GOP Rep: Republicans Complaining About Pelosi Are "Babies Sucking Their Thumbs"

Roll Call reports (subscription req'd)

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) threw cold water on a key rationale House Republican leaders have been employing this afternoon to explain why they couldn't deliver more GOP votes for the Wall Street bailout package.

At a Monday afternoon press conference, GOP leaders argued that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) cost the measure a dozen Republican votes by delivering an overly partisan floor speech in support of it.

But Bachmann, speaking at a Republican Study Committee press conference, told reporters, "I want to assure you that was not the case. We are not babies who suck our thumbs. We have very principled reasons for voting no."

Bachmann was responding to comments Democratic leaders made dismissing the GOP leaders' claims. But she apparently confused the Democratic response with the initial charge by Republicans, and her comments mirrored those of the Democratic leaders.

UPDATE: More from GOP Rep. John Shadegg on Tuesday's Morning Joe:

Joe Scarborough: Let's bring in Republican Arizona Representative John Shaddegg. Did you vote against this bill because your feelings were hurt by Barney Frank or Nancy Pelosi?

John Shadegg: No, I didn't. It was a stupid speech by her. They didn't move any votes.

Joe Scarborough: Was Boehner wrong?

John Shadegg: Yes. It was embarrassing for leadership on both parties to lose the bill so they made a stupid claim.

Comments

[BethStuart]

I watched ABC Nightline last night and they quoted Boehner as backing away from his earlier claims saying that Pelosi's speech didn't have much to do with the republican rejection of the bill.

[HowietheScreamer]

LOL... the Repubes are realizing that looking like a bunch of spoiled whiny little kids when the economy is crashing isn't a "good thing" for re-election.

[FirstShirt]

Must look really bad for the over 90 democrats who voted with the republicans. Nancy Pelosi really has control, doesn't she?

[Mustang Sally]

I cannot believe she of all people made those statements. She has been one of the staunchest Bushies and practically assaulted him during his State of the Union address. Now she says this? Oh yeah, election time is just around the corner and she is in a tight race...

[geobushono]

Yea we all enjoyed 'the kiss'..........so it's hard to forget her.
That being said, she voted correctly on this issue.
I've voted straight Democratic since 1968, and I have already promised to work for my Rep. (reyes).
This is about the corporatists against the people. Period.

All this folderol about dem-repug differences is laid bare with this issue. Anybody who voted for the UNCONSTITUTIONAL Bill, deserves to go home.

[holyhandgrenaid]

How was the bill unconstitutional? And don't convince yourself for a minute the rethugs were thinking in the people's interest. They saw that the bailout was polling badly, so they voted against it to save their own skins. However, the bad polling on the bailout is the result of two things (courtesy of Nate Silver at http://www.fivethirtyeight.com )
1) The polling was on the absurd proposal made by Paulson, not the one that went to vote
2) Silver points out that, like all polls, the responses change dramatically with the wording of the question.

Also, as early as yesterday morning (before the vote) the bailout started being voted favorably, because people were approving of the amended version. The congressional rethugs who voted against all thought they were following their constituents, not because they actually care about their opinions, but because they thought this would get them reelected. They made a gross miscalculation, as the people are fickle, and after a day or two of the market tanking, the bailout will be passed by a large majority, and those who have voted against it will have egg on their face come Nov

[snarkopolitan]

Read the story carefully: Bachmann didn't know that the Republicans had already trotted out this howler of an excuse, and so she inadvertantly hammered her own party further into the ground. She thought Dems/nasty lib media were ACCUSING Republicans of letting their votes be swayed by something as silly as a partisan speech.

[whatsthatsound]

The Republican Party seems to be practically imploding. It's like they're all just sick of themselves.
Hopefully they'll take this opportunity to find good therapists and work through the issues that led them to becoming this way. Even you, Karl Rove! There's hope!

[Punkynsnow]

There's no hope for Rove, sorry. He's a total sociopath.

[JHancock]

And they are taking the entire country down with them.

[FirstShirt]

Over 90 democrats voted with the republicans.

You democrats forget you aren't a monolith. Remember the acrimony of your primaries? Think that has gone away?

[truthynesslover]

They can certainly dish it out but cant take it.They should grow a pair!Maybe hillary will loan them some!

[notthistime]

"Maybe hillary will loan them some!"

Exactly

[gtsagan]

Yeah. Bill's.

[FirstShirt]

They tanked a bill the most americans did not want. Meanwhile, Nancy and Reid, were doing whatever Bush wanted.

Over 90 democrats voted with the republicans.

[pillgirl]

anyone that has watched larry king recently knows that michelle bachmann doesnt know what she's talking about. nothing different from her today.

[notthistime]

Of course she does. She knows enough to speak the truth.

[MadeinAmericaProud]

I agree. This lady does have the b@lls to be on camera to admit the truth, and be a better leader than the men in the republican party. She is to be respected because she is not a tape recorder like Sarah Palin is for John Mccain.

[fedupwithrepublicans]

Sorry, she didn't understand the question..... as usual..

[USMC1980]

This is just more proof of how gutless many (not all) Republicans are, and how lacking in leadership abilities John McCain is. McCain has shot himself in the butt yet again, and his running mate has become the political joke of the month. Obama meantime has acted like a calm, rationale leader. Any Democrat who still doesn't get it, needs to wake up and put "country first" by voting for Obama.

[bubblebee]

Give them pacifiers.

[RepugsOut08]

The Republicans cannot figure out what to do about their dire situation, because they have no real principles left. The last eight years have been about one thing only. Just do whatever to get elected. It doesn't matter if it's just by one tenth of a point over the Dems, just get elected. Lie, cheat, steal? No problem, just get elected.
With no real principes in place, they spend most of their time putting out fires and trying to paint the Dems as soft on terrorism and such. This has worked for some time, but is now falling flat as people begin to realize they've been sold a lemon for the last eight years.
Today the Repubs tried to use public anger over this bailout, rather than principle, to gain political advantage over the Dems. People are angry, so let's make the Dems look bad and we'll gain the voters trust again.
Trouble is, people get ANGRIER when they lose their life savings. Their jobs. Their homes.
I don't know if this bill would have been the best thing for tax payers in the long run or not, but the collapse of the economy seems very real. If it must collapse for the country to eventually become whole, maybe it will be worth the pain, but if it could have been saved by this bill, and the bill was defeated for no reason other than to gain some hoped for political advantage, the Republicans will pay dearly for this stupidity.

[help4mac]

No they don't suck their thumbs, but the repugnants do suck. And they have for a long time. REMEMBER FOLKS, the repugnants couldn't figure out that the Germans And Japanese were a threat until AFTER the attack on Pearl Harbor. They were the reason we weren't ready.

The Repugnant party is a disgrace, full of dinosaurs and benefit too much from over representation in the Senate. Time to change the constitution or better still, let's kick Florida and Texas out of the Union.

[Punkynsnow]

I live in Florida and if McCain gets elected, I WANT us to be kicked out of the Union so I don't have to move to Canada (brrrrr.....)

[JonG345]

McCain failed. He couldn't get the house republicans to vote in any way that might jeopardize them in the upcoming congressional elections. They don't respect John McCain and don't think he will win the upcoming election.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

[notthistime]

John McCain has bad judgement and they know it. Of course they are trying to save themselves. The man is not a leader. Look at his campaign and his decisions. I don't blame them for trying to jump ship and stay afloat.

[ladyv]

That's exactly it. They have no belief whatsoever that McCain will win, so they have no reason to jeopardize their careers out of fear of angering him. In November he'll go back to the Senate to serve out the rest of his term (maybe), and they don't want to be stuck losing re-election to try to prop up a guaranteed loser like McCain.

[IForgotMyName]

In the words of the great Phil Gramm:
Republicans have become a party of whiners...

[stanjz]

It's been the Republican leadership who cultivate such anger among their supporters that all they can do is name call. Let's call everyone who disagrees with us a: Socialist, Communist, Muslim, Celebrity, Anti-Christ et cetera. These people really are disturbed. There needs to be rules to the road.

They agree that someone physically stronger and bigger than you can't beat you up and take your stuff. But corporations which are financially much stronger and more knowledgable than the average person can financially beat people up, take their homes and ship their jobs overseas.;where they can exploit foreign laborers for .31 cents an hour.

[atombee]

don't forget the Elites ...

[MadeinAmericaProud]

I agree with you 100%. Very powerful comments. By the way, here are a few more names to add to you list: Liberals, uppity, arrogant and whiners

I don't have the time to study the long list of republicans to know which states these people represent, but if these elected officials are in states that have a lot of hate crimes than it says to the world Americans have a very long way to go before we are a united people.

[MyVoiceHere]

I wonder how many votes go blue as investors feel the rejection cost them money?

[thebluecrayon]

Bachman forgot to reboot with the new talking points installed.

[RedWhiteandBlueState]

hilarious

[Punkynsnow]

but hey, she's adorable, just like Palin... lol.

[LWkcma]

what a bunch of whiners....thanks Gramm

[LAThinker]

and looneys

http://www.ucubd.com/Index.aspx?id=722&cid=3146