Amazing

[kenny61]

Even for something as important as the bailout bill some moron has to add something onto it

Obama, McCain, Biden all to vote on bailout bill - CNN.com

The legislation also includes a "Mental Health Parity" provision, which would require health insurance companies to cover mental illness at parity with physical illness.

I have nothing against mental health issues but you know at some point it will be turned around that some voted no for mental health. Thus pressuring the senate to vote yes for the bailout

OpenCongress - Congress Gossip Blog

The bailout is going to be considered as a substitute amendment to a mental health parity bill that Democrats in Congress havr\e been working to pass for the past few years. But the bailout amendment will include the mental health parity bill within it, so if the amendment passes, the mental health bill will tag along on the legislative ride and, pending approval by the House and President, eventually be signed into law. The bill would mandate that any mental health coverage provided by an insurer cannot be more restrictive, in any way, than the treatment they provides for medical and surgical benefits.

Also included in the bailout amendment will be a package of tax extenders that Congress has been working to pass. The tax extensions include a renewable energy and conservation tax credit bill, tax relief for disaster victims, a one-year patch of the alternative minimum tax, and more. Again, if the bailout passes, the tax extenders pass as well.

Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) likes the addition of the tax extenders bill as well. “This is a brilliant move by Harry, and I believe it will help pick up votes on both sides of the aisle,” he said

But has the public changed their minds about this? The underlying financial systems bailout is essentially the same as the one that was killed by the House. It would still put massive amounts of taxpayer money at risk, and it still does nothing to help those struggling with foreclosures and unemployment. The public outcry against bailing out Wall Street without doing anything to help Main St. has been unprecedentedly huge, and I’m guessing it will continue that way throughout the day Wednesday.

Still, only a third of the Senate is up for re-election in November, so senators may be more willing to vote for an unpopular bill like this if it improves their standing in the eyes of the leadership that supports it. Plus, the unpopular bailout bill is being combined with two bills that have huge targeted appeal to senators on both sides of the aisle.