There'll Be A Snap Vote Today If They've Bribed And Blackmailed Enough Members To Vote For The European Bank Bailout

I spoke to a sympathetic Hill staffer yesterday who works for a Midwestern congressman. His boss isn't too keen about voting for the billions and billions of dollars for European bank bailouts that Rahm Emanuel had tacked onto the War Supplemental. His seat isn't that secure. His boss had voted "yes" on the supplemental on May 14 when it first came up, not because he thinks it's a great idea but because he bought into the Dave Obey premise that Obama deserves a year to get the Afghanistan situation under control. It didn't do any good to argue that the West has been trying-- futilely-- to get the Afghanistan situation under control since Alexander the Great got bogged down there in 330 BC. (Alexander took a few months subduing the world's greatest empire of the day, Persia, but couldn't overcome the unruly tribes of Afghanistan for years-- until he finally told Hephaestion, his boyfriend and soul mate, to go sleep in another tent and married Roxanna, an Afghan chieftain's daughter.)

Anyway, to balance the disagreeable nature of the foreign bank bailout, something likely to cost the Democrats at least a couple dozen House seats in 2010, Emanuel tacked on another piece of legislation-- one that had already passed overwhelmingly and is absolutely essential for congressmen in auto industry districts, colloquially known as Cash For Clunkers. They can't vote against what has turned into a real Frankenstein creation, even if it could also be a Democratic congressional caucus suicide pact.

Emanuel hoped that by gratuitously attaching the car bill to the IMF bailout he could count on holding onto a batch of nervous Democrats-- and pressure some Republicans. Recall, 59 Republicans broke with Boehner and Cantor to cross the aisle on June 9th and vote for Cash for Clunkers. Some of them are the exact targets Emanuel has been trying to woo away from the hysterical Cantor in the Supplemental battle, particularly Michigan Republicans like Thaddeus McCotter, Fred Upton, Dave Camp, Vern Ehlers, Candice Miller and Mike Rogers. Emanuel figured it could also give him a shot at John Shimkus (R-IL), Mike Turner (R-OH), Patrick Tiberi (R-OH), Mark Souder (R-IN), Don Manzullo (R-IL), Joe Pitts (R-PA), Tim Johnson (R-IL), Steve Austria (R-OH), Steve LaTouette (R-OH), Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) and a few other Midwestern Republicans whose constituents have been devastated by the auto industry collapse. Of course that goes for plenty of Democrats as well, particularly Midwest freshmen Mark Schauer (D-MI), Gary Peters (D-MI), Andre Carson (D-IN), and Marcia Fudge (D-OH), Debbie Halvorson (D-IL), Bill Foster (D-IL) and Steve Driehaus (D-OH).

And now Shailagh Murray is reporting that Emanuel, desperate like in the good old days when he was shoving NAFTA up Democrats' rear ends, is actually trying to sell this Frankenstein monster as a bill for flu vaccines. Creepy! What is he doing-- holding Americans' health hostage so he can bail out European banksters? What's next-- trying to pick up more support by attaching the abolition of Don't Ask Don't Tell? This is getting out of hand. Obama needs a new Chief of Staff.


UPDATE: Cars For Clunkers Could Be Stripped Out Of The Bill By The Senate

My sharp-eyed friend Bob from Democrats.com read a story in today's National Journal that points out that Emanuel's strategy for luring Michigan congressmen into voting for the European bank bailout is flawed because the provision can be-- and probably will be-- stripped out by the Senate.

If the House passes the measure, it will go to the Senate, where Republicans may try to strike a provision from the supplemental that would provide $1 billion for the first year of a program that would give drivers a voucher for up to $4,500 to buy or lease a fuel-efficient car if they trade in a less-efficient vehicle.

Under Senate rules, Senators may strike provisions of a conference report that were not in the bill passed by either chamber. Senate Republicans could raise a point of order on the floor to strike the language, which would take 60 votes to waive.

Senate Budget ranking member Judd Gregg said last week the "cash for clunkers" provision of the bill could be subject to the rule, but his office would not confirm that he would raise a point of order against the provision.

Having failed at every step, Emanuel-- part of whose job is to keep Obama from looking like a grubby politician-- had to ask the president to take time out of his day to call wavering Democrats. Bailing out European banks is apparently very important to Obama; Chris Bowers explains why defeating this horrible mish-mash of a bill is also very important to progressives. Emanuel has completely failed; he's a disaster. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, AKA- "Rahmette," sounded especially pathetic today on MSNBC trying to defend Emanuel's Frankenstein Supplemental crap bill. She'll lose the Democrats control of the House:




UPDATE: Supplemental Passes Narrowly

After Emanuel larded it up with all kinds of goodies, threatened and bribed every member he could, the Democratic Suicide Pact passed 226-202. The only Michigan Republican who bought into Emanuel's bullshit about the Cash For Clunkers was Candice Miller. Five of them voted against the war. The 32 courageous Democrats who voted no:

Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Michael Capuano (D-MA)
John Conyers (D-MI)
Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)
Donna Edwards (D-MD)
Keith Ellison (D-MN)
Sam Farr (D-CA)
Bob Filner (D-CA)
Alan Grayson (D-FL)
Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
Mike Honda (D-CA)
Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
Barbara Lee (D-CA)
Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
Eric Massa (D-NY)
Jim McGovern (D-MA)
Mike Michaud (D-ME)
Donald Payne (D-NJ)
Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
Jared Polis (D-CO)
José Serrano (D-NY)
Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH)
Brad Sherman (D-CA)
Jackie Speier (D-CA)
Pete Stark (D-CA)
John Tierney (D-MA)
Niki Tsongas (D-MA)
Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Barbara Watson (D-CA)
Peter Welch (D-VT)
Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)

So who'd we lose from the May 14th vote? These are members who were either "persuaded" by Emanuel or who really believe that taking 100 billion taxpayer dollars and bailing out failed European banksters is a good idea: Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Jim Cooper (Blue Dog-TN), Jerry Costello (D-IL), Barney Frank (D-MA), Luis Guitierrez (D-IL), Jay Inslee (D-WA), Steve Kagen (D-WI), John Lewis (D-GA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bob Matsui (D-CA), Jim McDermott (D-WA), George Miller (D-CA), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Richard Neal (D-MA), Jim Oberstar (D-MN), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Mike Thompson (Blue Dog-CA), Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), and Anthony Weiner (D-NY). How did Emanuel talk so many Democrats into committing political suicide? Cash.

David Swanson at AfterDowningStreet.com explains what happened today if you feel like delving into it a little further.