All the top leaders of the Republican Party - Bush, Cheney, Paulson, Bernanke, McConnell, and Boehner - insist Congress must write a $700 billion blank check or the financial markets and the entire economy will crash.

If they really believe that, then here's a simple proposition: let Republicans go first.

It's not enough for George Bush to make a speech on TV. The entire Republican Party has run Washington since 2001 and they collectively created this massive financial mess.

It's long past time for Republicans to take responsibility for it. Let them all own the bailout.

The Paulson Plunder bill should be introduced by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader John Boehner. And that bill should be cosponsored by every single Republican in the Senate and the House.

And if that doesn't happen, then Congress should simply adjourn until the election is over and see what the credit markets look like then.

So is it a deal?

Update 1: Here's Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA):

McGovern said that at a minimum, the Bush administration is going to have to give in to Democratic demands for a broader stimulus package.

"If the administration wants me to eat some s---, they're going to have to eat some s---, too," he said.

Better yet - let the Administration and the Republican Party eat the s---, and Democrats can watch and see if it kills them or not. And then we can take our sweet time deciding whether we want to join them - or not.