See, I'll never get the "he didn't want to disturb the children" defense. You're the freakin' President! The kids will understand when they get home or hear about it somehow. Shit, the only people in America who had no idea what was happening by 10:30 or 11 were either by themselves in bumfuckingnowhere or still asleep.
Back to the 2008 campaign, with various party leaders and whips and whatnot being determined, does this sort of stuff historically weed out Presidential candidates? I know Dole was the Senate Majority Leader when he initially ran and gave up his post during the campaign, but beyond that I honestly don't know.