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Democratic leadership wanted the bailout to fail

Three pieces of evidence. They could have done this differently

By: Soren Dayton (Diary)  |  September 29th, 2008 at 06:15 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Earlier Redstate’s Pejman Yousefzadeh argued that Nancy Pelosi misread her caucus. I have an alternative hypothesis: she wanted the bill to fail. I have three pieces of evidence. First, yesterday, Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), the House Majority Whip told the Politico that he was not whipping the vote and was not asked to whip the vote:

Asked about Monday’s vote on the bailout bill, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn tells reporters: “We haven’t started whipping.” Asked if he’s going to start whipping, Clyburn says: “The speaker hasn’t told me yet. I do what I’m told.”

Second, as Pejman noted previously, Rep. Peter deFazio (D-OR) told NPR that he was never whipped on the question. Listen:

Third, look at the actual procedure on this. From the clerk’s floor summary:

2:07 P.M. –
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment Failed by recorded vote: 205 – 228 (Roll No. 674).

Note the "motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection." If the Democrats had wanted this to pass, they would not have said that. The procedural guts of this is that any vote in the House can be "reconsidered" by a motion to reconsider that is in order from a member of the prevailing side for two legislative days. By tabling this, that option is off the table.

The simplest option for Pelosi would have been to wait an hour, watch the markets collapse for a while, scare 12 Democrats and hold a revote. Surely some Republicans would have participated in this.

Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats had a way to win this vote today. Either out of incompetence or strategy, they walked away from that opportunity.

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COMMENTS

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  • redneck_hippie

    debacle I’ve seen. Bombshell, and I wouldn’t put it past her (done on purpose).

  • Pomme

    Or not, it looks pretty bad when your own party is saying you didn’t do your job.

    Hope this gets a lot of play with minimal spin.

    I’m getting tired of hoping for change I can believe in.

  • rjd27

    This notion gives Pelosi too much credit. I don’t put it past her to think her comments were not going to tick off some Republicans. She might be that dense. But, her comments didn’t stop 95 Dems from not voting on the bill. There was a numbers problem before she spoke.

    Then again, she could really be that clever. Alienate the Republicans. Let the media tar and feather them. Then she and her cronies ride in with a larded up, socialist-enabling bill that passes with scant Republican support.

  • ETCartman

    To quote Senator Fred Thompson in Tom Clancy’s ‘The Hunt For Red October’ . . . “The Russians don’t take a dump, Son, without a plan.”

    Just like the Russians in that book/movie, the Democrat plan backfired.

    Democrats plan out everything solely to make it all appear through a political prism and they have a slanted answer ready to go for everything.

    The really sad and dangerous part is that this is being played out as a game to these clowns . . . and that game may cost us our country.

    Pretty soon, something is gonna rear up so nasty, that the media won’t be able to hide it under the rock of Republican bashing and it’ll bite off their left edge faces (truthfully, there are many examples of that kind of stuff now that went ignored).

    Mark my words, if the left gets control of all branches of government and especially The Supreme Court, they will usurp The Constitution and Bill Of Rights as if it were flash paper used in a magic trick.

    God Bless America and God Help Us All.

    Kenny Solomon – Typical Bitter God-Clinging Gun Owner ….. and NASCAR fan

    • Jack_Savage

      1) Poke Republicans in the eye one more time, going on record as saying this whole mess was all Bush’s fault

      2) Republicans finally are tired of being punching bags (why now would be the time to pick is beyond me) and revolt.

      3) Media picks up on Barney Frank’s cute little “they got their feelings hurt and the country pays” meme, and runs with it.

      4) Mess is Bush’s fault, failure to respond is Republicans in the House. What can we poor, patriotic Democrats do?

      Democrats have learned that they can say and do absolutely anything, and the media will carry their water, no questions asked – I see your one Michael Moore and raise you one Brokaw, one Gibson and one Couric.

      • redneck_hippie

        The grand plan is to 1) so damage our economy that, 2) all power shifts to the libs–the Oval Office and a veto-proof majority. This failure was the surest quickest way to make 1) happen before the election.

        It’s all perfectly clear. She’s not complicated or nuanced. Yes, nuclear Nancy indeed.

        • truths

          Dems set up the vote to fail, pray for a market collapse and ensuing economy catastrophe that enhances their electoral prospects, and they blame the GOP for it all. Recall the news conference soon afterwards in which they were claiming it was the GOP’s fault. They really thought this “sucker” would go down today and they stood to benefit.

          The Dems are short not only the market, but America. They do well when America does not. It’s small wonder Pelosi and her ilk have a 9% approval rating. That didn’t change today.

          • olderthangandalf

            It’s a flat out political loser to waste energy trying to blame the Democrats for this. It won’t work.

            Maybe the deregulation was a Clinton project, maybe a Gramm project, but either way it doesn’t matter because it was too long ago and far away for average folks to sort through.

            What they do know is the Republican President’s Treasury secretary came storming in with an emergency bill, the Republican candidate for President suspended his campaign to get ‘er done, and a majority of the Republicans in the House of Representatives voted to kill it.

            It’s a bad spot to be in.

            So what can be done?

            I say forget the Paulson bill, which no one likes. Start fresh. Take the report of the 150 or so economists, and start from there. Draft a bill that might solve the problem and that won’t enrich the folks that created the problem.

            If McCain wants, let him get the brain trust together with the Congressional leadership to get it drafted.

            Leave Bush and Paulson out of it. Draft a bill that would work, and count on their desperation to bring them on board.

            If a good bill comes out of this, it’s going to be ok.

            If, on the other hand, it all goes to hell in a handbasket, it simply won’t be spinnable. It’s too late to persuade people this was a Democratic project.

  • Strelnikov

    I love Barney Frank immediately blaming Republicans for the failure, when 95 Dems refused to pass it as well!

    They really believe in Orwell’s Memory Hole, and the Media will act as if it exists too.

    Would they actually catalyze a recession/depression/etc. simply to win the election?

    Of course they would! They believe they have the correct ideology and the ends will justify the means: W and the Republicans are evil, so massive carpet bombing and even nuclear weapons are allowed to defeat them.

    Republicans have to realize this RIGHT NOW and adjust their tactics accordingly.

    As many have been writing here: Throw the TRUTH back at the DEMS as much as possible, e.g. with ads containing those videos of the Dems saying everything is just fine with their friends at Fannie and Freddie, etc.

  • truths

    …this would explain why she gave that speech on the floor. “It’s all Bush’s fault…”

    The market tanks, the economy soon follows, and the Dems are playing “Happy Days are Here Again!” for President Osama.

    I put nothing past those people.

    • Illinicon

      The reason being that McCain has a whole lot of equity tied up in a bill being passed. I mean Gephardt said back in 02 something to effect that for every 100 points the dow looses its another seat in the house for them. Their goal this election is the White House and a veto/fillibuster proof Senate and through their eyes they think the most likely way for that to happen is to tank the economy and blame the GOP for it. McCain needs to load the both barrells on this and fire them off on Pelosi on the stump.

  • pwest

    who cares. Guys, we’ve got to stop thinking about this in rational terms. Democrats don’t care about anything but winning.

    Guys and Gals, unless McCain starts going medieval we’re looking at Obama in the WH and increased margins in both houses. Let’s stop trying to rationalize with these people and get into the trenches.

    We’re not going to win the blame game, so we’d better start fighting with something else.

    Did anyone see McCain’s presser? He looked as weak as President Bush today. Sorry, that didn’t inspire much confidence in me. Time to start playing hardball or we might as well all go home.

  • CSOKen

    I don’t believe Pelosi wanted the bill to fail, but I think she caused it to fail. I saw it coming after the Dem press conference on Sunday when she basically came out and said that this is all Pres Bush’s and Republicans fault, that the Dems are saving us with a bipartisan bill, and that they would look into the real causes after the elections. That, and with her comments on the floor today, added an unwritten element to the bill. She is basically saying that by voting for the bill you admit that Bush and Repubs are to blame 100%. If I were a house member, I wouldn’t vote for any bill until Pelosi goes on the record saying that democrats are just as much to blame as the republicans for the lack of oversight. She wants to be able to give all the blame to Bush, and by association to McCain, in order to help Obama and all democrats get elected in November. Shame on Pelosi and the democrats for politicizing such a critical issue for our country.

  • izoneguy

    I bet if you did a chart to see which dems voted NO and which dems are up for re-election you would have an interesting result.

    • Jack_Savage

      “I wouldn’t vote for any bill until Pelosi goes on the record saying that democrats are just as much to blame as the republicans for the lack of oversight. She wants to be able to give all the blame to Bush, and by association to McCain, in order to help Obama and all democrats get elected in November”

      Absolutely right. I say we go nuclear on this one. Democrats are more than happy to cut the baby in half because they count on us not ever being willing to do the same.

      • The_Rebel

        Pelosi was more interested in stirring up the Republicans with that speech, knowing that it would kill the bill, than in turning around just 12 Dems which would have brought passage of the bill. Now we will get a Democrat bill, loaded with all of the goodies they wanted originally, like ACORN money, and judges adjusting mortgage payments for those who shouldn’t have had them in the first place. More Republicans will vote against it, and of course, they will get the blame even when the bill passes.

        Just ask the idiots over at NRO, among others, who think it sport to find fault with the Republicans no matter what they do. I’ve had it with them, and am removing the site immediately from my favorite’s list.

        • Badill_T

          And this was likely why they let the bill fail with so little effort expended.

          “If McCain wants to act like the leader and claim credit for getting this bill passed, why would we bother twisting arms in our party when we support it by a simple majority?”

          I heard that Romney gave McCain credit for getting the bill passed this morning, and then this happens.

          Republicans were crazy for thinking they’d be able to get the Dems to pass the bill without bipartisan cover and then knock them for it, especially when Newt voiced the plan explicitly. Reid and Pelosi will back the president most of the time (war appropriations and FISA come to mind) but this simply had too much public opposition.

  • Hestrold

    With all due respect, we’re supposedly in a financial meltdown that rivals the Great Depression AND Congress is adjourned to observe Rosh Hashanah until Thursday.

    Since I know they are not insane, just evil, that tells me we have a lot more time than they are letting on to address this socialistic piece of garbage.

    What I don’t think anyone knows at this point is how this plays with Obama and McCain. The populist stuff always works for the Democrats, but how this will play is outside the conventional wisdom, and Barry is untested. On-the-job training indeed!

  • Hestrold

    With all due respect, we’re supposedly in a financial meltdown that rivals the Great Depression AND Congress is adjourned to observe Rosh Hashanah until Thursday.

    Since I know they are not insane, just evil, that tells me we have a lot more time than they are letting on to address this socialistic piece of garbage.

    What I don’t think anyone knows at this point is how this plays with Obama and McCain. The populist stuff always works for the Democrats, but how this will play is outside the conventional wisdom, and Barry is untested. On-the-job training indeed!

    • SeanH90050

      along with “older…” above. While i wouldn’t be surprised if Nancy didn’t whip her caucus for the other reasons pointed out here, that doesn’t matter at this point, 36 days out from election day. We need to engage on this, NOW.

      I didn’t see the presser you referred to, but I think John McCain, tomorrow preferably, needs to spell out his new plan that the House GOP will introduce when they return on Thursday. Enough of the waffling on it and asking for bipartisanship – the vote today showed that it is available if the right principles are included. He can then contrast this failed plan, along with the Frank/Dodd nightmare, and the Paulson plan.

      Then hit Obama, as has been suggested by others on here, Dick Morris, O’Reilly, Boortz, Rush, etc. on taxes, and the danger of increases. You can follow up with his “spending freeze” as he mentioned on Friday, but it is insignificant until Wall St. settles down.

      We need the straight talker we knew who has been absent of late. America sent a message this weekend, and we saw the results today – they’re not ready for over regulation. We have their attention now, more than ever in this campaign. McCain needs to swing away on this one, and take Obama to task. No more take signals allowed.

      • toolazytoo

        conspiracy theories might cool some partisan souls, but won’t undo the (deserved) political damage to the Republican party. You know things are going bad if the Weekly Standard tells off the GOP: http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/015/638majkp.asp?ZoomFont=YES

        • cmugrad

          ….all the D’s and R’s.

  • enrique

    The biggest thorn in our sides is the fact that this was pushed by Bush who is supposed to be on our side. Pelosi knew the Dems couldn’t be blamed entirely because it was introduced by a Republican to begin with. She had the ultimate cover.

    She can paint the Democrats as being the victims because they were trying to be bipartisan in helping a Republican president.

    I totally applaud the GOP response but we’re in an awkward position. It would be a little easier if McCain had fought this as well. But he sought to pass it to seem ‘presidential’. He could have convinced the fence sitters that he is a fiscal hawk against government waste.

  • gamecock

    before there was any indication it wasn’t going to pass!

    The market was voting against the bill.

    • olderthangandalf

      All House members have to run every two years, but only fifty or so seats are really competitive in an average year.

      As it turns out, both Republicans and Democrats in competitive races tended by a large margin to vote against the bailout.

      • mobius2702

        …after the children of the House came out and started throwing feces, the market really said “Aw, crap, now we’re gonna get something truly horrible from the Dims on Thursday…”

        I just wish they would apologize and then shut up. Something like

        “We’re sorry we’ve been mucking around in these market things we really don’t understand after all these years… we’re going to shut up now and let all the hard working Americans, INCLUDING those on Wall Street, get down to business and fix this. Just tell us what laws you need us to rescind, which taxes we need to cut, and what regulations you need us to get out of the way, and we’ll do it.
        Again, we are so sorry. We’ll play socialism on the Monopoly Board instead of with your economy.”

        • rbdwiggins

          Mike Pence alluded to it on Hannity & Colmes. Its introduction is yet to be determined due to the start of Rosh Hashanah.

          Apparently, its core is an FDIC-look-alike that will offer insurance to be purchased by “Wall Street” to cover the distressed mortgages, along with significant changes in mark-to-market.

          • itrytobenice

            You’ll get the result to which he was referring.

            Karl Rove said tonight that all the Ds in close races were given permission to vote no.

  • stephenhalsey

    pwest is exactly right. In fact, I think we’re long past the point of going medieval on the Left. The Dhims are playing to win and playing for keeps and it appears that we’re still trying to play by the rules. War is ugly and this is war…it’s war for our country and our way of life…..the American way of life, not some socialist/fascist BS!!! I want to hear the GOP and McCain and Palin use the same passion and language we hear from Rush and Sean and Laura and Levin every day. Ideological purity breeds simplicity and clarity and it’s clear that Pelosi, Reid, Frank, Dodd, et al are as ideologically pure on the left as they come….except for B. Hussein and that’s why they operate so freely. I think our fight becomes easier when our leaders embrace what we all believe on this site and I firmly believe that a majority of Americans feel or would feel the same way should our leaders, who have access to the MSM, would speak with said clarity. God help this country if Obama is elected…….

  • stephenhalsey

    pwest is exactly right. In fact, I think we’re long past the point of going medieval on the Left. The Dhims are playing to win and playing for keeps and it appears that we’re still trying to play by the rules. War is ugly and this is war…it’s war for our country and our way of life…..the American way of life, not some socialist/fascist BS!!! I want to hear the GOP and McCain and Palin use the same passion and language we hear from Rush and Sean and Laura and Levin every day. Ideological purity breeds simplicity and clarity and it’s clear that Pelosi, Reid, Frank, Dodd, et al are as ideologically pure on the left as they come….except for B. Hussein and that’s why they operate so freely. I think our fight becomes easier when our leaders embrace what we all believe on this site and I firmly believe that a majority of Americans feel or would feel the same way should our leaders, who have access to the MSM, would speak with said clarity. God help this country if Obama is elected…….

    • stephenhalsey

      pwest is exactly right. In fact, I think we’re long past the point of going medieval on the Left. The Dhims are playing to win and playing for keeps and it appears that we’re still trying to play by the rules. War is ugly and this is war…it’s war for our country and our way of life…..the American way of life, not some socialist/fascist BS!!! I want to hear the GOP and McCain and Palin use the same passion and language we hear from Rush and Sean and Laura and Levin every day. Ideological purity breeds simplicity and clarity and it’s clear that Pelosi, Reid, Frank, Dodd, et al are as ideologically pure on the left as they come….except for B. Hussein and that’s why they operate so freely. I think our fight becomes easier when our leaders embrace what we all believe on this site and I firmly believe that a majority of Americans feel or would feel the same way should our leaders, who have access to the MSM, would speak with said clarity. God help this country if Obama is elected…….

  • mscout99

    but whenever I want someone to do something for me or to go to bat for me, I insult their friends, family, and way of life. I make sure I kick dirt in their faces and accuse them of everything wrong in the world.
    When I heard that a whopping 95 Democrats voted against this measure, it seemed too convenient. It wouldn’t surprise me, since they have enough votes to pass this measure without any Republican votes, that Obama comes into the picture, unites the party, and gets the bill passed. At this point, he becomes the Savior and wins the election.

  • stephenhalsey

    i posted the same thing three times. just waiting for confirmation and it seemed like it was getting hung up…..

    • Cowboy

      There isn’t a damn thing we can do about it now. I think this was as good as we were going to get from Nancy and co. Obama will ride to the rescue and the MSM will help him.

      Our boys got too cute today and we will now get the REAL bill full of all the crap they can stuff in it and it will pass because they will claim they have to do SOMETHING.

      We have been had. If you don’t believe me take a close look at some of the Dems. that voted against it. I am in Hawaii and both of their Reps. voted AGAINST it. Neither is in any danger of losing their seats.

      Again I say WE HAVE BEEN HAD. We got too cute by half.