The maverick’s suspension of his campaign hits a new snag as House Republicans propose an alternative to the bailout.

John McCain may not know economics, but he’s a keen practitioner of game theory. After treading water for days on what to do about the $700 billion bailout package, he suspended his campaign on Wednesday to head back to Washington and make a deal. Less than 48 hours later, he was planning on heading to Oxford, Miss., suspension lifted and debate on (but bailout deal still unreached). Politically, it was a topsy-turvy few days, made all the more so by the famously impulsive senator and yet another risky/savvy/WTF? move. John Nash would be so proud.

With these multiple gambits, McCain attempted to amplify all those qualities that makes him a draw to the swing voters he needs. Maverick? Check. Bipartisan leader? Check. Prudent custodian of taxpayer dollars? That, too.

Obama had been unrelenting since McCain’s announcement that “this is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person who, in approximately 40 days, will be responsible for dealing with this mess.” Now McCain has swerved in a big game of political chicken. Yes, Americans get to hear from the candidates unfiltered. But McCain’s huge political gamble has hamstrung him. He will be debating tonight in the shadow of his relationship with the conservative Republican base (always a struggle) and, perhaps more cripplingly, his decisiveness.

McCain’s hedging has been manifest all week. He says legislation is necessary and has offered five things he’d like to see included in the final bill—a version of his $400,000 cap on executive pay made its way into most of the final negotiations. Yet when Harry Reid announced McCain was “going to come out” for the bailout, McCain’s press office shot back that McCain hadn’t made a decision yet.

Leading up to this week’s congressional debate, McCain—like Barack Obama—had more or less followed the Treasury Department’s lead regarding the never-ending bailouts. In March, McCain favored the bailout of Bear Stearns. Earlier this month, he favored the bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Before Lehman crashed, he—along with Obama—encouraged the company to find a private solution. When it didn’t, he was pleased the Fed did not bail Lehman out. And when the Fed ponied up an $85 billion loan for AIG, McCain shifted from an initial opposition to hesitant support.