This will be a relatively short diary. For a long time, I have grown increasingly sick of hearing wealthy conservatives and their brainwashed, not-so-wealthy allies talk about how we have to let the Big Three die for the good of the "free market" (and three million jobs be damned).
I truly hoped Congress would pass it's bailout package, and like many of you, I met the news of it's failure with a long stream of colorful language (%$#@! Senate Republicans, *#%$! spineless Harry Reid). I was convinced that this was the end of the American auto industry, that it could not possibly stay afloat in time for Obama to be inaugurated.
Then, after calming down, I read about how the Bush White House is hoping to intervene and save the industry, and that got me thinking. What if, for once, the Senate Democrats actually employed good strategy?
Yes, I know this is Harry Reid we're talking about. But hear me out...
Not too long ago, when negotiations on an auto bailout began, Congressional Democrats called for the money to be diverted from the $700 billion financial bailout. This idea was shot down, however, as the White House and Congressional Republicans voiced their strong disapproval. The debate shifted and the topic became a separate, $14 billion bailout with several conditions. It was passed by the House, but fell apart in the Senate due to the opposition of Senate Republicans, who could not even be convinced by the White House to approve the bill.
Here's where things get interesting...
According to CNN, the White House is now seriously considering diverting funds from the $700 billion bailout, a complete reversal of it's previous position, because, according to Press Secretary Dana Perino:
Given the current weakened state of the U.S. economy, we will consider other options if necessary -- including use of the TARP program -- to prevent a collapse of troubled automakers... A precipitous collapse of this industry would have a severe impact on our economy.
If the White House actually goes through with this, it will essentially accomplish what Democrats wanted to do in the first place.
Perhaps this is what Senator Reid was planning all along. After all, he could have allowed Senate Republicans to filibuster the bill, and watched them drown in a rising sea of negative public opinion. Instead, he opted to call for a cloture vote, a vote that he must have known he could not win, i order to take the matter out of their hands and send the ball into Bush's court. Right now, it seems like this may actually work out.
So what do you think? Is Harry a political mastermind after all? Is this just a case of dumb luck? Or is he truly the most incompetent Senate Majority Leader in history?