Heavy horse-trading as House nears bailout vote

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By David R. Sands

UPDATED, 5:53 p.m.:

The fate of the $700 billion Wall Street rescue bill hung in the balance Thursday, as President Bush and congressional leaders tried to cobble together a majority in favor of the package ahead of a showdown vote in the House of Representatives Friday.

But with even top House leaders saying they could not predict how the vote will go, a critical bloc of more than a dozen lawmakers who voted against the bailout measure Monday said they were prepared to switch if the initial pay-out under the plan was sharply limited and last-minute pork projects added by the Senate Wednesday night were stripped from the bill.

"We have a critical mass," said Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, a moderate Ohio Republican who voted against the bill Monday, saying he had talked to 14 other members willing to switch if the amendment he authored was accepted.

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"Our core group is sufficient to take care of the margin to pass this bill, if our amendment is ruled in order and passed," he said. He declined to identify the other lawmakers he said were prepared to switch.