NYT: "Congressional Leaders Stunned by Warnings." Atrios: This sounds familiar.

[Papa Boule]

NYT:

WASHINGTON — It was a room full of people who rarely hold their tongues. But as the Fed chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, laid out the potentially devastating ramifications of the financial crisis before congressional leaders on Thursday night, there was a stunned silence at first.

Mr. Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. had made an urgent and unusual evening visit to Capitol Hill, and they were gathered around a conference table in the offices of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“When you listened to him describe it you gulped," said Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York.

Atrios

"GOP Daddies In Nice Suits told the Democrats that Something Very Serious Was Happening and Something Needs To Be Done. So predictable."

[madaboutharry]

1. I think they were told if the bailouts didn't pan out,

The entire United States economy and finacial system would collapse.

The democrats need to go out there and say "This is what republican policy has done to this country."

[alsame]

2. Agreed. Never trust a republican with your money. eom

[bdamomma]

14. or running/ruining the country.

they should be tar and feathered.

go here now: let us not get this jerk off the hook. let us fight back now.

http://www.prosecutegeorgebush.com/index.htm

[Missy Vixen]

3. The Democrats won't

They'll send a strongly worded letter instead. They lack killer instinct.

If these clowns couldn't see the handwriting on the wall we've all seen over the last several months, they shouldn't be serving in public office. It's unsustainable. We're spending $100,000 per minute in Iraq, besides the credit issues, the fact a mortgage lender probably would have given our cat a loan if he had a Social Security number...

Truly. Were these folks honestly that surprised?

-S

[SoCalDem]

6. If their hands were clean, they COULD..but as usual, dems take money from these people too

so they have ceded the high ground...and they fear seeing commercials next month as they run for re-election..

"sen/rep so and so BLOCKED reform to prevent a financial meltdown, because THEY take money from these people"..

[AldebTX]

4. Why Does This Sound Like the Run Up To Iraq

Scare them and make them rubber stamp your policy.

[rzemanfl]

5. Exactly. No Dem should vote for this, it is their mess, let them

fix it. When they can't, then it is time for the Obama/Democratic plan.

[RC]

10. Sorry, we do NOT have that kind of time. And also

it is the Democrats fault also for going along with it. Yes it was the greedy republicans doings, but they had plenty of help from greedy democrats feeding at the same trough.

[rzemanfl]

23. They TELL us we don't have time. n/t

[AZ Criminal JD]

20. What plan is that?

[rzemanfl]

22. The one he didn't announce until he had time to study theirs. n/t

[Papa Boule]

7. Exactly!

And the problem seems to be that in a crisis the GOP "Daddies" ooze confidence and talk with authority and swagger, and the insecure, fearful, self-doubting Democrats swoon and capitulate to them.

[malaise]

16. Ding ding

we have a winner!

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

8. It's the Republicans' mess! LET THEM CLEAN IT UP - BY THEMSELVES!

:grr:

Besides, those effers aren't interested in saving THE NATION from economic devastation!!! They ONLY WANT to float the top 3% of the economic bracket! Damn IT! You and me and every damn one knows that!!! They are only interested in keeping those with the most still holding the most!

:grr:

GAWD!!! *banging fists* I! AM! SICK, SICK, SICK AND TIRED OF THIS CRAP!!! :grr:

[pangaea]

9. Wanna Deal with the Problem...

go find the top 100 employees of the following companies:
Fannie Mae
Freddie Mac
AIG
Bear Stearns
Meryll Lynch
Lehman Brothers

and put them in jail... for 20 years, no parole.

Then go and find every democrat in the senate, every house member every supporting staffer for the Banking and Finance committee and throw them in jail, republican or democrat


and then hand the keys to wallstreet over to Obama and hope he can find someone with an economic brain that isn't where their dick is... if you know what I mean...
and hope to go that person was not schooled in Chicago...


.... em kay?

and then 300 years from now, tell me if this shit ever happens again?

[AZ Criminal JD]

21. How could Obama get the keys

when under your definition he would be in jail too?

[MannyGoldstein]

11. Pelosi: "I Wouldn't Be Able To Buy More Armani!!!"

"It would be awful!!! Now please pass the gray poupon, and remove those unsightly peaceniks - they're blocking the view from my veranda."

[TahitiNut]

12. Cattle surprised by rustlers ... stampede about to begin ... legislation will trample people.

I've seen this horseshit opera before. :shrug:

[Delphinus]

15. What were the results?

(I wanted to add, in what respect you had seen the horseshit opera before, but it sounded too much like lipstick.)

[TahitiNut]

18. Tens of thousands dead ... hundreds of billions spent ... Constitution shredded.

... and then a "Mission Accomplished" banner above some Utter Imbecile peddling lies.

[peacetalksforall]

13. DLC niceness will be the rule. Pelosi, Schumer, Reid = leaders - all DLC.

Milquetoast. Don't make waves. Don't impeach, it wouldn't be good for the country. Don't look at vote theft and machines made by partisan thieves. It wounldn't be nice. Just a few little japbs here and there. Go along with the jokes. Just give George a little pat on the shoulder. Erase Cheney from your world. He's not there. There are no barons. Spying? It's OK with us. Close down the torture and torment prisons. It's not in our hands. Stop the looting of the taxpayers? What looting.

[natrat]

17. act surprised then rush to ream the living shit out of the tax payer

[Papa Boule]

19. Shameless kick. n/t