CNN: Lehrer would then pose the questions to Obama. It would take on a kind of town hall format, according to Khayat.
Khayat said he will recommend that to the Debate Commission, which would make the final decision.
The debate was to focus on foreign policy and national security, but the economic crisis is likely to be a dominant issue as well.
Whether McCain intends to participate is up in the air, but Democratic opponent Barack Obama said it's still on as far as he's concerned.
Obama will fly to Oxford on Friday, according to his campaign.
On Thursday, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said he expects both candidates to attend Friday night's debate, even though McCain has said he'll only go if Congress reaches a deal on the bailout.
"I expect there to be a debate tomorrow night [Friday] and I look forward to it," Barbour told reporters at the University of Mississippi.
Here's how the Swamp described it:
McCain charged around the Capitol with a determined look on his face and a retinue of friends and advisers. First to greet him at the Russell Senate Office Building was Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, a Democrat-turned-Independent who has infuriated Democrats with his hard-hitting support for McCain. In his office, McCain huddled with Lieberman and Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.).
After a brisk walk to the office of House Reupblican Leader John Boehner, McCain joined Senate Republicans for lunch in the ornate Mansfield Room. Twenty-five minutes later, he walked out and past a wall of photographers and reporters, hopped on the Senate subway and returned to his office in the Russell Building.
Obama's motorcade arrived at 3:03 pm outside Obama's Senate office, where the candidate met with staff for a half-hour. The Obama campaign, clearly peeved that McCain was trying to get the upper hand in the situation, pointed out that McCain was still saying that no solution was at hand even though congressional leaders appeared to be closing in on one.
But the day's climax arrived when the two candidates headed to the White House they are battling so hard to occupy, and where one of them will reside in four months.
The bailout package is not expected to get done today (what's the rush?) and McCain said he would not debate unless there is a "consensus" on the package.
