Posted by Jed Lewison on Thu Dec 11, 2008 at 6:13 PM Pacific

Senate Republicans vs. The Blue Collar Bailout

Update 3 (9:44PM): The Senate held a vote on the emergency loan package, and the vote failed 52-35. Except in the screwed up world of the Senate, failing 52-35 means 52 Senators voted for the legislation -- and just 35 voted against. So 35 Senators were willing to gamble away the future of an American industry -- all to avoid having to support a $14 billion emergency loan package. They are all worthless clowns.

Update 2 (8:04PM): No deal, and the negotiations have fallen apart. Republicans will not budge on their demands for immediate wage cuts by autoworkers. Even though Democrats have enough votes to pass the bailout on a simple majority, Republicans are invoking the 60 vote filibuster rule.

Update (6:42PM): AP has updated its story. There's no deal -- at least not yet. (I wonder if Reid's happy-go-lucky soundbite threw them off?)

Original post: Hmmm. AP says so, but offers no details, and a very weird set of quotes supporting their conclusion:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A bipartisan group of senators reached tentative agreement Thursday night on an emergency $14 billion bailout for U.S. automakers, the Senate's top Democrat said. Majority Leader Harry Reid said the lead Republican architect of the deal was briefing colleagues on the compromise, and Democrats were prepared to move forward on it quickly.

"We're ready to go," said Reid.

...Leaders stressed that the deal wasn't final.

"All issues are still on the table," said Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat, as he emerged from the talks.

..."We've got some issues still to resolve but we all want to resolve them," said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who led the closed-door talks for his party.

...Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., the Banking Committee chairman, who was his party's point man, said staff aides were working on legislative language of a still-emerging deal.

"While we've reached some agreement on a lot already, there are issues that are still outstanding," Dodd said.

If Reid is simply caving into GOP demands that workers accept yet another paycut, then he might as well quit the Democratic Party for all I care. It's time for the Senate Dems to find some backbone, or there's no point in having Senate Dems.