Republicans are pointing to a speech Nancy Pelosi gave right before the floor vote on the huge bailout bill as the reason their support dwindled. The speech she gave was of a very partisan nature and very inappropriate considering the situation. You can watch the video of it here.
The criticism that is bound to come around is that Republicans got their feelings hurt and so decided to punish the country by voting against the bill. This is the meme that will be pushed by the Democrats, but is it true? Aren't Republicans used to having their party bashed via slams against their President?
To get the answer you have to look at why there was so much opposition to the bill in the first place. It is felt, quite correctly, that the bill undermines the free market. Also of great concern to all Republicans was that the Democrats would use this bill to further their own political fortunes by filling the coffers of their special intrest groups such as ACORN.
The support that the Republican whips had for the bill, slim as it was, hinged on convincing representatives that the bill was desperately needed. This was proven by assuring them that the bill had bipartisan support, was not hostile to the free market and was made in good faith. That is what the President and the Republican whips were trying to convince the conservatives of all day. Pelosi's speech destroyed all of that work, she made bipartisan statements, slammed the free market and generally blamed conservatives for everything. So it was not that the Republicans 'feelings were hurt' by the speech. In reality it confirmed conservatives fears that they were being forced to eat a rotten apple. Republican whips, like Eric Cantor, are well with in their rights to be indignant. Pelosi clearly thought that the vote was assured and was trying to score political points for the future.
Pelosi's own party knows that - however necessary it may be - this is a rotten deal. She can bash on the Republicans all she wants but it will not change the fact that 94 members of her own party voted against the bill.
The criticism that is bound to come around is that Republicans got their feelings hurt and so decided to punish the country by voting against the bill. This is the meme that will be pushed by the Democrats, but is it true? Aren't Republicans used to having their party bashed via slams against their President?
To get the answer you have to look at why there was so much opposition to the bill in the first place. It is felt, quite correctly, that the bill undermines the free market. Also of great concern to all Republicans was that the Democrats would use this bill to further their own political fortunes by filling the coffers of their special intrest groups such as ACORN.
The support that the Republican whips had for the bill, slim as it was, hinged on convincing representatives that the bill was desperately needed. This was proven by assuring them that the bill had bipartisan support, was not hostile to the free market and was made in good faith. That is what the President and the Republican whips were trying to convince the conservatives of all day. Pelosi's speech destroyed all of that work, she made bipartisan statements, slammed the free market and generally blamed conservatives for everything. So it was not that the Republicans 'feelings were hurt' by the speech. In reality it confirmed conservatives fears that they were being forced to eat a rotten apple. Republican whips, like Eric Cantor, are well with in their rights to be indignant. Pelosi clearly thought that the vote was assured and was trying to score political points for the future.
Pelosi's own party knows that - however necessary it may be - this is a rotten deal. She can bash on the Republicans all she wants but it will not change the fact that 94 members of her own party voted against the bill.