The White House meeting on the $700 billion bailout ended on a sour note tonight.

“I can’t invent votes,” House Republican Leader John Boehner warned.

McCain and his Democrat rival, Barack Obama, left without any joint endorsement.

When Democrats left after the meeting to caucus in the Roosevelt Room, Paulson pursued them, begging that they not “blow up” the legislation.

Paulson (Christian Science) went down on one knee as if genuflecting, to which Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Catholic) joked, “I didn’t know you were Catholic.”

The Democrats can not go forward with a bailout without the support of the Republicans.  Otherwise, the Republicans will use it as a hammer against them in the upcoming election.

Time to fiddle while Rome burns …