Will We Slip Into A Depression For The Same Reason We're In Iraq?

So, as I've asserted before: we're in Iraq basically because Democrats knew that it was too risky to vote against the authorization for the use of force. It was clear to everyone who was paying attention that the case for war was dishonest. But Dems also seemed to realize that if they voted against the authorization, the GOP would go into overdrive, using their votes against them. If the Dems had blocked it, they could easily have been cast out of power for twenty years.

Looks like the same basic thing is going on now. I haven't the foggiest idea what actually needs to be done, but it's fairly clear that the Dems are hesitant to do what they think is right because they know that the GOP will use it against them politically.

Now, one might object to Democratic cowardice, but the issue isn't as clear as you might think. Don't get me wrong--the Dems are pretty wimpy. But, given how disastrous Republican rule has been, even a Dem with the best interest of the country in mind would hesitate to vote in a way that will put the GOP in power into the indefinite future.

Remember: almost no matter how you slice it, and almost no matter how bad the Dems are being, the GOP comes off worse here. If the bailout is a good idea, then the GOP is worse, as only 1/3 of them are voting for it, while 2/3 of Dems are...and the Dems are far less likely to use aye votes against Republicans than Republicans are to use them against Dems. If the bailout is a bad idea, then the Dems can't really be blamed for not pushing it through. So: if it's a bad idea, then neither party deserves any blame, though if it's a good idea, the Dems seem to deserve less blame than the GOP.