By: Patrick o'Connor

Democratic leaders were bracing for defections on the vote allowing for debate on the financial-markets rescue plan because budget hawks in the Blue Dog Caucus were expected to vote against that procedural measure to protest the Senate’s inclusion of more than $100 billion in tax extensions and other legislative priorities. But Republicans were confident they could find the votes on their side of the aisle to offset those defections.

During early debate on the bill Friday morning, reluctant supporters of the massive economic intervention cited the rocky markets in urging their colleagues on the fence to reconsider votes against the package earlier in the week.

“We saw on Monday the consequences of doing nothing,” said California Rep. David Dreier, the ranking Republican on the Rules Committee. “Today we have a second chance.”

But opponents remained defiant.

“The fact is, we have taken two weeks, and we can take another week,” said Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), a leading critic of the bailout plan. “Defeating this bill today is not the last step. It is the first step to passing a good bill.”

Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-Ohio) was more direct, saying, “The market may go up for the few days, but Democracy is going down here.”

Ohio Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, who was thought to be reconsidering his vote against the bailout package on Monday, tore into the revised package Friday morning because of a series of tax extensions added by the Senate.

The Ohio Republican offered an amendment Thursday night that would have reduced the cost of the rescue package to $250 billion, but members of the Rules Committee blocked it to ease passage.

“This was a bad bill we voted on Monday,” LaTourette said on the House floor. “It got a lot worse.”

Another opponent, Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.), acknowledged Friday in the chamber that she was reconsidering her “no” vote.

The final vote is expected around noon.

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