Did the Dems Punk Bush and the Republicans?

Because, after the failure of the filibuster fight over the bridge loans to the auto makers, Bush and His Evil Minions^™ are saying that they will take steps to ensure that the Big 3 (Big 2½) continue to function until the next Congress.

In fact, they are pretty much flat out saying that they will use TARP money for the loans.

When you look at the sequence of events:

• Dems suggest that the TARP be used, and Bush says no, so they fold like overcooked broccoli.
• They want Senate approval for the "Car Czar", and Bush says no, so they fold like overcooked broccoli.
• They want improved fuel economy standards, and Bush says no, so they fold like overcooked broccoli.
• They want automakers to drop lawsuits against California-Type emission standards, and Bush says no, so they fold like overcooked broccoli.
• The Republicans kill the bill that gave Bush everything that he asked for.
• Bush is forced to use the TARP money to keep the automakers going.

It could be that the Dems screwed up in reverse, and that this is all an accident, but it looks to me like that Bush and Paulson (and for that matter, Bernanke) were punk'd.

Additionally, now that this has gone down in defeat, it appears that constituencies for the Big 3 (Big 2½) are coming out of the woodwork.

It turns out that auto dealers, for example, are absolutely incensed at this, and these folks give lots of political money:

"I have never been as disappointed as I am today," said Versailles [Kentucky] Ford dealer Jack Kain, who was chairman of the National Association of Automobile Dealers Association in 2005.