Pelosi won’t jump alone

[babylonsister]

Pelosi won’t jump alone
By Mike Soraghan and Jared Allen
Posted: 09/23/08 07:56 PM


House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is telling Democrats that she will not support President Bush’s $700 billion bailout of the financial sector unless there is significant Republican support for the controversial plan.

The politics of the bailout are tricky and dangerous for both political parties, particularly since it comes weeks before the presidential and congressional elections.

As a result, Pelosi (D-Calif.) has effectively sent the message that if she is going to jump off a cliff to rescue Wall Street, she wants House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and George W. Bush holding her hands when she leaps.

Pelosi made this scenario clear at a lengthy closed-door meeting of House Democrats on Tuesday. Many of those present said they took Pelosi’s message to mean that a “majority of the minority” needs to support the bill before she will bring it to the floor.

To get that kind of support, President Bush needs to go on television to speak directly to the public, and get on the phone to rally his fellow Republicans, said House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.).

“If it’s a crisis,” Clyburn said in a statement, “and we all need to come together, then as leader of this nation, the president needs to take the lead and bring the country together.”

more...

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/pelosi-wont-jump-alone-2008-09-23.html

WHY should we start believing the dimson now? :shrug:

[kentuck]

1. But....

She will jump.

That's all they need to know. Thanks Nancy!

[BuyingThyme]

6. Worst Speaker ever.

[OneGrassRoot]

2. Don't they think people are sick to death of decisions being made...

PURELY based on politics rather than the good of the country and We the People?

Shit, they don't even try to hide it any more. That's not exactly the type of transparency I've been hoping for.

[NNN0LHI]

3. If ignoring politics might put McCain into the White House then yes...

...no, make that FUCK YES Pelosi had better be considering the political ramifications of this.

She would be a fool not to.

Don

[OneGrassRoot]

4. I realize that, and I agree....

My point is that political/partisan "strategy" has overtaken governance, and no one tries to hide it any more. A balance of what's best for the country/people and what is good political strategy would be nice to see.

But I do understand what you're saying. It's very naive and pollyanna of me to want to see this -- perhaps it's never been there to begin with.

:hi:

[Epiphany4z]

5. from another post

GOP Operative-How to set the Dems up on Bailout - Republicans Should Vote Against the Bailout - Democratic Underground

Republicans Should Vote Against the Bailout

by Patrick Ruffini | September 21, 2008 at 9:25 PM

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.

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.

A bailout may be inevitable, but so to can be the political benefit for Congressional Republicans if played correctly.

There's more and I included the link but Huffington Post also has the story so better to go there than to give this prick any hits.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/23/rising-conserv...

http://thenextright.com/patrick-ruffini/republicans-sho...

http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Conservative_Patrick_...

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. She's holding back until all the lipstick is applied to the pig.

[karynnj]

8. She needs McCain, not Bush

The danger is that she could push the Democrats and have Bush and Boehner and McCain could use this as his moment to say he is not Bush.

The danger is that something needs to be done. Bush is President and the Democrats control both Houses. This is actually a dangerous political situation. What the Democrats need is their own plan and the ability to lay out what happened - explain the risks of doing nothing, show that their proposal stops future repetitions of this and does not reward the people who made the mess. Not easy to do in the midst of a political campaign and when the problem was ignored for at least four years.

The Democrats had a 2004 plank in their platform which spoke of the need to address mortgage and credit card abuses - specifically calling for the end of most balloon mortgages. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980DEFDF113EF934A1575BC0A9629C8B63&&scp=5&sq=business%20subprime%20Kerry&st=cse
(Yes, another case where Kerry was right - but more importantly this put the Democratic party on record as long ago as 2004.)

[babylonsister]

10. Reid was going after him and, as of last night, he was on board...

Reid: McCain to support bailout
By Alexander Bolton
Posted: 09/23/08 06:49 PM


Republican presidential nominee John McCain will support a proposed $700 billion bailout of the financial markets, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced Tuesday evening.

Sen. McCain’s (Ariz.) support of the package had been uncertain as a growing number of Republicans criticized it harshly.

Reid specifically challenged McCain on Tuesday to take a position on the bailout package.

“I got some good news in the last hour or so … it appears that Sen. McCain is going to come out for this,” Reid announced.

The McCain campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

more...

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/reid-mccain-to-support-bailout-2008-09-23.html

[redqueen]

11. He was? His campaign refused to comment.

On camera, he waffled.

[babylonsister]

12. OK, so according to Reid. nt

[karynnj]

13. It's not that I don't trust him, but.....

I think it would be nice to see all the Democrats standing there on the floor of the Senate during the vote waiting for McCain to cast the first vote ... and then to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't change it at the last minute.

Seriously, that is good news.

[babylonsister]

14. I don't know if you read this, but it's pertinent.

Again, from yesterday:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7157773&mesg_id=7157773

Stephanopoulos: McCain Holds Key to Administration's Bailout Passage on Capitol Hill

[karynnj]

15. Looks pertinent to me

Though everything looks strange with McCain deciding to throw this monkey wrench into the election. Seeing that he has never been on the banking committee or known for his ability to craft legislation, I seriously have no idea what McCain's presence will accomplish.

[redqueen]

9. Why can't she just speak the truth? This bill is a joke.

She should haved laughed in their faces and refused to put this bill forward as is.

And she should be screaming in their faces about the fact that they worked on this "emergency" bailout for MONTHS.