Republican opponent, campaign officials said Sunday.

The decision means a proposal by U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., for joint "town hall"-style appearances likely won't happen, The Washington Post reported. A fourth debate between vice presidential candidates was also approved by the Illinois senator's campaign.

"Due to the late date of the two parties' nominating conventions, and the relatively short period between the end of the conventions and the first proposed debate, it is likely that the four commission debates will be the sole series of debates in the fall campaign," Obama campaign manager David Plouffe wrote in a letter to the heads of the Commission on Presidential Debates, the newspaper reported.

McCain suggested earlier that the candidates appear together at a series of town hall-style gatherings, and while Obama said he would think about it, his campaign opted out of the idea after a cursory round of talks, the Post said.