A likely excuse.

“We don’t have the votes to do it on our own,” Pelosi told reporters.

Pelosi said many House Democrats still have strong reservations about the bill, especially if it does not include bankruptcy protections or does not include a way to pay for the massive $700 billion price tag…

Pelosi acknowledged that at first glance, the bill was “very unpopular” among the American people. However, Pelosi highlighted new polling data stating that the majority of Americans favor some form of government intervention to calm jittery financial markets.

Probably just her way of building leverage for some of those left-wing goodies they want in the final package, but I don’t know. There must be a few Blue Dogs looking at the polling on this and getting nervous. How long does the leadership have to pass something before people on their own side start defecting and the whole thing turns into Amnesty Debacle redux? Or am I just being naive, and in fact this is a classic Pelosi gambit a la her original maneuvering on drilling in which she encourages House members whose reelection prospects are dicey to vote however they need to knowing that she’ll get her way anyway? In fact, losing a few Democratic votes arguably makes it easier for her to claim that support for the bill is bipartisan, since it means that the few votes they already have among the House GOP will be decisive, not mere ornamentation.

Update: Debaclemania!