Auto Bailout Political Commentary
I’m struck by the partisanship being displayed throughout the Auto Bailout process. Democrats vs. Republicans; Corporate vs. UAW; … Most articles I read try to lay the blame squarely on the shoulders of the GOP Senators, but they fail to consider that with 52 Yes votes, only 8 additional votes were needed to pass. 4 Democrat Senators voted Nay (including the venerable Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid) and 4 Democrat Senators didn’t even bother to vote (including the Vice President Elect Joe Biden, Ted Kennedy and Jon Kerry)… 4 + 4 = 8.
There’s more to this than meets the eye …
Thanks, John for your post. My post says the very same thing as yours. I truly wonder. On the surface, the agreement between the House and Senate would have been very easy for the union bosses to sell to their members. That would make you think that the Democrats would pass the measure. The is something here that smells. I just can’t find where the smell is coming from.
Do the Democrats think that Mr. Bush will get the money to the Auto Companies and in so doing, accomplish the “needed” fix (in the eyes of the unions) while avoiding any further responsibility? Come to think of it, that would be in character for both Mrs. Pelosi and Mr. Reid. They both seek political power without attendant responsibility.
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I firmly believe the Democrats are trying to save face any way they can and to avoid exercising anything resembling accountability. I think Harry Reid, Joe Biden, Ted Kennedy and John Kerry all thought it would pass without their votes and Reid especially was hedging his bets that if it passed and all went well, he could take credit for his ‘leadership’. If it passed and the bailout didn’t work, he could say he voted ‘no’. If it didn’t pass and President Bush acted, he effectively passed on the responsibility for this decision and could fall back on the same conditions as stated above.
Accountability is the one thing that truly sets apart a leader from a figurehead. I give President-Elect Obama credit for some measures of leadership thus far, but Reid and Pelosi in no way represent anything that embodies a leader.