Candidates debate prep includes economy

OXFORD, Miss., Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Barack Obama and John McCain plan to spend the days ahead of the first U.S. presidential debate campaigning on issues, officials from the campaigns said.

The debate between the two major-party presidential candidates is Friday at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. The scheduled topic is foreign affairs, but the U.S. financial markets crisis also may surface during questioning, USA Today reported Monday.

Chaotic conditions on Wall Street last week pushed the Bush administration to submit to Congress a $700 billion proposal to fix the mess.

"The Bush Administration has only offered a concept with a staggering price tag, not a plan," Obama said Sunday during a North Carolina campaign appearance.

The Democratic candidate said the bailout must meet several conditions, including not providing a blank check "when American taxpayers are on the hook for this much money," no huge golden parachutes for chief executives of failing companies, a way for taxpayers to recoup their investment and help for homeowners.

Stumping in Maryland, McCain said Sunday any plan "must keep people in their homes and safeguard the life savings of all Americans by protecting our financial system and capital markets."

Last week, the Arizona Republican presented some of his economic platform, including a Mortgage and Financial Institutions Trust that would "identify institutions that are weak and take remedies to strengthen them before they become insolvent."