The Bailout Betrayal: Who's Who?

Jesse Walker | October 6, 2008

Jim Harper posts a useful list of congresspeople who opposed the Wall Street bailout bill last Monday but switched their votes on Friday. He also helpfully informs us who will be running against each of them next month.

Comments

|10.6.08 @ 9:49AM|#

Cool! Can we make a website in the spirit of Eric Rudolph, where their names get crossed out as they're defeated on Election Day?

|10.6.08 @ 9:53AM|#

I bet most of these jerks will be re-elected. Even if there is time for their opponents to criticize the bailout flipflop, who's going to pay for the ads? the national party?

|10.6.08 @ 9:59AM|#

Say Jesse, perhaps not topical to the thread, but when is the big article coming out with the Presidential picks of our favorite Reason writers and their fellow-travelers? I didn't see it in your election issue.

|10.6.08 @ 10:04AM|#

I can assure you that the two SOBs from Hawaii will get reelected. In fact, I'd be willing to wager substantial amounts (if it were legal here) that their opponents won't even get 40% of the vote.

tarran|10.6.08 @ 10:05AM|#

If I had time, I would love to do a photoshop job of the man who claims to represent me, Representative Markey, as a lapdog taking a treat from George Bush's fingers.

Eveyone in Congress who voted to send the U.S. into another depression by taxing the productive in an attempt to keep real estate prices high deserves to be kicked away from the Federal gravy train. They can learn to earn a living or starve, I don't care which.

Xeones|10.6.08 @ 10:06AM|#

I wrote my rep (Bobby Scott, 3rd district of VA) a nice email thanking him for continuing to oppose the bailout, though i suspect his reasons for doing so were not ideologically compatible with mine.

robc|10.6.08 @ 10:12AM|#

Yarmuth, my rep, is on the list. He is running against Anne Northup, who he defaeated 2 years ago. When she was in congress, I called her "The Queen of Pork", so its not a good situation here. I think the LP has someone on my ballot - he/she/it/blue guy is getting my vote.

Jesse Walker|10.6.08 @ 10:18AM|#

Say Jesse, perhaps not topical to the thread, but when is the big article coming out with the Presidential picks of our favorite Reason writers and their fellow-travelers? I didn't see it in your election issue.

We're going to do it online. Not sure of the post date yet, but it'll appear at some point before Election Day.

|10.6.08 @ 10:30AM|#

Great. Thanks!

sage|10.6.08 @ 10:33AM|#

Vote them all out - first, by voting for the strongest challenger, and then, when possible, by going for the third party candidate.

If Matt's piece in the current print issue is correct, and the republicrats are bleeding market share, then this is a good strategy.

If it bleeds, we can kill it.

|10.6.08 @ 10:36AM|#

I am proud to say that my democratic congresswoman voted no both times.

|10.6.08 @ 10:39AM|#

My guy's on the list. David Scott. Prior to the first vote, I emailed him, begging him to vote against the bail out. He did. I also emailed my senators. After the house vote, I emailed him to thank him. When I learned that the Senate had passed a bill (both of my senators voted against it), I emailed Scott again to "be strong and continue to vote against" the bill. Of course, he crumbled. So I had to email him one more time, with my pledge to do whatever I can do to see that he is never elected to any office again.

And now I see that he is opposed in the upcoming congressional election, by a woman who supports the FairTax!

I will be voting Libertarian, with an exception. In District 13 Georgia, the republican candidate, Dr. Honeycutt, will be getting my vote.

I'm so bummed...

And look how well the bail out's worked! The Dow's at 9900!! Whoo hoo!

CB

|10.6.08 @ 10:40AM|#

If it bleeds, we can kill it.

I think we're going to need a bigger boat.

Other Matt|10.6.08 @ 10:44AM|#

I think we're going to need a bigger boat.

Thanks, Ep, needed a laugh this morning. Of course it was rapidly overtaken by "Shit, he's right", but it was good for a couple seconds.

|10.6.08 @ 11:03AM|#

The Kwame Mommy wasn't going to get my vote anyway. She'll win easily anyway. I've no idea if Greg Creswell (L) is a tinfoil wearing, blue skinned truther or not, he still gets my vote. And I really don't care to research him since he has approximately exactly a zip point shit chance of getting elected.

A protest vote is better than no vote.

|10.6.08 @ 11:06AM|#

You go in the cage? Cage goes in the water? You go in the water? Republicrat's in the water?

Fairwell, and adieu to you fair spanish ladies....

Bingo|10.6.08 @ 11:07AM|#

And look how well the bail out's worked! The Dow's at 9900!! Whoo hoo!

Well it's not at 8000, so clearly the bailout is working. We just need to make the next bailout more comprehensive.

Other Matt|10.6.08 @ 11:16AM|#

Well it's not at 8000, so clearly the bailout is working. We just need to make the next bailout more comprehensive.

I actually overhead a television this morning with an analyst saying that "Wall St is waiting for the next package." What....the....fuck?

|10.6.08 @ 11:30AM|#

My Rep rep flopped. He'll get re-elected, absent a truly cataclysmic anti-incumbent or anti-Republican movement.

I plan to vote for the Dem (I don't think we have a Lib on the ballot for his seat). I'm also sending him a letter telling him that I am switching my vote based solely on this issue.

|10.6.08 @ 11:46AM|#

Better yet, as of this morning, Shaddeg is still running radio ads touting his courageous opposition to the bailout bill that "Secretary Paulson and the liberal Congress attempted to pass." I'm sure he would say the one he ended up voting for was not the same bill, but the ad is completely misleading. He probably deserves to lose just for that.

|10.6.08 @ 12:07PM|#

My rep. voted nay both times. I didn't like him much before; now I may just vote for him. He's an R, but the other rep. near my area voted nay, too, and she's a D.

|10.6.08 @ 12:09PM|#

The nays were a curious mix of lefty's, bluedogs, and righty's, eh? Strange bedfellows, and all that.

|10.6.08 @ 12:10PM|#

I'm sure he would say the one he ended up voting for was not the same bill,

And he'd be right. The one he wound up voting for was a porked-up piece of junk that managed to be even worse than the one he voted against.

Essentially, all the people who flip-flopped on this were, really, voting for the pork. The extra $700 billion that had to get spent for them to get their pork is just an irrelevant detail, a price they are willing to pay to get that micro-targeted tax exemption for the campaign contributor in their district.

|10.6.08 @ 12:34PM|#

To be fair, my congresswoman was in bed with an Economist. Seriously, she's married to one.

|10.6.08 @ 1:47PM|#

If you have ever wondered why politicians are reluctant to change their minds about anything, and never admit it when they have, Jim and Jesse have just told you.

Jesse Walker|10.6.08 @ 4:17PM|#

If you have ever wondered why politicians are reluctant to change their minds about anything, and never admit it when they have, Jim and Jesse have just told you.

Not really. Point me to someone who switched his or her vote the other way, and I'll put up a post of praise.

Maitri|10.6.08 @ 6:58PM|#

If the aim is the free market and competition above all, why so much fervor in favor of the bailout? I understand that the nation's economy is tied to these companies and that the lack of regulation to date has a hand in the problem, but where is the libertarian sense in the nation purchasing bad investments? Help me out here.