From TNR, MORE ON THE HOUSE CHAOS ->
The defeat was embarassing in more than one respect. First, they lost. Second, they looked hapless while losing. Rather than stopping the bleeding, they held the vote open for a long time, but had a twenty vote deficit. Very few of those votes were budging. To make the effort to hold the vote open and then to lose looks exceptionally weak.
The reasons for voting against it were pretty obvious. Massive cuts in popular education programs. Cuts in home heating assistance while prices are skyrocking. And the list goes on. Moderate republicans could get away with these votes when the President was doing well, but they can't now. Instead of making them take fewer of these votes, the wackos on the right are making them take more. They are p*ssed that the leadership isn't stepping in and saving them...
Now think about this: one of the very next votes scheduled for today is the Republican budget cutting bill that had to be pulled from the floor
for lack of votes. The moderates have been whipsawed by the leadership and cajoled (dropping the ANWR provision), and they won't budge. The mood must be very sour over there.
Also, a lot of credit should go to Pelosi and Hoyer, who have held the caucus together in total unanimity against these things. Without cherry picking a few wayward Dems, the Republicans have to get all of the votes on their side of the aisle. That puts pressure on them and exposes the fissures on their side.
http://www.tnr.com/blog/theplank
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