An e-mail:

Kathryn:
Isn’t this a golden opportunity for John McCain? Supposedly, the wheels came off his campaign when he “suspended” it to go to DC to work on the bailout/rescue. He was hammered, and the bad Dow action of the last week or so made it look like he put his campaign on the Pass line and the dice came up snake eyes. And his poll numbers dropped along with the Dow.
But now – why doesn’t he come out and say, “My friends, the good news in the stock market shows all of us that the rescue plan took some time to get going. It shows I am not afraid to put my political career on the line to do what I think is right for America. Some say I should have done what my opponent did: make no phone calls to wavering members of my own party, make a few bland but inconsequential speeches, quietly vote for the bill, and then trash my opponent at every opportunity. But that’s not who I am.
“Some people in my own party said I took too much of a political risk. But like my early and strong support for the Surge in Iraq, I always put the interests of my country ahead of my interests as a politician.
“Like all Americans I’m glad to see the effects of the bailout become apparent. And I trust that all Americans will see which candidate is willing to do what he believes in and not stand on the sidelines.”
I swear – his poll numbers would skyrocket.

I’m not a huge fan of the line of attack. But I totally see him saying something like it.