So, let me get this straight. We capitulated language in a bill so the republicans would vote for it

[Horse with no Name]

but they didn't vote for it--and the language slipped through and ended up giving Dodd a big hickey. Now, according the teevee, this is the DEMOCRATS fault because of that one paragraph that was slipped in to APPEASE (in the purest definition of the word).
Never mind the backroom deals that bush made allowing the bonuses to be paid in the first place--none of that matters anymore.

Ahhh the lessons to be learned here are valuable if they will only be heeded.

[OneGrassRoot]

1. So that's it in a nutshell?

Dang, I wish I could read here throughout the day as I used to. I'm sadly so lost...lol.

So the wording in the stimulus bill that is causing the uproar today about bonuses was 1) included to placate republicans; 2) done by Dodd? and, no surprise 3) the republicans are screaming bloody murder that it's all the Dems' fault?

Oy

[tekisui]

2. Yes, and Dems are here calling for Giethner's head.

It is divide and attack from the repuke obstructionists.

[Horse with no Name]

3. That is my understanding of the mel'ee that has ensued. n/t

[BlueDogMizzou]

12. I don't get it, why would Obama or Geithner or whoever...

would change the wording for the repukes. Snowe, Collins and Specter had already agreed to vote FOR the package after $108 Billion was shaved of the bill. The rest of the Rush clones vowed never to vote for it. So why was it removed and under who's say so?

I think this is a torpedo job by Reid and Dodd to bring Obama down. Dodd claims he removed the wording because he was told to by Obama. Notice none of the other Senators ever "remember" when the wording was put in. So I am to believe out of 56 of our Senators, not one spotted the change? Yeah right.

[my2sense]

4. Unbelievable this nonsense is going

on while our economy tanks.

[Horse with no Name]

6. It's a diversion

so we don't see the REAL thievin' going on.

[Traveling_Home]

5. Geitner said he went to Dodd to get it changed ...

so then Geitner did it to placate Repubs?

[ColbertWatcher]

7. They threatened. Or, rather, they threatened to threaten, so we capitulated. n/t

[Horse with no Name]

9. and the lesson, grasshopper?

Ram our fucking agenda down their throats with the nuclear option. No more capitulation and no more falling into their traps.

[LSparkle]

14. YA-FUCKING-HOO! I agree (see post below)

To every one of their complaints, the response should be:

OBAMA WON. WE WRITE THE RULES NOW.

[FLAprogressive]

8. because one of the flaws with our party is that we're all-too-willing to compromise

on things that shouldn't be compromisable

[Ilsa]

10. I'm sick of it. It is a drop in the bucket next to what Halliburton has done to us.

Talk about having to grab one's ankles... but the media gave them a free pass on that, didn't they?

During a political discussion with my MIL, I mentioned how the GOP promises to vote for stuff if the Dems give in, then they don't vote for it. She didn't seem offended by how they lie about everything. She's been converted by Fox Noise and thereis nothing hubby and I can do about it. She is even defending tax cuts for millionaires that her grandson will have to pay for.

She has gotten really offended in the past when her son suggests that she and her husband are big receivers of government programs, being retired military and all. She doesn't see how that is another form of socialism.

[ljm2002]

11. I think that about covers it...

...and the lesson to be (re-)learned is that appeasement never works. The Republicans -- like any bully -- only become more contemptuous of the appeaser, and will find a way to publicly humiliate the appeaser and make them look weak and ineffectual, if not downright corrupt.

They know how to play this game, that's for sure. And of course they have the MSM to help.

On the other hand -- this is a blip. Obama needs to learn from this. What he needs to learn is, stop trying to extend your hand to this lot. If they extend their hand, cut it off at the wrist. That is payback for what they've done to date.

The payoff is, you will find that they suddenly respect you. They won't like you -- but they don't like you anyway.

If Obama continues extending the hand of "bipartisanship", then he's a bigger fool than I thought he was.

[LSparkle]

13. Excellent summary! And the moral of the story is ...

Don't try and play nice with Rethuglicans!!!! JUST STICK TO
YOUR OWN PRINCIPLES AND WHUP THEIR ASSES!!!!!

[sendero]

16. I'm not so sure..

.... Geithner didn't want the language himself.

[lynne]

15. Things evolve so quickly, I can't keep up. The language was put in to entice republicans -

- and they still didn't vote for it so we would take the fall? I'd not heard this before.

Which one of them asked for the language in the first place? THAT's who we should be going after!

[BlueDogMizzou]

18. They didn't, this is a big smoke screen to bail out Dodd who

betrayed Obama and US.

[Canuckistanian]

17. Haha, what an excellent point

For Dodd to singlehandedly engineer this dastardly deal successfully , he had to:

a) Trick all the Repubs into VOTING FOR the bonus amendment.. and

b) Trust that AIG would offer the bonuses to their executives and they would accept it.

Muwahahahaha, his evil plan succeeded.....