From HotAir this morning:
Democrats want this as a Trojan horse for government control of private production, and they’re going to get it, unless Republicans stop it. Republicans in the Senate have already begun to align themselves for a filibuster of the bailout, and a new IBD/TIPP poll shows they have backing from the public. Almost two thirds of adults, including a majority of Democrats, oppose a bailout:
Sixty-three percent of Americans surveyed in the latest IBD/TIPP Poll — including 66% of investors, 59% of Midwesterners and even 53% of Democrats — disapprove of financial aid for U.S. automakers. Respondents also opposed bailouts for banks and other financial institutions by 53% to 45.5%, with only Democrats and Midwesterners in favor. They were more ambivalent, with 50% opposed and 45% in favor, when it comes to mortgage holders. Help for state and local governments won grudging approval. Republicans were opposed across the board.
Can Senate Republicans hold the line? It will probably be a close-run thing, especially with the Bush administration signaling its approval of the package. I’d watch Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, and Arlen Specter most closely on this question. The GOP is fortunate in that this question will come before the 110th Congress rather than the 111th, where they will barely have enough in their caucus to block anything.
Of course, that will require Republicans to act like Republicans, and not Democrats Lite. They have public opinion strongly on their side. Can they exercise some political courage and stop the runaway bailout train?
