FORMER McCAIN VP SHORT-LISTER CIRCULATED THE PLAN THAT SCUTTLED THE DEAL

New York Times:

But a few blocks away, a senior House Republican lawmaker was at a luncheon with reporters, saying his caucus would never go along with the deal. This Republican said Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, the chief deputy whip, was circulating an alternative course that would rely on government-backed insurance, not taxpayer-financed purchase of mortgage assets.

Fox News reported in August that Cantor, a McCain surrogate who had a great deal of support on the right as a potential running mate, including the endorsement of Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention (yes, even though Cantor's Jewish), was undergoing "intense" vetting as a possible McCain running mate. Politico also reported on the vetting. At one point, Cantor even touted himself as a potential running mate on his own blog.

Cantor's not Lieberman or Graham -- he's not part of McCain's entourage. But he's young and ambitious, and I assume that, whatever else he had in mind, he was looking out for McCain's interests.