OK, the deal was, each party would agree to produce 50% of the necessary votes. This was done to protect the representatives in danger of losing their jobs from voting yes. The simple fact of the matter is, with only 5 weeks left in an election cycle, both parties are more worried about their jobs, than your jobs. And, in fact, 16 of these republicans did vote no, with the approval of their party leadership.
John McCain, in a splashy media show of force declared "I will lead the Republican charge." He failed to lead, period. His appearance didn't do squat. No leadership from McCain or Boehner. They could barely produce one third of their party to vote aye.
On the other side of the aisle, once again, no leadership. Yes, the libs produced their part of the bargain, 50% of the required vote tally. Whereas the Republicans had 2/3rds of their representative vote no, Pelosi failed to lead 14 of her closest friends, allies and committee chairs. This made a huge difference. The names are like a who's who of the Pelosi House stronghold....Conyers, Philner, Green, Wolsey, 2 Sanchez sisters (both Californian), Ortiz, Stark, Fazio, Clay, Costello....she couldn't even get her fellow Californian Barbara Lee to follow her leadership.
There is only one definition of a leader...someone who has followers. Pelosi had very few before, and after her incredibly foolish and boorish partisan attack of the last 8 economic years of the Bush administration (preceding a bi-partisan effort) on the floor, she now has next to none at all, AND SHE MUST GO.
Admittedly, this was not a perfect bill. It was full of party partisanship, grandstand plays, and a hurry up offense, despite seeing this come down the pipe for quite some time now. The main stickling point overall, is something called mark to market, a principle which would determine at what value the government / taxpayers would place on the default loans, and defaulted properties.
Simply put, this is not what you want to cram down the American people's throats, especially at the end of an election cycle; an emergency bill of this magnitude, pushed through at breakneck speed, which is valued at over $700 billion in a time of economic crisis.
Come Thursday, they will go back into conference, only this time each side will be stinging from attacks on, and from the left, and the right. They will desperately need some leadership; trouble is, there is none around the House that Pelosi built. Just the usual partisan attacks and finger pointing.
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