L.A. congressman's bailout blog: Why I switched from "no" to "yes"

Three Los Angeles House Democrats switched their votes on the bailout from "no" to "yes," according to the tally released by the House Clerk's office. The Democrats who voted against the $700-billion bailout earlier in the week, and then switched and voted in favor of the expanded, $810-billion bailout today, are:

Rep. Adam Schiff (pictured), whose 29th district includes parts of Burbank and North Hollywood. Schiff explains his reversal on his blog here, writing:

At the end of the day, the only reason I supported a bill in which the good narrowly outweighs the bad, is that the worst option of all, in the face of repeated bank failures, record foreclosures and soaring unemployment, would be to do nothing at all.

... The original Paulson plan, though much improved by the Congress, is still much deficient. It cannot be viewed as the end of the fiscal and economic crisis or the end of our response to it. But it may be seen as the end of the beginning.

Also switching votes from "no" to "yes":

Rep. Hilda Slolis, whose 32nd district includes parts of Azusa and Covina
Rep. Diane Watson, whose 33rd district includes parts of Culver City and Ladera Heights.

Below is the entire delegation from Los Angeles County, and how they voted on the first bailout vote, and the second bailout vote.

22nd Congressional District
Lancaster; Republican Kevin McCarthy voted no and no.

25th Congressional District
Lancaster; Republican Howard McKeon voted yes and yes.

26th Congressional District
Altadena, East Pasadena, La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta; Republican David Dreier voted yes and yes.

27th Congressional District
Burbank, North Hollywood,  Sherman Oaks, Winnetka; Democrat Brad Sherman voted no and no.

28th Congressional District
Encino, Pacoima,Toluca Lake, Valley Village, Universal City; Democrat Howard Berman voted yes and yes.

29th Congressional District
Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena; Democrat Adam Schiff voted no and yes. Schiff switched.

30th Congressional District
Agoura Hills, Beverly Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Malibu, Santa Monica; Democrat Henry Waxman voted yes and yes.

31st Congressional District
Los Angeles; Democrat Xavier Becerra voted no and no.

32nd Congressional District
Azusa, Baldwin Park, Covina, Duarte, El Monte; Democrat Hilda Solis voted no and yes. Solis switched.

33rd Congressional District
Culver City, Ladera Heights, View Park-Windsor Hills; Democrat Diane Watson voted no and yes. Watson switched.

34th Congressional District
Bell, Bellflower, Bell Gardens, Commerce; Democrat Lucille Roybal-Allard voted no and no.

35th Congressional District
Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Los Angeles (South Central); Democrat Maxine Waters voted yes and yes.

36th Congressional District
El Segundo, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance; Democrat Jane Harman voted yes and yes.

37th Congressional District
Carson, Compton, Long Beach; Democrat Laura Richardson voted yes and yes.

38th Congressional District
Industry, La Puente, Montebello, Norwalk, Pomona; Democrat Grace Napolitano voted no and no.

39th Congressional District
Artesia, Cerritos, Lakewood, La Mirada, Whittier; Democrat Linda Sanchez voted no and no.

42nd Congressional District
Diamond Bar, Whittier, Rowland Heights; Republican Gary Miller voted yes and yes.

46th Congressional District
Part of San Pedro. Republican Dana Rohrabacher voted no and no.

--Peter Viles

Photo Credit: Bloomberg News

Comments

[xtine]

Thank you Peter, for breaking this down for us so clearly.

[Lou]

Brad Sherman, please run against Boxer in the 2010 Democratic primary.

Change isn't just about getting the idiot Bush out. WE NEED ALL THESE IDIOTS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[Michael Snyder]

In the face of the overwhelming public outcry against this bill there can be no excuse for voting for its' passage other than extreme arrogance coupled with situational ignorance and total disrespect for their constituency. Anyone who voted for this bill should be charged with treason.

[Tim K.]

"It cannot be viewed as the end of the fiscal and economic crisis or the end of our response to it. But it may be seen as the end of the beginning."

These are talking points. Nearly every congressman who voted for this used the SAME WORDS. Someone twisted his arm exchange for something, and that's suspicious.

Note the wording - "the end of the beginning". It means this is NOT THE LAST BAILOUT BILL. MORE MONEY IS GOING TO BE REQUESTED SOON.

You have a chance to toss these guys out. It sends a very clear message - DO WHAT YOUR CONSTITUENCY WANTS. That's why you are there.

[the problemwithcaring]

When I called Diane Watsons's office this morning before the vote, I received a frosty reception to say the least. Legislative Aid Tony Bell refused to tell me where Congresswoman Watson now stood on the bailout, and before I could ask him to pass along a message for me, he hung up. I would have wrote it off as hectic day in the office, but when I called back to register my opposition to the bailout, he barked at me and hung up again. "Look,all I can tell you is that negotiations are still underway."

Never was able to tell the Congresswoman what her constituent really thought of her decision. Now its clear - she could care less.

[MyLessThanPrimeBeef]

So, nowadays, wannabee actors and actresses can choose to either go into waitressing or politics.

Hmmm, interesting and yup, very believable excuse..uh, sorry, story.

[and I am NOT voting for Ron Paul]

ok, now that this thing is passed, can this blog please go back to real estate? When a blog's posts and comments are nothing but endless, one-sided rants about the same topic for days on end, it gets stale pretty fast.

[MyLessThanPrimeBeef]

Just saw it on the Bloomberg website. Hoyer thinks a second stimulus package 'is warranted.'

We are not much different from a troop of monkeys: after the alpha guy has his bite, the little guys can stop watching and starting feeding. (In a way, it's comforting to know that evolution doesn't work that fast. We don't have to worry about our kids having two heads or something like that.)

The only difference between us and the monkeys is that we humans are smart - we have wheelbarrows...for hauling the pile of paper money we need to get food, whereas those stupid monkeys have to risk their lives climbing sky-piercing banana trees.

[Former Schiff Voter]

That does it. I have voted for Adam Schiff in every election, but NEVER AGAIN. I'm voting Green Party I guess.

How could such an intelligent and articulate liberal man possibly flip-flop and vote for the Wall Street Bailout after a NY senator sparked a bank run on the largest employer in his district? Why is he putting New York Money ahead of the people who voted for him?

Today, Adam Schiff spit in the face of every voter in his district impacted by the real estate downturn.

Who is this man?

[To: Not voting for Ron Paul]

This bailout has everything to do with real estate. It was over-inflated real estate prices & corrupt lending practices that got us here.

[Marina]

Peter,

Schiff represents 29th district, not 27th.

Former Schiff voter,

There is no Green candidate on the ballot, only a Republican and a Libertarian (in addition to Schiff).
He will probably win.

Marina

[Tex]

I had a feeling Diane Watson would change her vote, so I called and emailed to ask her to vote NO again. However, I was fortunate enough to get a professional person who answered the phone, unlike problemwithcaring. I called the LA office, not the DC office. Problemwithcaring: I'm appalled by the treatment you got from Watson's office! I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt on changing her vote -- many of these politicians, I believe, are conflicted and feel like they have to look like they are doing "something" -- but there is no excuse for rudeness when your constituents call. Outrageous!

[CD]

Real estate is so " last quarter" news, we are in a depression, the state is bankrupt and you want to talk real estate ???? Real estate is over....Who ever got out on time wins. The losers are the one who believed the realtards and waited on the sidelines for the market to come back...AS IF?
Buy a gun, it will become interesting around here...

[Maggie Knowles]

Bernie Sanders wanted to add an amendment that made Wall St. operatives pay the $700B. That needs to happen. This is taxation without representation. Let's find out if this is unconstitutional. We have other options.

[Robert]

Don't believe the lies. He changed his vote because of the pork barrel spending in this bill. The senate added 100 pages of pork barrel spending into this bill to target certain house members to change their vote.

Please read Section 502 giving qualified television and film productions given an extension of favorable expensing rules for $10 million. That is why Schiff changed his vote.

[Jeffreez]

Congressman Schiff fooled me into thinking he was a man of principal with his original no vote.

Turns out he just needed a little more salt on that pig of a bill.

Thanks for showing your true colors congressman.

[iabb]

The actions of our senators and congresspeople in response to this bailout fly in the face of the very structure of our congress as a representative democracy. Simply put, they ignored their constituents and they deserve to be voted out of office when they are next up for re-election. It is time to send a message.

[toni norman]

Any of you who voted no originally and changed to yes. You are disgusting. What did you gain? Wooden arrows? You do not deserve to be re-elected and if iI could, I would vote you all out on your sorry asses. You do not deserve to represent anyone. And I DO understand what is at stake. You only understand You. Pathetic.

[Louis Cabeza]

Ha, Laura RIchardson. Thank goodness we have people who understand fiscal responsibility (sub-prime) mortgaging our future.

[Andy Abraham]

We are having difficulty understanding the true benefits of passing and enacting the bailout. Our group , Investorsgroup.com have been weighing the pros and cons and feel the American people were treated unjustly. Please let us know what we are missing!

[Andrew Abraham]

How will the passing and enacting of this bill truly affect the working and retired population? Myinvestorsplace.com members have been debating this issue and cannot find any help. Please someone.........help

[OverIt]

Like my Representative, I too will be switching my vote in a few weeks.

I'm simply stunned these public servants allowed themselves to make a choice between a horrific piece of poorly conceived legislation or nothing. It' the kind of A or B option one presents to children when their input is not wanted.

[david]

Once again Congress lives up to their 9% approval rating. They basically said up yours to America and said hello wall street! Enough is enough join voteoutforbailout.org and let's get all these jerks out of office and start over. These guys gotta go!

[Phil W]

No congressperson or senator who voted yes on this travesty will ever recieve a vote from me again.

Actually what I would love to see is all these politicians tarred and feathered and run out of town. Too bad Americans are too dumbed down and distracted to ever take the mass action required to save our country.

[pegpond]

Obama worked as a Lawyer for Acorn, Acorn forced banks to give risky loans to uncreditworthy people with no money down, ie no vested interest. People with no real vested interest buy property increasing the price of real estate creating the housing bubble, and while artifially inflating the value of real estate which also increased your property tax. The republicans fought over and over for more regulation and oversight, but Andrew Mozillo, Countrywide/ Raines & Johnson of Fannie Mae along with their Counterparts and reciepients of the largest campaign contributions who are supposed to work for you the people not Fannie Mae, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, in fact all the Democratic Memebers of Congress voted against it. So Fannie sells these worthless mortgages to the Stock market and now we have a Crisis. The bad loans that should not have been made are being forclosed on and those foreclosures have now driven down the value of your property. Who wins Jim Johnson/Franklin Raines who made millions from Fannie Mae & The recipients of campaign contribushions , Dodd , Obama, Frank, Angelo Mozilo owner of Countrywide who did his bailout by selling his stock before things really got bad THEY SHOULD ALL BE IN PRISON. Who are the losers, You the American Taxpayer who has to pay for the Bailout that the Dems not only rushed to push through, (Jeez they wanted to help a Lame Duck Republican President) Quickly .We can blame it on Wall Street Greed like any one who buys an investment they bought it in droves because they were led to believe it was sound. And now your Retirement Fund your 401K is not worth S***, So when you open your earnings report and go to vote in Nov. remember who got you into this mess.