House Vote on Bailout Bill Reveals Cowardice

The House vote on the bailout bill today passed by a respectable margin, surprising almost no one. Though the vast majority of the voting public was opposed to the bailout (as high as 90% by some reports), Congress decided that they were wiser and better informed than their constituents and voted to approve a bailout plan that morphed into a monster $800,000,000,000+ 450-page bill.

Leading the charge to pass the bill in the Senate earlier in the week, both Presidential candidates endorsed the plan. McCain sat idly by as the bill garnered more pork than a county fair, and Obama clearly has never met a power grab he didn't like. This too was to be expected. Politicians do the expedient thing, usually without an eye toward long-term consequences.

The true, burning cynicism came from the House today, though. After the Senate added enough bribes to make passage of the bill in the House a fait accompli, the members of the House started to jockey for position. The magic number to pass the bill was 218 yes votes. Knowing the bill was hugely unpopular with the public, but not having the temerity to oppose the bill vociferously and court disaster with the various shady bag men that fund their campaigns, fully one-third of the no votes came in after the measure had already passed. Before the vote count reached 218, the yeses outpaced the nos a little less than 2 to 1. After the vote reached 218, the nos overtook the yeses by almost 3 to 1.

These cowards wanted the bill to pass, but they also wanted to be on record as voting against it. This is for three reasons. First, they can tell their constituents they voted against a vastly unpopular bill. Second, they have plausible denial if the bailout strategy fails. Third, if the bailout succeeds in stabilizing the economy, they can take credit for withholding their vote until it passed, claiming to understand the necessity of the bill and thus being wiser than the public but condescending to vote the way they were told once they were sure it would do no harm.

The American people should be outraged at this behavior, whether for or against the bailout. It is this kind of skulduggery that fosters the environment of deception that makes crises like these possible in the first place. As long as chicanery of this nature is allowed to persist, the country will grow weaker and more susceptible to threats of all kinds from within and without.