bailout

LOUISVILLE -- Democratic Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford, of Louisville, objected to several aspects of the recently-passed bailout package today, suggesting the bill was rushed through without provisions that would have benefitted taxpayers.

"What I am mainly concerned about is everybody rushed to the plate to get a bill passed so they could get home and run for office," Lunsford told reporters after holding a roundtable discussion with AFL-CIO members this morning.

The legislation in question passed the Senate last Wednesday, with a supporting vote cast by Lunsford's opponent in Kentucky's U.S. Senate contest, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville). Revised from the edition that failed there on Monday, the bill then passed the U.S. House on Friday with some so-called "sweeteners" included in the package that were said to have some swung some votes to the "aye" side.

While he did not specifically say he would have voted against the bill, Lunsford suggested it was incomplete and seemingly referenced some of the so-called "sweeteners."

"When I see a bill that they can't pass on their own - that they've got to add all the things in to get votes - that immediately raises questions in my mind," said Lunsford.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) confirmed reports that he was prepared to vote in favor of the financial rescue package coming before the House today, and he tried to swing some of the credit to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, whom he said had been instrumental in helping to sway his vote and others for the bailout.

“[Obama has] been very, very active in talking to the people who voted no and explained why he’s taken the position that he has,” Yarmuth said in an interview outside the Capitol.

Yarmuth, a freshman congressman who supported Obama in the primaries, said the Illinois lawmaker had been engaging in private conversations with Democratic members, reassuring them that his White House would work closely with Congress on the future steps needed to address the financial crisis.