By Alan K. Ota, CQ Staff

After an initial failure to sell its economic rescue plan to lawmakers, the Bush administration switched to a more grass-roots approach.

President Bush and the White House had taken a back seat for much of the week, content to let Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. be the administration’s front man with backup from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox. But Bush’s stand-ins came under withering fire, much of it from Republican lawmakers.

Bush scheduled a prime-time televised address Wednesday night in an attempt to salvage the costly aid package for troubled financial services companies.

For eight years, the administration has promoted its legislative priorities through a powerful coalition on K Street and close relations with Republican congressional leaders. But the chilly reaction to the administration’s credit crisis proposal prompted critical reviews from both parties and forced the White House to consider a new sales strategy. As Congress began debating the plan this week — and battering Paulson —- the scheme appeared to be suffering the lack of effective high-profile leadership.

Both presidential candidates entered the fray on Wednesday. Republican nominee Sen. John McCain , R-Ariz., announced that he would stop campaigning and return to his day job in the Senate. Earlier in the day, Obama had suggested to McCain that they work together on the Wall Street meltdown.

Members of both parties remained divided Wednesday on whether Bush’s personal involvement could sway wavering lawmakers. “To be frank, I don’t think he has the credibility right now with these issues,” said Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Paulson and Bernanke had earned praise for expertise, but some lawmakers privately criticized them for offering complicated dissertations. “Paulson answered with a lot of details and complexity. Some of it was not in plain language. That does not bode well for the proposal,’’ said Rep. Dean Heller , R-Nev., a former stock broker.

From a distance, McCain had called for Cox’s resignation.

At times, the White House seemed to be trying to unify Republicans by teaming top administration officials including Vice President Dick Cheney and Joshua B. Bolten , Bush’s chief of staff, with the pleas for action from a broad-based business alliance. Similar efforts helped push through the administration’s first-term tax cut packages (PL 107-16, PL 108-27).

But Cheney’s effort on Tuesday to line up the support of House Republicans seemed to do little good, according to participants in the session who questioned Cheney’s financial expertise. “I don’t think he changed any minds,” said Ralph M. Hall , R-Texas.

And the involvement of the highly partisan Cheney inflamed Democrats. “Isn’t the vice president an officer of the Senate? Why is he not visiting with Democrats on a matter of this importance?” asked House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn , D-S.C.

With the credit crisis package all but stalled, some party leaders and lobbyists suggested that Bush needed a stronger sales team and marketing campaign.

Senior lawmakers in both parties said Bush could help encourage formation of a coalition to convince the public of the need for action and build support for specific steps.