Many will recall this great ad by David Zucker:
One of the first key procedural votes in the Democrat-controlled House last week established legislative rules that Republicans say will make it easier to raise taxes by a simple majority vote.
The straight party-line vote received little attention Thursday as Rep. Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, was elected speaker of the House. But Republican leaders and conservative tax-cut advocates said it opened up a huge loophole in a Republican-imposed rule drawn from the Republicans’ 1994 Contract with America, which requires a supermajority, or three-fifths vote, to raise taxes.
Democrats unanimously voted down a motion offered by Minority Leader John A. Boehner of Ohio that would have prevented them from waiving the rule, a move that tax-cutters said signaled the Democrats’ intention to raise taxes between now and the 2008 elections.
"American taxpayers need to hold on to their wallets because the new House rules concerning taxes are not worth the paper they’re written on," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR).
"After spending an entire year on the campaign trail claiming she will not raise taxes, the first vote Nancy Pelosi brings to the floor for a vote as speaker will open the door to billions and billions of dollars of tax increases over the next two years," Mr. Norquist said.
And to think many in the middle thought Zucker was just joshing.
How did those new members to Congress vote on this measure, even those who ran on a "no new taxes" platform?
Democratic officials saw Mr. Boehner’s motion as a move to tie their hands on future tax policy, and the majority leadership effectively held all of its troops in line to oppose it, even though some of its members ran on pledges not to raise taxes.
And there you have it. The new blood in the Democratic party was unwilling to go against Pelosi and company. So here we are. The Democrats are threatening to pull funding for our troops who are risking everything for this country while at the same time they are planning to dig deep, very deep into your wallets.
But at least the Republicans were taught a lesson huh?
Other’s Blogging:
See author page
I say a pox on all their houses. Bush and the republicans have betrayed fiscal conservatives. Clinton increased discretionary spending by 10 percent. By contrast, Bush has already increased discretionary spending by 25 percent. Despite having total control of government, republicans refused to control spending AND gave tax breaks. Put aside your partisanship and look at reality. Bush and company blew it.
puddintain,
Unfotunately the pox will be on your house, or your rental unit or your card board box under the bridge. Depending on how much they leave you with.