by Evie Stone

The House has passed the $700 billion financial rescue package that the Senate approved Wednesday. A similar bill failed in the House Monday 205-228, but a few sweeteners added before the Senate vote made the new version more palatable to some lawmakers. The House approved the measure 263 to 171.

The breakdown:

Democrats 172-63
Republicans 91-108

Monday's numbers:

Democrats 141-94
Republicans 65-133

NPR Senior Washington Editor Ron Elving points out that the Republicans' inability to convince a majority of their caucus to support the bill — even after Monday's precipitous market drop in the wake of the House rejection — signifies a serious power vacuum in the Republican leadership.

Not one of House Minority Leader John Boehner, House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, President George W. Bush, and nominee John McCain — all of whom vocally supported this bill — were able to get the GOP House members to fall in line. When it comes to drumming up votes, Tom DeLay these guys ain't. (GOP senators, on the other hand, dutifully voted for the bill at about the same rate as Senate Democrats, which is a credit to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Whip John Kyl.)

UPDATE: Politico lists the vote-switchers