NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- One day after President Bush said the nation's economy is at grave risk, the high-stakes negotiations over the proposed $700 billion bailout of the financial system ended in chaos on Thursday.
Lawmakers bickered over competing counterproposals and hours of meetings between key lawmakers broke down without any progress late into the evening.
A meeting at the White House between President Bush, congressional leaders and the presidential candidates was meant to speed approval of an agreement. Instead, the session revealed deep divisions between Democrats and House Republicans.
As a result, House and Senate leaders and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson rushed to Capitol Hill at 8 p.m. to try to hash out a deal.
But shortly after 10 p.m., Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., the lead House Democrat on the issue who had been in close talks with Paulson for days, accused Republicans of refusing to negotiate.
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http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/25/news...ion=2008092513







