Blog Buzz: Post-Bailout Options, House Republicans Back Off on Nancy Pelosi, Sarah Palin Defends Pakistan Comment

Our daily look at stories and topics that are lighting up the Internets:

Bailout Fails, What Comes Next?

Now that the bailout bill has failed, bloggers are wondering what comes next, and some are outlining the possible options—a modified plan, a "new damn plan," or doing nothing. The blame game continues today as well. Some blame the House Republicans (and some thank them), while others say Nancy Pelosi's closing speech and the House Democrats did the bill in. Bloggers also criticize Barack Obama's failure to sway House Democrats. "Lame duck"/"beaten dog" George Bush also is under scrutiny for being "the picture of presidential impotence." Obama and John McCain have issued statements and spoken about their proposals, which both include an increase in the FDIC insurance cap. A National Review Online blogger thinks McCain needs to emerge from the crisis as a "steady voice of experience." Chris Cillizza of washingtonpost.com discusses what the candidates should do next.

Some Republicans to Pelosi: It's Not Your Fault After All

Some Republicans are undercutting the claim that Nancy Pelosi's "partisan" speech was the reason the House Republicans opposed the bailout bill. ThinkProgress has a compilation of statements from Republicans, and TPM has a clip of Rep. John Shadegg on MSNBC, in which he asserts that Pelosi's speech had nothing to do with the bill's failure. Michelle Cottle at the New Republic says the Republicans are doing the right thing. At National Review Online, Peter Wehner is embarrassed that the GOP used the speech as an excuse, but Jack Fowler says that it might be a "very legitimate" one and that it's Pelosi who should be embarrassed. Megan McArdle at the Atlantic says Pelosi "screwed up royally," but not just because of the speech. A Weekly Standard blogger agrees and thinks her failure of leadership, not her speech, should have been the center of attention.

Palin Plays Victim...Again

In an interview with Katie Couric last night, John McCain and Sarah Palin defended an off-the-cuff remark Palin made to a voter about Pakistan; they say the reaction is an example of "gotcha journalism." When asked whether U.S. forces should be prepared to cross the Afghan border into Pakistan, Palin told the voter, "If that's what we have to do to stop the terrorists from coming any further in, absolutely, we should." Liberal bloggers call the McCain-Palin reasoning "completely absurd" and wonder when the campaign is going to run out of bizarre excuses. Bloggers also point out the irony that McCain-Palin recently jumped on a similar unscripted comment made by Joe Biden.

—Gretchen Hannes