UPDATE: The Republicans successfully blocked the bill 52-25.
I just watched Mitch McConnell blame the UAW as the reason the Republicans are blocking the deal. Dodd is ripping into them.
I don't really understand why the Democrats don't say they're trying to pass the "Christmas Rescue Act of 2008" and accuse the Republicans of trying to kill Santa.
Watching the Republicans try to bust the union is sickening... I didn't see them micro-manage wages for Wall Street employees.
UPDATE: Digby:
Republicans spent the last eight years like drunken sailors on their first shore leave after years at sea. They wantonly drained the treasury of billions and billions of dollars on harebrained schemes to induce "birthpangs of democracy" around the world, chasing phantom enemies and enriching their defense contractor contributors. They created a lobbying culture so corrupt it finally collapsed of its own weight. They deregulated the financial industry so thoroughly that it created an elaborate ponzi scheme that has just about destroyed the world economy.
They have no standing to lecture anyone about responsibility, fiscal or otherwise, and no right to obstruct the cure for the problem they created.
Bipartisanship is awesome!
Bob Corker thanks everyone that has been involved and I'm watching Richard Shelby tell me that he fears this is just a down payment on failure. Listening to that blowhard talk about the competitiveness of the "south" is like sticking pins in my eyes.
UPDATE: Carl Levin: via email
Sen. Reid responds:
"By rejecting every good-faith bipartisan compromise – including those from the White House and Senator Bob Corker – it is now abundantly clear that Republicans have no interest in keeping the Big Three from collapsing.
"Because Republicans failed to act, three million Americans are more likely than ever to lose their jobs and our economy is at risk of suffering even greater damage. Our hearts go out to those families who will now have to deal with this burden as the holidays near.
"Republicans may think that rejecting this legislation sent a message to the auto industry. Instead, they sent a message to every single American that they are more interested in settling scores than solving problems."
Carl Levin calls for Congress to keep working: via email
"Congress should not recess and leave town without voting on the proposal to provide emergency bridge loans to our domestic auto industry. The consequences of our failure to act will be extremely harmful to our economy and to the lives and welfares of millions of working Americans in communities across our country.
"I call on the leaders of the Senate to keep us in session, and let us go back to work tomorrow to try to fashion an agreement that will keep our domestic auto industry operating into next year and beyond. We certainly owe that much to all Americans who will be harmed by our failure to act here tonight, and that is most Americans since a failure tonight will be felt throughout our economy and in every community across this country."
Boxer: Change is on the way, but it didn't come tonight. The America people will see who stands for the middle class of this country and who doesn't. Who cares for the working people and who doesn't.