GOP Fallback: When In Doubt Blame Pelosi

Do you hear a fiddle? Because it sure feels like Rome is burning.
It's no huge surprise that the Bush Administration's massive economic rescue bill wasn't passed in the House of Representatives. Know anyone who approves of this thing? No, it is a deeply-flawed piece of legislation and even the reworked version, which includes greater taxpayer and consumer protection, cost too much and will likely accomplish too little.

But after watching the reaction of leading House Republicans, who are responsible for killing this bill, it's hard to believe that Congress can come up with something more worthwhile.

Why?

Because hardcore GOP opposition is preoccupied with petty and stupid political matters--primarily the conduct of some House Democrats, who support this wildly unpopular bailout bill served up by the GOP's own wildly unpopular president .
Instead of saying "this bill sucks, let's kill it and draft another, pronto", GOP leaders and obstructionists are ranting that the proposed bailout just went down in flames because of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's tart tongue.

To the GOP's collective horror, Democrat Pelosi got up before the lower chamber, prior to the vote, and stated the obvious: This financial crisis occurred on the GOP's watch and during President Bush's nearly eight years of mass destruction.
Well, boo, friggin' hoo. Yeah, that's the first time Republicans have ever heard that one.

If the ultra-conservative GOP wing has a real plan for rescuing this economy then let's see it. If not, then let's go with this plan and move on. But don't insult the country, or waste its time, with this political nonsense and talk of bruised feelings. Save it for Fox News.

This economy is in deep trouble and, like it or not, a bailout plan is needed. So stop fiddling around.

Comments

[boophus]

Why no cry about sexism about all the heat Pelosi takes? This is so hypocritical. LMAO
If times weren't so scary I would be screaming with laughter every day. Palin is hands off but Pelosi and Clinton are fair targets. Could the republicans be confusing feminism with sexist gallantry in her case? Palins children are off limits but Chelsea CLinton and Obamas wife are fair targets.

[lwseanor]

Forget about the Repubs for a minute. Forget about Bush, and forget about McCain.

WE control the House and the Senate. We do not need a single vote from the Republican party to get a bill pushed through. The Speaker of the House was not even able to shore up her own party.

That's a problem with leadership, or the lack thereof. Stop casting blame at the other guys. The fault lies with this party.

Somebody has got to step and take charge. Unfortunately, i'm not sure our candidate for the White House has the experience to do so.

I would feel better if it was Hillary

[redpepper]

No the GOP didn't just blame Pelosi. Freddi Mac and Freddie Mae need to fall flat on their faces.
If you check the Congressional Hearing held in 2004 where the regulator broughrt forth a report in which it said there had been creative accoutning done and other financial illegals you would hear all the Democrats saying theie is nothing wrong with Fanny Mae or Freddie Mac or Frank Raines. All is well. HA! The GOP tried to alet people in 2004, 2005, previous years as well. So the GOP did the right thing and so did the few Democats who voted against this bailout. Why compound insult with injury. Let Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac fall. They are not needed.

[Mike169]

The Republican ideology is corrupt, inane, irrelevant , irresponsible and barren. The only thing that holds the party up is the money (our money!) that it tossed to the rich for the last 30 years.

[Selbourne]

President Eisenhower explained his decision to admit knowledge of Gary Powers flights over Russia with these words "When the President of the United States speaks, it is important that he be believed." I believe the fundamental problem in passing this bail out plan is simple. The public does not trust George Bush and his administration and we do not trust Congress to stand up to him.
So no one is quite sure the Administration is not just trying to bail out their buddies on Wall Street. After all, Bush has described these people as his base. We wonder does Congress have any independent means of verifying Paulson's claims about the consequences of rejecting this plan. Is there a better way to do this? Many knowledgeable people including George Soros think so.
We really don't trust the administration to level with the American people.

[BBDisk]

The fact remain: The Dems could have passed it with but a scant 12 more votes from the 95 No votes they otherwise generated.

Sorry ... your reasoning doesn't fly in the face of a crisis. It does fly in the partisan finger pointing politics we've become accustomed to, though.

Repubs cried about Pelosi's (admittedly hateful) partisan speech, but Dems had within their grasp the power to pass the bill and - in fact - come out the heroes of the day. They had an opportunity to use the power of their majority for the perceived good of the country. What they did was use the opportunity to do a little bit of their own whining and crying. Barney Frank, loudmouth that he is, should answer for the Democrats that voted no. Pelosi should answer for the Dems that voted No. Clyburn should answer for the Dems that voted no.

The issue is simple: The Dems have zero moral high-ground to stand on with 95 of their number voting against.

[plwood01]

Why should the Democrats sign onto a bill that everyone knows is full of crap and that makes the American people be the scapegoat for the Republican's rich friends and themselves. The Republican President introduced the bailout bill and rightly so, after all if he had not lied to the public for 8 years about everything from Iraq to the firing of the federal judges unlawfully, perhaps his folks would have believed him not listened to their constituents. The last Democratic President left a surplus when he left office. Bush had no real reason to take us into Iraq either which is the main reason for the collapse of our economy, what else has he done to command all the money be spent? Education, Health Care, Higher salaries, what has he done for the 95%? I would have thought that the Democrats would have balked instead; but no his own bunch revolted...looks like a mutiny to me! Get over it! The greed, arrogance and stupidity of the electorate to place someone into the Presidency who was a "C" student, is another reason we are in the shape we are in. Give me the educated, cool headed, professor, community organizing civil servant any day! Like I said, "Just get over it."

[Mike169]

The Republican dissidents have for years been the handmaidens of the rich - deregulating, giving tax breaks, passing laws which protect their assests, passing laws that punish their workers. Now they want us to believe that they're for the Average Joe. I'm sorry this is like swallowing an elephant I just can't seem to get it down. The Republicans were looking out for themselves only. They don't care about this country and never have. Their only interest has been in keeping power at any cost. Kicking them out the door will be more than a pleasure.

[Happygirl]

Nancy Pelosi was the true hero of yesterday's disaster. She would not let the Democrats pass the bill just so the Republicans can run against it. Nobody is for this bill, but it has to be done, so grow up Republicans. What a bunch of cowards they are!!

[RTIII]

The Rs will always be their asshat selves and put blame where it doesn't belong, but Nancy IS a failed leader, overall.

Nancy isn't bright enough to understand that the bailout will destroy us even faster / worse than not having a bailout.

Can ANY OF YOU articulate WHY we need a bailout? I'm not asking you to describe what you fear but the cause/effect mechanisms that are at play? Frankly, I'd bet fewer than 1 in a hundred here who support a bailout have thought about it thoroughly enough.
.

[RTIII]

I agree: This was a VERY AWFUL BILL.

However, I disagree: WE DO NOT NEED A "BAILOUT."

The problem is liquidity. The whole idea behind a bailout is to reward the current failed system and its people.

Instead, let's get rid of the old "liquidity system" - the Federal Reserve - and create a NEW one, and seed it with a few tens or hundreds of billions.

For those who don't know or have forgotten: the Federal Reserve is a PRIVATE CONGLOMERATION OF BANKS and controls liquidity primarily through interest rates and lending. Contrary to popular belief, our Treasury Department doesn't create the nations money supply, they only print currency - paper bills - and mint coins.

People are also failing to consider what happens to the dollar if we bailout the Fed System: The dollar will CRASH in value, far worse than the pain we're having now.

NO BAILOUT!

[castlerider]

Speaker Pelosi told the TRUTH!!!

It was her place to place it on the record to say all those things she said!

I was furious to see that nobody stood up for Sen. Pelosi, saying that she simply told the truth.
The real reason why they didn't vote for the bill is because they are desperately trying to distance themselves from Bush, like rats running off a sinking ship after voting with him most EVERY TIME!!!

Why? Because they are worried about being re-elected, of course!!

[vippy]

She may have said the truth but she needs to be reminded that she and Boehner voted for
the deregulation, ergo her vote created this mess and now she is pointing the finger at everyone
but herself. How hypocritical is that. She needs to apologize and then resign.

[jdeck]

rep republicans for the most part want free market and they dont want government taking all lead in loans and banks . They said they were not done with asking for free market to gain fundamental capitalism on the market. they wouldnt pass the vote because they werent going to make any money off this credit crisis. Its all about the money the big money and who gains from this market debate.
We us ,all americans should be p... we dont have a say in all this really...But we are responsible for helping save the nation...
we americans are the ones that are really going to suffer from greedy top business execs.
Instead of arguing of who did what and who is wrong ,you need to be preparing money wise for a bad ordeal....
and yes pelosi and her small gang our looking out for americans please see that she quotes the partys over and she meant it..........

[Sundialsvc4]

A leader would say: "the buck stops here."

A leader would say: "I am (We are) the responsible officer(s) of this Government."

I suggest that we all familiarize ourselves with the OTHER NAMES on those ballots, because neither of these two hand-picked goofballs could lead water down a riverbed.

[customgreen]

I for one am glad this thing died. Maybe now they will get serious and craft something that REALLY protects the taxpayer. Throw the whole damned thing out and start again. The Dems actually have a great opprotunity to put together something that all of the Dems could support, not just 67%.

[BBDisk]

Keep in mind my friends that 95 Democrats voted against ... where is your angst and bile for them? Why, if the Democratic party is so prescient and country-loving, did 1/3 of the entire Democratic congress vote against the bill?

40% is a big number for a party that seems to be claiming moral highground and whining about Republicans voting against it. If they could just have gotten more Democrats to vote for the bill, the Republican noes would have been ineffective.

The Democrats messed this one up. I can't believe they let 1/3 of their people vote No. They had a chance to use their majority and screwed the pooch.

Aren't you glad you voted them in? Have they done anything they promised to do when you elected them?

[Iam4thiscountry]

There was an agreement between the dem and rep that not all would vote for it. Both parties would have enough to pass it without it being passed by mostly dem or mostly rep. no one liked the bill. but they did agree that something had to be done. And this is a bill that was presented by the Republican President. The dem do not want to be the ones to bail out the Rep. Pres.

[Kerris]

But they didn't vote against it and then cry like babies that someone said "the nasty word" and made them rush from the playground in tears.... now, did they?

No matter how you slice it, it is purely childish.

[Ivellios]

You've obviously not done enough reading, my friend.

This is a bill that was brought by the Republican President. The Dems stated from the beginning that this would have to be bipartisan from the get go. There is no way they wanted to get stuck having to pass a crappy piece of legislation without the majority of Repubs on board.

It is their view that it was a Republican Congress that dates all the way back to 1994. The Dems have only had a majority for the last 2 yrs. They figure that this crap bill shouldn't have to be hung around their neck for the failed policies of Less Oversight and Less Deregulation.

This is a crisis brought on by the perpetual breaking down of walls that were built in the 30's to prevent the mismanagement of the market from happening again. This systematic breaking down of the Glass Steagal act is what brings us to this point today.