'No' Votes Came From All Directions - Wall Street Journal

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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122273311165788291.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

The fatal "no" votes to the financial rescue package came from a strange-bedfellows coalition of lawmakers, from the most conservative to the most liberal members of the House, with a large number of representatives from low-income districts angry that Wall Street seems to be getting handouts while people getting tossed out of homes would get minimal aid.

One common strand that tied some of the diverse opponents together: a tough re-election fight. Eighteen of the 21 most vulnerable Republicans up for re-election, and 10 of the 15 Democrats in the closest races voted against the $700 billion financial rescue, illustrating the political hazards of bailing out Wall Street without offering an equally generous hand to taxpayers.

Wisconsin first-term Democratic Rep. Steve Kagen was among the dissenters. The plan "doesn't do anything for my constituents," he said after the vote. Mr. Kagen's Republican challenger, John Gard, had already begun running ads calling the plan a "bailout to Wall Street billionaires." The ad said: "They break the rules and Congress hands them your money."

House Republican opposition to the bill had been widely aired in recent days. It was objections raised by their leader, Ohio Rep. John Boehner, that famously triggered the shouting match at a bipartisan White House meeting last week, killing the previous bailout proposal.

Monday's vote cast a spotlight on the strong opposition among House Democrats as well, with 40% of those voting -- 95 out of 235 -- siding against the bill

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