Words And Speeches Don't Matter - Part Two

As if there wasn't enough trouble with our financial crisis, and the state of our government, as well as the big loss on Wall Street...I heard my favorite argument turned on its head today. After the House of Representatives voted against passing the $700 billion relief package, the finger-pointing began immediately. Here is a clip from CNN this evening:

Nearly 60 percent of Democrats voted for the bill, and about a third of Republicans supported it. House Republican leaders blamed Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Speaker of the House, for the bill's failure, saying she had scuttled a bipartisan compromise with a "partisan speech" shortly before the vote. Pelosi started her speech by citing "the Bush administration's failed economic policies -- policies built on budgetary recklessness, on an anything-goes mentality with no regulation, no supervision and no discipline in the system."
"I do believe that the vote could have succeeded," Boehner said in a news conference. "But the speaker had to give a partisan speech ... that poisoned our caucus."

Wait a second...I've heard for the last 9 months from the Republican party that words and speeches don't matter, and then I wake up this morning to find out that...speeches matter again! It appears that someone can go to both sides of the debate, depending on how convenient it is. You would think that I would be happy that someone finally made my argument for me, but alas they were only using a speech to cover up the fact that nobody in Congress wanted to vote for a bill that may cost them their jobs when they come up for reelection in 5 weeks. Forgetting for the moment that it may be all their constituents who will be out of work if they don't start resolving the issues now and take some action.

I actually had to laugh when I heard Barney Frank's response to the claim above, which I read on the Fox News website. I've never cared much for him either way, but I am increasingly becoming a fan of his. Here is a clip of it:

Republicans were quick to blame House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the bill's failure, saying a pre-vote speech in which she criticized the Bush administration's handling of the economy had turned Republican votes against the bailout.
But House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., took umbrage with that claim.
"Because somebody hurt their feelings they decide to punish the country. ... I mean, that's hardly plausible" said Frank. noting that the number of Republicans insulted was the same needed to pass the legislation. "I'll make them an offer. Give me those 12 people's names and I will go talk uncharacteristically nicely to them."

Classic.