Say what you will about Bill Kristol: he gives awesome advice, if your taste in awesome runs toward the howlingly shitty end of the awesomeness spectrum. And, in keeping with his perfect record of wrongness, he has some awesome advice to McCain today.
He wants McCain to suspend. Again. Suspension II: Elektrik Bugaloo! Seeing as Suspension I: Country First, Except I Won't Read Stuff & Can't Stay Up Late! was such a mighty hit.
No, seriously. Stop laughing. It'll be great. Like Ishtar II: The Revenge! Heaven's Gate II: Hell Rises Up! Bill says so.
And how is Kristol goading McCain into this suicide mission? By slapping on the latex gloves, squeezing out the baby oil, and stroking the McCain Ego:
The administration, House Democrats, and House Republicans (above all) have all proved unable to deliver. But there is someone who might be able to save the economy--and incidentally the Republican party: John McCain.
Only one man can lead them.... But where?
He should come back to D.C. But this time he needs to take charge -- either by laying out the outlines of his own plan, or presiding over meetings at which a real plan that can pass is cobbled together. He might also insist on the immediate passage of a couple of provisions (raising or removing FDIC insurance limits, for example) that could mitigate the damage that could be done over the next few days.
Foolproof, no? I mean, obviously McCain's grasp of the intricacies of finance and his mavericky influence over House Republicans and his ability to Reach Across the Aisle while patting himself on the back are the stuff of legend.
What could possibly go wrong? There's no way he'd end up sort of semi-championing an unworkable alternative proposal that he didn't understand in the slightest. There's no way he'd call a meeting & have it blow up in his face & get his ass handed to him by a junior Senator & slink out early. There's no way he'd be banished from the adult table and be forced to exert his mavericky influence over da phone while settling into his sofa with a bag of Cheetos to watch reruns of Golden Girls.
I mean, there's no freaking way McCain would be mocked mercilessly for trying to pull Stunt II: Bottled Hot Water To Dehydrated Financial Markets. Right, Bill?
[L]et observers mock him when he announces [Suspension II: Putin Rising]. They won’t mock if he can pull this off
Oh, no. They won't mock. Not at all. It'd be like wearing a suit of Anti-Mockery Armor.
Do it, John.