GEORGIA LAWMAKERS: Constituents’ bailout anger seems to ease

Washington —- A day after the $700 billion plan to steady the financial markets went down in defeat, Georgia’s congressional offices saw a shift in what had been an angry torrent of calls and e-mails against the proposal.

A small but growing number of Georgians watched stocks tumbling after the House vote and began asking their lawmakers to try again to protect what they saw as a threat to their retirement plans, community banks and small businesses.

In the office of Rep. Nathan Deal, a Gainesville Republican who voted against the proposal, aides said comments had been running 9-to-1 against the bailout for the past 10 days. By Tuesday, the opposition was down to just 3-to-1.

Business groups, uncharacteristically quiet during the buildup to the vote, began to stir. The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Tuesday sent an “urgent” e-mail asking members to call all the state’s lawmakers to “quickly pass a stabilization package, because Main Street Georgia and Wall Street rely on each other to survive.”

The uptick in support for congressional action is still measured against strong public opposition to a Wall Street bailout. But among the 11 Georgia lawmakers who voted against the rescue bill, two were leaving the door open to voting “yes” when the House takes up a new version. Republican Jack Kingston and Democrat David Scott appeared to be the most persuadable.

Visiting his hometown of Savannah on Tuesday, Kingston found worried insurance company executives, stockbrokers and others pressing for a rescue package.

“The average guy on the street is saying, ‘I’m glad you voted no,’ ” he said, but added, “They do want us to do something to get this worked out.”

Kingston said adding fellow Georgia Republican Rep. John Linder of Duluth to the Republican team drawing up the new version of the bill might help win over Georgia Republicans. Kingston said he had not shared his desire for “some conservative market-oriented solutions” with Linder, who has issued a statement saying the defeat of the House measure Monday “provides an opportunity to explore alternatives.” Linder is sponsoring a proposal that would rely heavily on private capital and solutions, many of which have been rejected by Democratic lawmakers.

Democrat Scott of Atlanta was spending his day “reaching out to local people he’s known for a while to get a pulse,” said his chief of staff, Michael Andel.

“The congressman is very optimistic that we can make some changes,” Andel said.

However, the changes Scott seeks are generally in the opposite direction of conservatives. For example, he has insisted on including a purchase plan for failing mortgages to help some owners come back from the brink of foreclosure.

For one of the two Georgia Democrats who voted for the $700 billion proposal Monday, there were some “thank yous” among the deluge of negative calls and messages. Rep. Jim Marshall of Macon said he was “swamped” with e-mails but had “absolutely no” regrets about his vote.

The other “yes” vote, Rep. Sanford Bishop of Albany, was standing by his decision even as his inbox continued to fill up with comments, most of them against the plan, his office reported.