How Many House Democrats Really Regret Giving Bush That Bailout?
The answer is 25.
Here's a list of the Democrats who voted in favor of the financial bailout last October but changed their minds yesterday, when the House passed a resolution disapproving of President Obama's request for $350 billion more:
Michael Arcuri (NY), Shelley Berkley (NV), Marion Berry (AR), Dan Boren (OK), Allen Boyd (FL), Dennis Cardoza (CA), Jim Costa (CA), Henry Cuellar (TX), Artur Davis (AL), Brad Ellsworth (IN), Phil Hare (IL), Jane Harman (CA), Ron Kind (WI), Jerry McNerney (CA), Kendrick Meek (FL), Charlie Melancon (LA), Harry Mitchell (AZ), Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel (NY), Laura Richardson (CA), Mike Ross (AR), Dutch Ruppersberger (MD), House Rules Committee Chairman Louise Slaughter (NY), Zack Space (OH), Jackie Speier (CA), Peter Welch (VT)
The genuinely shocking names on that list are Rangel and Davis, a longtime ally of President Obama who didn't feel the need to extend the same trust to him that the Senate did.
Josh
Matt
Eric
Artur Davis is sprinting to the center lining up his Governor run in 2010. He's unwilling to touch on/talk about the Don Seigelman issue either.
January 23, 2009 1:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Louise Slaughter?
That's surprising.
I understand that members of Congress are deeply unhappy with the request, but why is it that they've suddenly decided to oppose the president?
They're located their backbones, just in time for a Democratic administration. Thanks, people.
January 23, 2009 1:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed. Annoys the hell out of me.
January 23, 2009 2:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
There's partisan gamesmanship involved here - http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/1/22/19143/9822/706/687797.
Basically the Reps know that this vote was meaningless, so those who worry about their re-election could vote against it.
January 23, 2009 3:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yep, thats really all there is to it.
January 24, 2009 4:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Anyone notice that the same team that bunged up the first TARP dispersal is now in at Treasury under Obama, just moved up one? Paulsen out, Geithner moves up, and continues 're-capitalizing' banks instead of taking the bad assets off everyone's books so banks know the quality of the banks they're lendng to or borrowing from.
Nocera's piece in today's NYT BizSxn lays it out well, and my Rep. (for whom I was the Elector) is damned mad about the lack of transparency on where the first $350B went, and that it should have gone to dealing directly with forclosures. The demand is to get back to the original intent of the TARP, with traceability of fund use, and a focus on homeowners.
That's what Obama was supposed to be trying to get out of this TARP to begin with. That's a big TARP Geithner's already trying to cover his ass with.
January 24, 2009 7:16 PM | Reply | Permalink