The success or failure of the next House vote on the financial bailout may fall partly on Blue Dog Democrats, known for their fiscal conservatism.
The bloc of 44 members of Congress was pretty evenly split in Monday’s vote, with 20 voting against and 24 voting for the measure. (The Muckety map below shows supporters of the bill. Also see a map of the opponents.)
Monday’s House vote totalled 228-205. Party leaders need a net change of 12 votes for the proposal to carry.
However, the Senate version of the measure, loaded with tax breaks, may stir new opposition among Blue Dogs, who generally oppose tax credits that aren’t financed by spending cuts or tax hikes.
Politico quoted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today as saying efforts to keep the Blue Dog yes votes were proceeding favorably.
“We want to see if we still have the 140 votes we had before and that seems to be going pretty well,” she said.
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1 Comments
#1. gizzy 10.02.2008
SWINDLE BY A HOSTILE ELITE?
ACCORDING TO DAVID LEVINE,
“banks are reducing their loans to consumers and to each other in anticipation of the bailout bill passing.”
What’s he talking about?
David, a professor of economics and an expert in liquidity explained:
“I suspect that part of what we’re seeing in the freezing up of lending markets is strategic behavior on the part of big financial players who stand to benefit from the bailout,” said David K. Levine, an economist at Washington University in St. Louis, who studies liquidity constraints and game theory.
And some saavy financial writers are saying that Wall Street is borrowing billions of dollars through the Feds Open Market program and the parking it in commercial money market funds and CDs.
THEY ARE CREATING CONDITIONS TO PRESSURE CONGRESS TO PASS A BAILOUT BILL THAT SOCIALIZES THEIR LOSSES BUT DOES NOTHING TO PREVENT A RECESSION,at least we can all sleep better knowing the wallstreet bankers will keep their money.
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