ABOUT FIRST READ

First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC Political Researcher



House inches closer to passage

Posted: Thursday, October 02, 2008 2:22 PM by Carrie Dann
Filed Under: ,

From NBC's Mike Viqueira


At least two House members have publically said they are switching from 'Nay' to 'Aye' in their vote on the financial recovery package, which failed in the House Monday.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), a member of the Congressional Black Congress, revealed his intention on the air today in an interview with Andrea Mitchell.  Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN) has also declared that he will vote yes on the measure.

Video: Congressman Peter Defazio tells MSNBC's Alex Witt he remains opposed to the bailout bill, and that the president can take several steps on his own to help with economy without spending $700 billion.

Supporters of the bill need a net switch of 12 votes in favor of the bill to cross the finish line. The vote failed 228-205 on Monday.

Earlier today, House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel predicted that all the Senate add-ons to the bailout/recovery package "pretty much guarantees that it will go through." Speaking to reporters as he entered the speaker's suite for a meeting, Rangel said that he is "confident" that the bill will pass tomorrow.

(Rangel is neither part of leadership nor a whip, so he may not have definitive information on which to base his assessment. But as a longtime member and key player in Congress, he knows a thing or two about how his colleagues make their decisions on how to vote.)

*** UPDATE *** Arizona Republican Rep. John Shadegg told NBC's Norah O'Donnell this afternoon that he also has decided to vote for the measure.   Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-MN, said during an interview with David Shuster on MSNBC that she is still opposed to the bill.

MAIN PAGE

Email this EMAIL THIS

Comments

Where Is The Sanity?

It is amazing to me that we have a person running for the VP slot that everyone is questioning (and doubting) her abilities to even be qualified for this slot, and then assuming that a single debate session can change those impressions. My God, the woman is not qualified or ready (even some top republicans know this). But you put out stories asking whether Palin can salvage her candidacy with a single debate appearance? This is ludicrous.

It's like giving Barney Fife of Mayberry a chance to redeem himself by participating in a debate simply because Andy Griffith states he is qualified to be VP. How in the world can Palin redeem herself or convince anyone in a debate (where she might have to answer 12 questions) that she is prepared to be one heartbeat away from the Presidency? Why are we even discussing this?

To post a story and to encourage comments as to her chances to look qualified in this debate is silly. It is already a mote point. The woman is not ready or prepared or qualified to be VP.

Then to caution Joe Biden about how he approaches her in the debate is another idiotic thing to discuss. "If he acts condescending towards her he will offend, piss off and turn off female voters". What the hell is that? What if Palin is condescending towards Biden? Will male voters then be offended and pissed off? What is it with these silly games candidates have to play in order not to piss off female voters. Does that make it ok for two male candidates to go after each other’s throat during a debate, but not if one is a female?  

WHY ARE WE EVEN CONSIDERING FOR THE VICE PRESIDENCY A SECOND RATE SO-CALLED SMALL TOWN MAYOR FROM ALASKA WHO THINKS SIMPLE QUESTIONS ASKED OF HER (AND THAT SHE CAN’T ANSWER) ARE ATTACKS?

WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE? WHERE IS THE COMMON SENSE AND SANITY HERE?      

I give up. Just ask her to provide her name at the debate tonight then let her leave. No one wants to be accused any longer of attacking her by asking her anything more difficult than her name.
Maybe Laura Ingraham should take Gwen Ifills' place in tonights VP debate. Laura would be fair.
WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE ASK SARA PALIN WHAT SHE THINKS OF THE ECONOMIC BAILOUT PACKAGE ? WHAT "SPECIFICALLY" DOES SHE LIKE ABOUT IT ? WHAT "SPECIFICALLY", SHE DOES NOT LIKE ABOUT IT ? WILL IT SOLVE THE PROBLEM ?
Let's hope something gets done for a change. I don't know if this bailout is right, but i know doing nothing will not help at all.

http://lastofourkind.blogspot.com
First of all, I think it stinks that they have to add "pork" in order to get something passed.  If they thought the bill stunk before at 700 billion, they should still feel the same at 850 billion!!!  

Also, Where did Dan Abrams go?  I really enjoyed his show "The Verdict".  He was truly in the middle and didn't take sides.  Does he have another show I could watch?  I especially loved how he always went after Karl Rove and the subpoenas he ignored.  FR - Can you tell me where Dan Abrams is?  I don't understand why MSNBC shows the Keith Olbermann show twice when they could have left The Verdict on.
A republican posting to get enough points at JohnMcCain.com to win the Cindy bobblehead says:

"First thing Palin should do tonight is give congratulations to Gwen Ifill on her new book coming out about Obama, and ask how much Gwen stands to make if Obama is elected (several millions of dollars) or not elected (couple hundred thousand)."

Yeah!!  And then whip out the flute!!!!
Everybody reach around to your back pocket, pull out your wallet, and empty it into the supplied receptical. Let it be known that you have just contributed a small part in keeping up a Wall Street executives lifestyle. A lifestyle until today was in jeopardy because of the looming bank crisis. Those corporate jets and fancy homes cost a lot of money. Now the Wall Steet types can continue with their richness.
Nice. So when a bill fails, Congress just keeps adding goodies to it until the votes come around. So instead of getting the costly bill we had last Monday passed, now we have a more costly bill that we'll have to pay for. I guess that will teach us not to complain in the future.
Let's hope it does. Doing nothing could be fatal to our economy.  This is not a Wall Street bailout anymore. This is to help Main Street survive. Doing nothing will only lead to darker days ahead.
Rather then 'nickle and diming' their way through a trillion dollars over several years, Congress put in an express lane, and now goes through it in one day.
off topic...

Politico is reporting John McCain is pulling out of Michigan:  http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/1008/McCain_pulling_out_of_Michigan.html?showall

I have an idea: Why doesn’t McCain just pull out of the race and save some $$$, what's left of his integrity and our sanity.

Doesn't this look a lot like the so called "crisis" that got us into the Iraq war?
FR -
Any details on the package?
Markets down 4% on the news. The Wall Street types wanted two trillion dollars, and that's all they got was this piddly one trillion.
a bad bill got worse, so now we'll vote for it...

why is no one talking about WHO is getting bailed out with this.  we are led to believe that it is the american people who are at risk, but the facts are that if this bill was written to exclude all papers not in the hands of US companies on Sept 20th that it would be vetoed.  this means that the american taxpayer is bailing out not only american banks and financial institutions, but FOREIGN OWNED BANKS AS WELL!

http://market-ticker.denninger.net/

follow that link to get information on where this $700 billion line of credit (not total, just what can be borrowed from the government at one time...) is really going.

Now, i'm all for helping out foreign countries under the right circumstances.  i think most americans share that view.  if we are to be bailing out England, Germany, Australia, and China in this, we should get something in return for it however.

Germany and Australia can start by submitting troops to Afghanistan to help defeat the Taliban and terrorism.  China could stop their constant deploring of the US, and put pressure on N. Korea and Iran to stop their nuclear programs and get on board with the world in stopping violence.

i think our tax dollars are worth that much at the least.  If we are helping their economies to not tank, they can help us in areas that we need assistance as well.

http://horneddevil.proboards98.com/index.cgi?board=iduspolitics
Isn't it the Moonies New Year tomorrow? Why can't the House take a long vacation and come back in a few months (after the crisis fixes itself) and vote on it then?
Surprise, John you're losing. Talk to Fred Thompson.
Even after Fred Thompson's harsh criticism of Obama at the RNC, finally he agrees you're history.
====================================================

Wilkens Sayers, Kalamazoo MI (Sent Thursday, October 02, 2008 12:31 PM)

Doesn't the populist Obama rail against big corporations like the automakers all the time? Doesn't he say he's going to raise those corporations’ taxes and make them dole out gobs of benefits to their workers? What do you think that will do to employment when Obama is done with those corporations? My guess is it will increase employment, in Japan, Germany, China, . . . .
Wilkens Sayers, in Kalamazoo MI.
That’s what John McCain did with DHL, Boeing, Halliburton, and McCain anti-union stance against insurance and wages.
Enough
McCain =more of the same.
Nobody but Obama/Biden

You know, I thought about it, and I'd just soon buy myself that big screen tv then give my money to the banks.
The bush plan,destroy the economoy so that Obama has no cash to work with.he has mismanaged our military big time to the point that we can't handle whats on our plate.He has destroyed our Justice Dept with his political appointments,he has made our country weaker with our allies with his cowboy shoot first mentality,The employment pitcher looks bleak,unemployment on the rise,bailouts for the rich,foreclosers for the poor,(stop your whinning).And some how there are those that want to elect The Bering Sea Barbie and Johnny Bomber two people that might not be as educated as Bush.This bailout is like giving Bush croonies a bonus for a job well done.
Just get it over with

I HATE more corporate tax breaks...
But, if it takes that, then OK

I guess we'll have to wait for the Obama Administration to get reasonable and responsible regulation for the financial industry
(and other industries, too)

We need ANTI-TRUST to break up these big monopolies
No corporation should be TOO BIG TO FAIL

No corporation's demise should threaten our economic stability

Unfortunately, it looks like we're getting more corporate consolidation
Time to end that OBama

Instead of 'Freeing ourselves from foreign oil'
We should 'Free Washington' from 'Corporate Control'


Sarah Palin has been given ENOUGH ROPE
Show Time, Sarah !!
Sarah Palins vote "AYE AYE Captain McGoo".
A doofus gets only the doofus voters.

EXTRA ! EXTRA ! EXTRA!

Just in from the Politico:

'...McCain pulling out of Michigan

John McCain is pulling out of Michigan, according to two Republicans, a stunning move a month away from Election Day that indicates the difficulty Republicans are having in finding blue states to put in play.

McCain will go off TV in Michigan, stop dropping mail there and send most of his staff to more competitive states, including Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida.   Wisconsin went for Kerry in 2004, Ohio and Florida for Bush....'

Ain't LIFE SWEET ??

It couldn't happen to a more DESERVING CANDIDATE !!
Better pull out of Ohio and Pennsylvania, too !!

How about 'SUSPENDING YOUR CAMPAIGN' ??
Just ofr 60 days, John !!

Wonder if Mr. McCain will be "sitting on the sidelines" for this one?

politicaladattacks.blogspot.com
Lee Terry (R-NE) told the Omaha World Hearld that he would more than likely vote yes on the revised rescue bill.
Ok. Nobody says that the reolution has to be perfect... all that is required is that the decisions made, are in the best interest of the people. Nobody gets what they want 100%. Even our constitution isnt perfect. "We the people, in order to create a more perfect union..." One of the key phrases of our guarantees as Americans is very clear and vital: "the pursuit of happiness". Remember that people. Happiness is not a guarantee.  ll we ever want is a chance to get to were we want to get. That in mind, lets pass this first, then work on improving. Obama is correct on this one. Change we an believe in.
Sec. 503. Exemption from excise tax for certain wooden arrows designed for use by children.

----------------------------------------------
Now we know why we are in such a horrific financial situation....wooden arrows! Thank goodness for the bailout.
As an Obama supporter, I have been glad to see that others have become alarmed at the economic mess  which has occurred during eight years of GOP LACK of leadership. I  am concerned that when this issue is placed on the back burner,  people will "forget" and reinvest their  faith in what I think is the worst Republican ticket in history. I remember every time I go to buy groceries or gas.
I have never felt more ashamed to be an American. If they pass this the repurcussions will last for years and years and years.
As any good Representative would say. "This is the best and easiest job I ever had and I dont' care what is good or not good for the country, I am not losing this job." "If you think I want to work for a living your nuts." Any Representative that is in danger of losing an election over this should feel OK now with an extra 150 billion or so.
There were enough other things added in the Senate version that the House might go for it.  I would have hoped that there would have been some power the the bankrupcy judges to change some mortages so that some people could stay in their houses.  
7th Generation thinking: How will our decisions not only affect us, but our children 7 generations down the road?

If this keeps up, my great^7 grand-kids will be paying this off.
Many of you are attacking Palin for being not up to the job.  Obama is not different.  What has he ever done that shows he is able to lead the Greatest Nation in the World?

He has no history of action to back up his con man words.


SEND A COMMENT

PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):

TRACKBACKS

Trackbacks are links to weblogs that reference this post. Like comments, trackbacks do not appear until approved by us. The trackback URL for this post is: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/trackback.aspx?PostID=1480433

First Read e-mail alerts


Sign up for First Read alerts
The first place for key political news and analysis

Syndicate This Site

Add First Read to your news reader:
live.com xml
myyahoo msn
bloglines newsgator
google