"If the bailout is to pass, let it be with Democratic votes." ~ The Next Right

[mzmolly]

Schuster mentioned this on MSNBC about two days ago. I posted it previously, but I think it's good to keep in mind as this discussion continues.

http://thenextright.com/patrick-ruffini/republicans-should-vote-against-the-bailout">THE NEXT RIGHT

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.

This creates pressure on the "change" message. If this issue is made controversial, and Obama is not the first to make it an issue, how exactly is a Washington deal backed by Bush's Treasury Secretary "change?"

But for this to be actionable, it has to be controversial. So this can't be a few lonely voices like Coburn and DeMint. It needs to be the bulk of the Republican conference. 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.

The above was written by someone who is said to be close to the McCain campaign.

I'd bet money that McCain is going to attempt to take advantage the "opportunity to create political space" between himself and Bush as well as the "Wall Street lobbyists" who he's got working on his campaign by voting no on any legislation? The key question is will Democrats demand that he's on board?

[BlueIdaho]

1. Well I guess its official then - there is no crisis. nm.

[Jersey Devil]

2. Harry Reid said 2 days ago: No McCain "yea" vote, no bailout

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0908/McCain_has_the_power.html?showall

Reported George Stephanopoulos last night:

If Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain doesn't vote for the Bush administration's $700 billion economic bailout plan, some Republican and Democratic congressional leaders tell ABC News the plan won't pass.

"If McCain doesn't come out for this, it's over," a Top House Republican tells ABC News.

A Democratic leadership source says that White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten has been told that
Democratic votes will not be there if McCain votes no -- that there is no deal if McCain doesn't go along.

Obama is not stupid nor is Reid.

[mzmolly]

5. Yet he's now saying "we don't need McCain...."

One needn't think Reid or Obama is foolish to form an opinion on the suggested tactic I noted above.

[mmonk]

3. When the market tanks and credit dries up,

he'll have to move a little to do something.

[mzmolly]

4. The hope is that he can get Dems to vote yea on the bail out thus preventing

such a crisis, while at the same time he can rally against Bush and Wall Street. Make no mistake, he wants to have it both ways.

[mmonk]

10. He can't have it both ways.

[mzmolly]

11. I hope

not.

[mzmolly]

6. "Dems have to go it on their own..." MSNBC

:kick:

[Captiosus]

7. IMO, if Dems are gonna 'go on their own'

They should go as slow as possible and draw the ire of the Repukes who clearly have no incentive, or even a solid consensus, to make their own bill.

Keep reminding the country that while a Repuke pResident and a Repuke Presidential Nominee were saying they needed the bailout by the end of the week or the whole boondoggle would collapse on Monday, it was the fractured Republican party that couldn't agree to the terms of any deals while the Dems had made strides to making an acceptable bill with oversight, equity shares and mortgage protection.

The ball is in the Dems court.
The Repukes obviously don't believe it's such a crisis that they need to listen to Bush* or McSame and rush right out to approve the first bill. Dems should take the same approach and keep the fractured Republican party in the limelight.

[mzmolly]

8. I hope we refuse to go it alone, but

if we have to we might as well add in what we want in terms of added regulation, bankruptcy reform etc...

:hi:

[mzmolly]

9. .

[mzmolly]

12. .

:kick: reminder kick...