Tom Brokaw today:

OXFORD, Miss. — Republican Sen. John McCain made a smart move when he took a campaign timeout and returned to Washington to take part in the bipartisan effort to deal with the nation’s financial crisis, whether he participates in Friday’s debate or not, broadcaster Tom Brokaw said this evening. The Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics hosted “An Evening with Tom Brokaw” featuring the NBC News special correspondent, who gave an overview of the presidential debate and the election landscape. Polls showed McCain was losing ground to Democratic Sen. Barack Obama going into the planned nationally televised debate at the University of Mississippi. “I thought it was a smart tactical move on the part of the McCain campaign. ‘Going to Washington so I can work on my country’ … buy some time to collect your thoughts,” Brokaw said.