Congress: Here comes the tough part

NBC’s Mike Viqueira reported that the auto bailout passed the House last night. The Washington Post adds, “After mostly partisan debate, the House voted 237 to 170 to approve the measure. But with Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.) and other conservatives threatening to block consideration of the measure, even some Republican advocates of the bailout said it is unlikely to attract sufficient GOP support to win approval in the closely divided Senate.” Per NBC’s Ken Strickland, the Senate is scheduled to have its first vote on the auto bailout on Friday morning, although it’s a procedural one. Yet Senate leaders are working on an agreement that would allow for votes sooner, including possible votes on alternative Republican proposals.  Republicans are in the drivers' seat here, Strick adds. Without their support, no bailout package passes. Without their cooperation and compromise, the voting process gets dragged into the weekend. It's unclear what, if anything, passes or when. The New ... (link)