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September 29, 2008 - 1:31pm
News
Reichert on bailout bill: White House 'tried to shove a bill down our throats'
By Alex Isenstadt, Politicker.com Reporter
U.S. Rep. Dave ReichertWASHINGTON – The Bush Administration’s handling of the $700 billion bailout package played no small part in the bill’s demise in the House floor today, U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert said in an interview.
“Each incumbent has to do what they think is right and I just happened to feel that the administration tried to shove a bill down our throats and we weren’t happy with that,” said Reichert, who voted no on the package.
“I just feel like this was a rush,” he said. “I don’t totally trust the process that we have gone through for the last seven to eight days.”
Reichert, who is amidst a difficult race for re-election against his 2006 Democratic opponent Darcy Burner, conceded that Monday’s vote could have electoral consequences for incumbents.
“Either vote you took on this I think there was some political fallout,” said Reichert. “Every district and every voter will have to look where their member was on this and I hope they take their job performance in total. This certainly was a big bill, but I think that most people will take a look at the total performance of their congressperson over the time he or she has served.”
Reichert predicted that the House would be back on the floor by Thursday to vote on a newly crafted measure. He argued that the House needed to settle on a bill that held Wall Street accountable and addressed the root causes of the financial crisis.
Syndicate
What happened to Country First?
I’m with you. In the face of a train wreck in progress that’s hitting our credit markets the House Republicans have chosen to sit by and watch it happen rather than try to avert a disaster.
I’m a conservative who despises the Democrat left, yet I now feel abandoned by Reichert and the Republican party. I will not vote for anyone who would risk a depression in order to play political games. Only Bush remains as a leader I respect, willing to put the country’s need ahead of his own popularity. As for McCain, he has shown himself totally lacking as a leader – with great fanfare he went back to Washington but couldn’t get it done.
Finally!
On a meaningful vote Congressman Reichert finally lost his rubber stamp. The best interest of the United States is to figure out a way to solve the problems, and not to throw a huge bundle of someone else's money at the perpetrators. Thirty years of the Reagan Revolution and neocon idealogues has weakened the economy by the endless transfers of wealth to corporate interests. Now they need some tough love to keep from becoming totally dependent on government handouts.
P.S. (Thank you, Congressman Reichert)
Darcy Burner's Website says "... 'No Blank Check' in Bailout Proposal."
You don't have to be very good at reading between the lines to understand that if Ms. Burner was in the Congress today, she would be standing shoulder to shoulder with Nancy Pelosi and agreeing to Pelosi's flimsy bailout conditions, thereby, voting for the bailout.
Thank you, Congressman Reichert
Thank you for not voting for this gargantuan monetary bail out for Wall Street. This is a regressive bill, meant to keep billionaires and multi-millionaires in the lifestyle that they are accustomed to, does practically nothing for Main Street, and would only delay coming to terms with the dysfunction in the economic system.
It's ironic that the Republicans in the House of Representatives have mostly said no to this bill, but the Democratic Party, the purported party of the people, mostly agreed with bailing out Wall Street. This bill solves nothing. It only compounds the problem.
Disgusting!!
I find Reichert's comments absolutely disgusting. This was absolutely the wrong way to vote and there is no excuse whatsoever to vote against the interests of the USA. His excuses are absolutely ridiculous. He had a clear choice: Vote for an absolutely critical measure or vote against it. He made the wrong vote. No one else is responsible for his vote. The package was absolutely essential. Because of his vote and others like it, many Americans will suffer terribly.
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