McCain will stay away from Hill today

John McCain is in Washington all day today but staying away from Capitol Hill as negotiations on the $700 billion bailout enter a critical phase.

Senior campaign adviser Mark Salter says McCain is busy making calls from his Arlington, Va., campaign headquarters to key members of Congress, but will not make any special trip to Capitol Hill, as he did Thursday when negotiations got under way.

McCain is staying away "because he can effectively do what he needs to do by phone," Salter said, according to a press pool report. "He’s calling members on both sides, talking to people in the administration, helping out as he can.’’