McCain follows the Commish's advice

How brilliant do I look right about now?

Noting the leadership/initiative vacuum that exists between the two presidential candidates vis-a-vis the bailout, I called on Sen. McCain to take the extraordinary step of leaving his presidential campaign and heading back to Washington.

The Senior Senator plans to do just that.

In an effort to show how serious he is, McCain has reportedly cancelled an appearance on Letterman and is now calling on the president to convene a leadership roundtable -- including he and Sen. Obama -- to forge a bipartisan consensus to the bailout issue. Calling the administration's proposed 3/4-of-a-trillion-dollar blank-check request unworkable as currently constructed, he has called on Obama to suspend all campaign advertisements, return with him to Washington, and suspend the regularly scheduled debate on Friday night.

It's no surprise that, although the answer could change, an Obama aide said Team Hope was inclined to go forward with the debate.

Even if you see this move as a coldly calculated political gambit (which it might be), five things are true:

First: It shows that McCain is the only candidate willing to put his money where his mouth is on the new-kind-of-politics front. This is an unprecedented move.

Second: It will no doubt help shore up his biggest weakness -- the fact that voters (rightfully) don't see him as a leader -- or even competent -- on the economic front.

Third: Because Gov. Palin is such a big draw, Team Maverick will still be able to bring in huge crowds to its events.

Fourth: It makes Obama look horrendously bad if he doesn't follow suit.

Fifth: This is vintage McCain.