Is Harry Reid smart to push for a vote on financial reform?

The Christian Science Monitor ^ | 042310 | Linda Feldmann

[Fred]

Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D) of Nevada announced Thursday he will hold a crucial procedural vote on financial reform Monday, even before an agreement is reached on the legislation.

Some Republicans, such as the moderate Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, expressed concern that by scheduling a vote before there is a bipartisan accord and before Senator Reid knows that he has the 60 votes needed to halt a filibuster, the majority leader is risking the progress the parties are making.

But Reid said on Thursday that he’s “not going to waste any more time of the American people while they come up with some agreement.”

“The games of stalling are over,” Reid said. Options if the move succeeds or fails

If the Democrats fail to get at least one Republican to join the cloture vote by Monday, they can always go back to the drawing board and try again. And if they succeed in the procedural vote that allows debate to go forward, then the bill appears on its way toward passage.

[mlocher]

“The games of stalling are over,” Reid said.

Everything that Obama, Reid and Pelosi do have to be done immediately. More evidence that this bill is terrible since the dems do not want is contents to be scrutinized to carefully by Wall Street and its pitfalls made public.

[Texas resident]

Let’s see. The dims are on the verge of controlling all our bank accounts and give themselves the power to seize everyone’s 401K plans. They are about to pee in their collective pants. They won’t make it through the week without a vote. Hopefully some dims will not vote for this garbage.

[Tzimisce]

Is Harry Reid smart for pushing “financial reform”?

What’s going to stop him from pushing it through?

And once it goes through, him and his friends will have a death grip on our nation.

So yeah, I guess he is pretty smart.

[FTJM]

Just cram it through...worked for health care. Reid is desperate for some victory that he can trade on. “See, I stood up to Wall Street!”

[Siena Dreaming]

I'm thinking that Reid does not want the bill to pass.

Thus, the Dems will have an issue for Nov. They'll claim Repubs obstructed and blame the sour economy in Nov. on that.

[Cheerio]

Just cram it through...worked for health care.

I have been saying ever since Demcare was jammed down our throat they were just getting started. Rules of the game will be made up as the RATS go.

Breaking: Senate Democrats Gather In The Rules Committee To Eliminate The Filibuster

[Intolerant in NJ]

Is Harry Reid smart to push for a vote on financial reform?...not if Republicans are smart and filibuster the bill because it introduces no controls on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the real culprits in the financial meltdown - if they shoot down the bill with that as their stated rationale, 'pubs may actually add substantial meaning to whatever law results, will show themselves to be serious about genuine reform, and most importantly, have an opportunity for some high visibility education of the public about how 'rats in the White House and Congress contributed to the meltdown by prostituting Fannie and Freddie into guaranteeing with taxpayer money all those risky mortgages banks were making to give housing to the poor - but of course presuming that Republicans might be smart pretty well dooms the whole scheme.....

[freekitty]

He is a fool and they will run him out of Nevada.

[pankot]

As long as Bwaney Fwank and Chris Dodd are in Congress no one will touch Fannie or Freddie.

[excopconservative]

This is the issue the dems are putting their hopes on for Nov. Either the repubs go along with it and socialism is official as the economic system of the US or they fight it and are accused of being on the side of Wall Street. Either way, the dems win.

This strategy is made possible by the fact that the Republicans have not stood up and made Barney Frank and Chris Dodd own up to their responsibility for making the real estate collapse happen. Congress is the only outfit that can totally screw up a nation and point the finger at others and get away with it. The only choice the Republicans have now is to fight to expose this for what it is, total government control over private business and the end of the American dream. Only about 10% of the people understand the dems role in this and educating them now is going to be difficult.

[Texas Fossil]

Just cram it through...worked for health care.

They don't understand that this bill is a "Bouncing Betty Bomb", the collateral damage will be terminal on them.

[Siena Dreaming]

Either way, the dems win.

Not so sure about that.

Let them air the discussion. I've already heard Fannie and Freddie brought up a few times in the context of this bill.

Obstruct the bill, then let the internet take over in the next 5 months or so educating the grassroots, and then down the food chain to the public, about what really happened in the financial collapse.

[Juan Medén]

I think we can deal with the first half of this headline without even having to go into the second half:

Question: Is Harry Reid smart?

Answer: No

[Intolerant in NJ]

As long as Bwaney Fwank and Chris Dodd are in Congress no one will touch Fannie or Freddie...Well, Dodd's gone this year, so that's a good start.....