Ok, it is now time to PANIC!!!!!!!

The sky is falling!!!

Depression is coming!!!!

Your retirement will disappear!!!

Dogs and cats, living together, MASS HYSTERIA!!!

House republicans (who voted 67% against the package) blame house Democrats (who voted 60% for the package) for scuttling it. Apparently it was Nancy Pelosi (and I do wish I still lived in her district) injecting a "partisan tone" into her speech from the floor, noting (completely accurately) that it was de-regulation that led to this mess.

John McCain blames Barack Obama, who wasn't in DC, was being totally bi-partisan, and urged passage of the bill, for scuttling the bill. This after he and his surrogates took credit for passing it before it actually passed.

So it was the mean speaker and the way she talked about the Republicans who drove the Republicans away. Or it was partisan Barack Obama. Anything but what it was: 67% of Republicans knowing that there constituents were pissed off and voting the way their constituents wanted them to. Chuck Todd had a great analysis of the whole thing: those congressmen of both parties who either had been in a tough reelection fight recently, or are in one now, voted against the bill, and those who are in safe seats voted for it. They are worried about their jobs and so they voted the way their constituents overwhelmingly wanted them to vote. We have a word for that, and it's not cowardice.

It's called democracy.