Opportunity Knocks...

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Hot on the heels of John McCain's request to postpone Friday's inaugural presidential debate comes this press release from Bob Barr, who says he's " more than willing to step in to participate" in McCain's absence.

How generous.

In case you're wondering, Bob Barr is running for president. As a Libertarian. Who is Bob Barr? you ask. A former Republican congressman from Georgia who led the impeachment efforts against President Bill Clinton, he's probably most famous nowadays for appearing in the Borat movie to accept a block of cheese made from Borat's wife's breast milk. That's right: the little guy with the mustache and glasses who bears an unsettling resemblance to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jr.

Take it away, Bob. Your 15 minutes seconds begin... now:

With the recent proposal of Senator John McCain to postpone the first presidential debate, it is clear that the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) has no authority.

"For the past several elections, candidates have used the CPD as an official buffer to keep competition out of the two-party presidential contest," says Libertarian Party presidential nominee Bob Barr. "McCain publicly proved with his announcement what we've been saying all along: The candidates call the shots as to when to debate, where to debate and who to debate."

Barr continued, "Given Senator McCain's political stunt to avoid the debate, I ask that Friday's debate moves forward without him, as I am more than willing to step in to participate."

A valiant effort, but something tells me that Obama's not going to bite. Although it is worth noting--as Barr does later in the release--that Jimmy Carter skipped first debate of 1980, forcing Ronald Reagan to battle independent challenger John Anderson all by his lonesome. Of course, Anderson was polling around 20 percent at the time; Barr's currently pulling a paltry 1 percent or so. That said, Reagan did go on to win the election. So maybe Obama should reconsider--provided Barr leaves the breast-milk cheese at home.

UPDATE, 10:26 p.m.: The New Republic's Michael Schaffer makes the case for Barr:

Isn't this sort of a gimme for the Democrats? If Barack Obama really wants John McCain to de-suspend his participation, he ought to vow not only to invite Barr to fill the empty podium, but should promise to spend as much of the debate as possible teeing up his mustachioed interlocutor to deliver great zingers. By weekend, Barr could be at 20 percent in the polls and Obama could be on his way to a decisive win. 

Sounds downright McCainian...