Wall Street bailout trips over grassroots

Report on Business ^ | 093008 | PAUL WALDIE

[Fred]

Josh Ashley has never been involved in politics but last week he became so enraged at the prospect of the government spending that much money on a rescue package for Wall Street, he put together a local protest movement. His small group began sending e-mails to their Congressman, Jeff Miller, and organized a rally in front of his office last Friday.

Three days later, Mr. Ashley could barely contain his joy when he heard that the U.S. Congress had voted against a $700-billion (U.S.) bailout of Wall Street.

"I'm incredibly happy," Mr. Ashley, 23, said from his office in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., where he works as an electrical engineer.

"We did everything we could to let our representative know that if he voted for it he would basically be fired." Mr. Ashley's almost accidental transformation into political activist made him an unlikely ally is a mixed bag of protesters that ranged from conservative groups against big government to low-income families who want mortgage relief. Combined, they became powerful enough to turn the tide against the high-pressure vote.

Even some long-time lobbyists were stunned by the effectiveness of the grass-roots opposition to the bailout. "It was just incredibly heavy," said Pete Sepp, of the National Taxpayers Union, or NTU, referring to the phone calls and e-mails that poured into congressional offices in recent days.

Mr. Sepp said he has never seen such a fast and furious public reaction to a piece of legislation in his 20 years on Capitol Hill. "This opposition effort built upon itself in the space of a few days, which is pretty incredible."

[Fred]

Ahh, real grassroots, unlike the jokers who run their astroturf gigs, the likes of moveon....etc

[Notwithstanding]

Totally serious investigation with hilarious headline:

Is this the Herbert M. Moses behind Barney Frank's mounting Fannie scandal that is about to erupt?

Herbert M. Moses

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

I want to see some of these crooks in jail
before talking about bailing them out.