WASHINGTON (AP) -- Urgent efforts to lash together a $700 billion rescue plan for the national economy appeared to be stalling Thursday night, hours after key lawmakers had declared they had reached a deal.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke sped to Capitol Hill to try to revive or rework the proposal that President Bush said must be quickly approved by Congress to stave off economic disaster.

Congressional leaders were to meet with the economic chiefs into the night.

After six days of intensive talks on the unprecedented package proposed by the Bush administration, with Wall Street tottering and presidential politics intruding six weeks before the election, there was more confusion than clarity.

The day's earlier apparent breakthrough, announced with fanfare at midday, was followed by a White House summit bringing together President Bush, presidential contenders John McCain and Barack Obama, and top congressional leaders. But that meeting, aimed at showing unity in resolving a national financial crisis, broke up with conflicts in plain view.

Inside the session, House Republican leader John Boehner expressed misgivings about the emerging plan and McCain would not commit to supporting it, said people from both parties who were briefed on the

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Wall Street Journal is reporting that JPMorgan Chase & Co. has struck a deal to acquire the deposits and some of the branches of Washington Mutual Inc., which has been battered by soured mortgages.

The paper, citing people familiar with the matter, says the deal brokered by the government will not impact the FDIC insurance fund.

The Seattle-based thrift, the nation's largest, has roughly $310 billion in assets and was searching for a lifeline after a credit-rating downgrade further raised questions about its future.

Calls to JPMorgan and WaMu spokesmen and federal regulators were not immediately returned.

JPMorgan has scheduled a conference call for 9:15 p.m. ET Thursday.