WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats and the Bush administration inched closer on Wednesday to an agreement on a taxpayer rescue of the American automobile industry, but major obstacles to a rescue were developing in the Senate.Congressional aides said a deal between House Democrats and the White House was close, and White House aides said good progress had been made. But House Republicans, who are at a 236-to-198 disadvantage, were circulating an alternate plan that they said would allow the car companies to be competitive again without putting public money at risk.Great. Let's throw some more money into a sinkhole. Yes, I understand the consequences of letting them fail (which probably wouldn't be failing anyhow); that doesn't mean I like this. I also seriously doubt we're going to see the changes they're supposed to make that are tied to this - if it iasn't changed at the last second, then they'll simply "forget", and slip a few contributions to politicians to make sure they "forget", too.
A House vote on the Democrats’ rescue plan was set for Wednesday afternoon, but even if it passes that chamber by a wide margin, it could be blocked in the Senate because of Republican opposition.
“Republicans will not allow taxpayers to subsidize failure,” Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican minority leader, said on Wednesday. And Senator David Vitter, Republican of Louisiana, said he would use procedural tools to delay a vote in the Senate.
If American automakers made cars right, we wouldn't have this problem. Or, at least, it wouldn't be so bad.
And am I the only one who notices a small irony in a Rethug saying "Republicans will not allow taxpayers to subsidize failure"? Really now, Sen. McConnell? So what do you call the billions thrown into the illegal occupation of Iraq? Oh, wait, you war-drum pounders think that's a massive success.
