But to succeed logistically it can't be high enough profile to succeed politically. It was politics that doomed this thing.

Obama can and should try to work out a compromise behind the scenes, where no one will be embarassed by his or her association with either the president or the democrats. That will be the true measure.

Yeah, except the bailout is a horrible idea. Let it die. We'll take the hit.

The inflation alone is enough reason to vote this thing down.

The folks who couldn't count their fucking votes are Boehner and Blunt.

Just so I'm clear: the failure of this bill is because the Democrats OVER delivered on the number of yes votes they promised?!? Seriously, that's your argument?

I'm sorry, but this sounds like pure partisan hackery to me. Democrats promised a certain number of votes and delivered them. Republicans promised a certain number of votes and DID NOT deliver them. That would seem to make it the Republican's fault for this bill not passing.

I'm perfectly willing to admit that I'm completely wrong about this if you can provide some evidence to refute me.

An opportunity to get Congress to pass a disastrous bill that will cause irrevocable damage, or an opportunity to take a fresh look at what possibilities are possible?

This interesting article here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/29/wallstreet.useconomy

details an IMF report on how 42 failing banking systems have been recapitalized in the past, and in the opinion of the author the current bill is not the way to go.

It is pathetic that Congress did not consult any of the many professional economists that have presented – many on the RGE Monitor Finance blog forum – alternative plans that were more fair and efficient.

http://www.rgemonitor.com/financemarkets-monitor

Maybe this is the route for Obama to go? Click on my signature for link to rgemonitor

What about john McCain, grandstanding into town and politicizing everything?

Or does he get his usual media Free Pass?

Republicans, wanting to give a Capital Gains tax cut to their contributors (and including that provision would have guaranteed passage) killed this deal. As usual Conservatives such as Scarborough tried to shift accountability to the Democrats.

Enough of this crap.

John McCain and his Republican fanatics (with whom he has aligned his campaign, 100%) killed this deal. Whatever happens next is their fault.

I'm not yet convinced that this bill failing is a bad thing.

I would like some scrutiny and, frankly, I'd like to see a lot more finger pointing before we settle this. I want the Dems to beat the Nasties over the head for trying to blame this on minorites and the disadvantaged. I'd like to see McCain and Phil Gramm raked over the coals. I'd like to see Alan Greenspan and Snow and Paulson ridiculed and mocked for their roles. I'd like to see Paul O'Neil and others praised for trying to get a bill with real teeth passed after Enron instead of the toothless Sarbanes Oxley. I'd like members of the Congressional and legislative branches ties to AIG and Freddie and Fannie and Lehman and the others up on the Times Square banners. I'd like to see a lot more finger pointing and a lot more digging up of skeletons and bodies before we "move on!"

Let the chips fall, as 80% of them will fall on Repoublicans.

Cheers,

No one wants to take responsibility for this bailout but everyone wants to take credit if it works. Unfortunately, it has to be passed first. The GOP has too many members that are furious with Lame Duck Bush to get the ting moving, and clearly, McCain isn't up to the challenge, no matter what his antics last week. I hope the Dems can get this bill passed because it will be financial disaster if we don't. Maybe Obama can convicne the holdouts.

@An0nymous, I agree with you. Let it go down, let the free market free itself from itself. The market will always act in the best interest of America, right?

(On a more serious note, I'm going to take a lesson from my two-year-old when he falls and bumps himself somewhere: There's no point to do anything when he's whining and crying and wailing. I just hold him, tell him he'll be okay, and when the screaming turns to snuffling he can tell me where it hurts. Then I kiss the booboo and we get popsicles. Same goes for these motherf*ckers on Wall Street: They'll survive. Give the market a few weeks to really damage their portfolios, and then they can tell us where they got damaged. That's where we'll apply the BailOut BandAid. Then we'll go get hammered at 2-for-1 night at Bennigan's, like the rest of America.)

Now, about that National Muffin...

Because it is indeed a delicious muffin.

I am pleased that the thing failed to pass.

I wish I could be proud of the Republicans (for the first time in forever) for doing this out of principle and not pandering - but I don't care - it works.

I hope it, or nothing remotely similar, ever passes.

Ever.

stop practicing political science without a license.

You are a pathetic wimp!

A few months ago when oil was $140, Bush made a speech blaming everything on the Democrats. What happened? Nothing!

Too bad the Repugnants can't handle the criticisms. Too bad. End of story.

I am sick of Repugnant crap - all the nonsense that they claim to believe. They believe in nothing but extending their power and a lot of other nonsense so-called cultural issues.

The next repugnant who tells me how to live....

I hope he leads....we all know he can.

that getting it passed is a good thing?

OK, here we have a bipartisan compromise on a bill everyone hates. At the last minute, only one party manages to vote for it. How is it the one party's fault that the bill fails? This is ridiculous.

And in case you hadn't noticed yet, Obama is a pretty smart dude with a pretty good sense of timing. This is an ugly moment, but it very clearly and publicly shows the state of play. And the state of play is this: The Democrats did what they had to do to save the economy, and the Republicans did not.

You bet this is Obama's chance. I am pretty sure he'll take it. In fact, they probably already had a contingency plan for this very situation. Because the Democrats' leader is a poker player - not a craps shooter.