NEW YORK — Sen. John McCain leavened his final campaign blitz this weekend with a light-hearted appearance on "Saturday Night Live," hoping to get a boost from the late-night variety show that has proved red-hot this political season.

The Republican presidential hopeful opened the show last night with Tina Fey, who reprised her impression of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. In the sketch, the cash-strapped running mates simultaneously pitched their ticket and hawked items on the QVC cable shopping channel.

"This past Wednesday, Barack Obama purchased airtime on three major networks," McCain said, referring to his Democratic rival's 30-minute infomercial. "We, however, can only afford QVC."

"These campaigns sure are expensive," Fey said, fingering her sleek black suit in a sly reference to the $150,000 the Republican Party spent outfitting Palin and her family.

A smiling McCain good-naturedly tried to sell a variety of products, including a set of "pork" knives and "McCain Fine Gold" jewelry, shown by his wife, Cindy, who smilingly gestured to the necklaces on display.

"It commemorates the McCain-Feingold Act, and also looks good with evening wear," he said.

Then Fey darted to the side and, in a stage whisper, told the audience she was "going rogue." She held up a "Palin in 2012" T-shirt.

"Just try and wait until after Tuesday to wear 'em, OK?" she said. "Because I am not going anywhere, and I'm certainly not going back to Alaska. If I'm not going to the White House, I'm either running in four years, or I'm going to be a white Oprah."

McCain's election eve appearance came after Palin's turn on the show last month attracted 15 million viewers, "SNL's" best ratings in 14 years.

Executive producer Lorne Michaels tried to get Obama on the show, but he had to back out because he was returning from visiting his ailing grandmother in Hawai'i, Michaels told the New York Post last week.