So the Senate passed a (oh so slightly) modified bailout package 74-25-1. Both of my (Maryland) senators voted for it. Unfortunately, neither is up for reelection this year. Now it’s up to the House. If my representative (John Sarbanes) votes for it, I will vote for his Republican challenger in November (and I don’t currently even know his/her name). Why? Because I want my $2,300! (my estimated share of the $700 billion).
Both Obama & McCain voted for it, so it’s a wash. Unless I decide to punish both by voting Libertarian (Maryland is a very safe Democrat state, so it doesn’t even really matter).
Want to see how your senator voted for the bailout? You can access that information from the US Senate webpage, here: Vote on H.R. 1424.
You can also check on House votes here: Legislation & Votes. The earlier House version of the bailout plan (H.R. 3997) was voted down 205-228-1. Too bad for Sarbanes. He voted “Aye” the first time around, so he’s likely to do so again tomorrow. Boo! Why? ? Because I want my $2,300!
Libertarian doesn't sound bad at all at this point. Ron Paul, where are thou?
Oh, Ron Paul is **NOT** a "Libertarian" in any sense I know of. He's just endorsed the Constitution Party candidate, which has this platform:
“restoring American jurisprudence to its Biblical foundations”;
opposing “any legal recognition of homosexual unions” or “legalized adoption of children by homosexuals”;
carrying out “the duty of all civil governments to secure and to safeguard the lives of the pre-born”;
“upholding the right of states and localities to restrict access to drugs”;
“upholding our cherished First Amendment right to free speech by vigorously enforcing our laws against obscenity”;
requiring that tariffs on “foreign imports” will not ”be less than the difference between the foreign item’s cost of production and the cost of production of a similar item produced in these United States”;
“a moratorium on immigration”;
“the return of a U.S. military presence at the Isthmus of Panama”;
no “foreign entity” should be allowed to own any U.S. assets, including real estate, stocks, bonds, or Treasury notes.
From the Fruits & Votes blog.
In Louisiana both the democratic and republican senators voted against the bailout.(Mary Landrieu-D, Vitter-R). They even had a reasonable explanation. I didn't make sense to them to vote for a bill that uses tax payer money to bailout bad loans when no one is providing a mechanism to fix the cause or give reasonable assurance that this money will get credit moving again.
I agree Obama and McCain are useless. Were is the "change"? Both are followers. Did you see all the pork in that bill? Brings the cost up to $820 billion.
With the current pork you need to raise your numbers to $2,700.
Yeah, I didn't understand why making the total bailout package MORE expensive was supposed to make taxpayers feel better about it.
Well, look on the bright side, at least you'll be able to buy wooden arrows for Javi when he gets older.
I things considered, I think wooden nickels would be more appropriate.
The bailout does suck... but as someone about to buy a home this will lower the rates. When the first time around it failed the mortgage rates went up nearly a full point!
Yeah, but lower interest rates give the impression to sellers that demand for homes will creep up, so the prices of homes themselves might go up as well.
We're in a no-win situation here.