"The Bailout" flops - who's to blame?

This morning - the day after The Big Drop - accusations are flying between my colleagues about who is to blame over the failure of President Bush's (or was it Pelosi's?) bailout plan to pass Congress.

Some - staunch Republicans - blame Pelosi, for angering 12 Republicans (if not more) with her comments railing on the Bush Administration, and its failed policies, as the cause of this mess. As a result of those comments, the logic goes, the measure failed.

Others blame Pelosi, but not for those comments. They blame her for promising to deliver the votes to pass, but failing miserably, even though she (as Speaker and de facto leader of the Democrats) had the power to do so.

Still others wonder why the Republicans - 2/3 of whom voted against the bill - couldn't rally enough support amongst themselves to get the last 25 votes to pass the bill. It should be telling that a Republican minority walked away from a bill sponsored by a Republican Administration, and supported by a lame-duck, unpopular President.

The downside is that the pundits are calling this bad for McCain. But that would imply it's good for Obama, and that's doubtful. It's just bad. Period.