A potential approach for the Republicans regarding the bail-out bill

[FVZA_Colonel]

This came from Hullabaloo, and I was just curious what people here thought: http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/opening-for-maverick-by-digby-ed.html

Hullabaloo

Monday, September 22, 2008

Opening For A Maverick

by digby

Ed Kilgore over at the Democratic Strategist has posted an interesting take on the politics of this bailout. He points to a post yesterday by Patrick Ruffinni that outlines a probable McCain strategy for dealing with this:


Republican incumbents in close races have the easiest vote of their lives coming up this week: No on the Bush-Pelosi Wall Street bailout.

God Himself couldn't have given rank-and-file Republicans a better opportunity to create political space between themselves and the Administration. That's why I want to see 40 Republican No votes in the Senate, and 150+ in the House. If a bailout is to pass, let it be with Democratic votes. Let this be the political establishment (Bush Republicans in the White House + Democrats in Congress) saddling the taxpayers with hundreds of billions in debt (more than the Iraq War, conjured up in a single weekend, and enabled by Pelosi, btw), while principled Republicans say "No" and go to the country with a stinging indictment of the majority in Congress....

In an ideal world, McCain opposes this because of all the Democratic add-ons and shows up to vote Nay while Obama punts.

History has shown us that "inevitable" "emergency" legislation like the Patriot Act or Sarbanes-Oxley is never more popular than on the day it is passed -- and this isn't all that popular to begin with. All the upside comes with voting against it.


Note the framing of the "Bush-Pelosi" bailout plan. Very crafty.
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If this is the strategy the Republicans take, what do you think would be the smartest strategy for Democrats to deal with this? The Dodd bill is certainly prefferable to (wannabe) Czar Paulson's plan, but would it be enough?

[yurbud]

1. this is where Dems rubber stamp of Bush after token protests will backfire

[Marsala]

2. Dems are demanding McCain's vote, or else they won't pass it

This is the safest way to play the issue, at least in the short term. Not sure if it will work.