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GOP Agenda in Congress May Be at Risk
Washington Post ^ | 8/4/05 | Jonathan Weisman

Posted on 09/04/2005 12:03:30 AM PDT by Crackingham

Republican leaders intended to return to work with a dream agenda for small-government conservatives: permanent repeal of the estate tax, an extension of deep cuts to capital gains and dividend taxes, the first entitlement spending cuts in nearly a decade, and the advent of private investment accounts for Social Security. But Congress and the White House are on the spot to respond to Hurricane Katrina's historic Gulf Coast destruction and skyrocketing gasoline prices, and the leadership is feeling pressure to set aside or jettison parts of that well-laid agenda.

The federal budget already is stretched by spending on the war in Iraq and a nearly $11 billion emergency hurricane relief package that was rushed through Congress late this week. GOP leaders will have to justify additional tax relief for upper-income people at a time of civil and economic crisis.

"How do you do tax cuts when your budget is straining to save lives?" asked Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla). The Ways and Means Committee on which Foley serves had been set to pass a package of tax cuts and spending cuts by the end of September, followed by broad, controversial Social Security legislation. Katrina "is going to have a tremendous impact," he added.

House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) said he has every intention of pushing forward with the tax and spending cuts and Social Security legislation. Hurricane-related legislation will not be controversial and "may mean we work on a Friday or two," he said.

SNIP

Marshall Wittmann, a former Republican political strategist now with the centrist Democratic Leadership Council, said the GOP agenda looks like "political suicide."

"The entire fiscal landscape has been transformed in the last week," Wittmann said. "The entire Republican agenda of tax cuts, Social Security reform and big spending on pet Republican projects is over."

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 109th; gop
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To: Crackingham

Strip out all earmarks from the budget. That alone will free up several billions.


21 posted on 09/04/2005 4:12:10 AM PDT by Prince Charles
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To: roses of sharon
No way am I going to be a part of rebuilding a city-in-a-bowl, run by Socialists.

You just watch.

22 posted on 09/04/2005 4:15:49 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: Crackingham

Sure, as if the GOP agenda was going smoothly before. Please. Disaster or no disaster they were whining the same line before and would still.

The agenda will move forward so far as the President wants it to move forward. He has a lot on his plate, but seemingly is one of the only people in WA capable of doing more than one thing at once and doing it well. The gutless cowards in the Congress will always be gutless cowards looking for reason not to act, that hasn't changed.


23 posted on 09/04/2005 4:34:15 AM PDT by Soul Seeker
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To: roses of sharon
No way am I going to be a part of rebuilding a city-in-a-bowl, run by Socialists.

I think there will be some lives changed for the better on both sides from this tragedy. There of course, will be some people who will be the same no matter what too.

24 posted on 09/04/2005 4:54:07 AM PDT by moog
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To: Crackingham
"How do you do tax cuts when your budget is straining to save lives?"

Oh, I don't know, dumbass, maybe STOP SPENDING LIKE DRUNKEN SAILORS ON PORK? Was that answer clear enough?

25 posted on 09/04/2005 5:14:25 AM PDT by Hardastarboard
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To: Crackingham

""How do you do tax cuts when your budget is straining to save lives?""

He already did the tax cuts. Now he just needs to make it permenant.


26 posted on 09/04/2005 5:26:15 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (Liberal Talking Point - Bush = Hitler ... Republican Talking Point - Let the Liberals Talk)
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To: roses of sharon
No way am I going to be a part of rebuilding a city-in-a-bowl, run by Socialists.

Such partisan bitterness is shamefully myopic.
Even with all its warts and blemishes, New Orleans is a magnificent city whose historic character is woven deeply into the fabric of our American heritage. Rebuilding the city will be a monumental task, but it is one that ALL Americans should be prepare to roll up their sleeves and undertake. IMHO, your attitude merely illustrates that you don't have the "right stuff" to be an American. Shame on you.

27 posted on 09/04/2005 6:02:43 AM PDT by Willie Green (Go Pat Go!!!)
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To: GeronL
link

"If we let Ray Nagin, Jesse Jackson, RFK Jr and the rest of the leftist mob define Katrina and tell us what went wrong, the coming big bang will be dangerous. These are dangerous people. They taste the air and sense blood. They feed on misery. They must be answered, they must be pushed back, or they will win.

And we will all, every one of us, suffer."

28 posted on 09/04/2005 6:15:11 AM PDT by 91B (God made man, Sam Colt made men equal.)
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To: Crackingham

Media is *always* attempting to derail Bush and GOP agenda over one thing or another .... if not this, then they'd say it was Iraq, if not that, something else.

they never let up.


29 posted on 09/04/2005 6:33:36 AM PDT by WOSG (http://freedomstruth.blogspot.com/)
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To: Willie Green

LOL, cut the drama, it does not work with me.


30 posted on 09/04/2005 6:40:34 AM PDT by roses of sharon
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To: roses of sharon
LOL, cut the drama, it does not work with me.

Then get out of the way and migrate to France.
You'd fit in quite well with the arrogantly lethargic surrender-monkeys.
We need people with a brash "can do" American-spirit to face this adversity.

31 posted on 09/04/2005 7:06:27 AM PDT by Willie Green (Go Pat Go!!!)
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To: Willie Green
Relax Willie, if you want live under the corrupt socialist so-called government of N.O. LA, then you are free to do so.
32 posted on 09/04/2005 7:38:06 AM PDT by roses of sharon
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To: roses of sharon
Relax Willie, if you want live under the corrupt socialist so-called government of N.O. LA, then you are free to do so.

As far as I'm concerned, YOU'RE the spineless wimp who has abandoned New Orleans to the corrupt socialists. A true conservative would recognize that this disaster highlights their incompetence and presents an opportunity to reconquer NO and snatch Louisiana back into the Red Zone.

33 posted on 09/04/2005 7:53:11 AM PDT by Willie Green (Go Pat Go!!!)
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To: Crackingham
...dream agenda for small-government conservatives...

They've had 5 years to do this; they have waddled as fast as possible to create an ever larger government. There haven't been any small government Republicans since before Goldwater.

34 posted on 09/04/2005 7:57:03 AM PDT by Doctor Stochastic (Vegetabilisch = chaotisch is der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
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To: Willie Green
Dream on, the majority of the American public are not conservative, they are weak, emotional, sophomoric, politically immature, ignorant, and gullible to anything they see on the TV's they worship.

Which is why our so-called conservative/Republican reps in DC are populists who make every decision according to the NYT editorial page, and prostrate themselves to the NY/DC elites.

The Red Zone is an illusion, the Blue Zone runs this country, our culture, our education, our judiciary, our moods, our information, and communication, they write the script, and we read along.

And have been for 40 years.
35 posted on 09/04/2005 8:07:56 AM PDT by roses of sharon
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To: Crackingham

Yes we can forget about tax cuts, and thanks GOP for all the big spending yall did these last few years and all the new government programs yall brought us these last few years, etc, etc, etc. Now that we need some money the only way to get it is tax, tax, tax. And, comming soon, if you are against higher taxes you are a racist.


36 posted on 09/04/2005 8:13:22 AM PDT by jpsb
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To: roses of sharon
Then I was right.
You've given up the fight and should migrate to France.
We don't need you.
37 posted on 09/04/2005 8:17:18 AM PDT by Willie Green (Go Pat Go!!!)
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To: Willie Green
LOL, no you don't need me to fight to rebuild a socialist corrupt state.

I am fighting against it.
38 posted on 09/04/2005 8:30:01 AM PDT by roses of sharon
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To: roses of sharon
I am fighting against it.

BS.
You've accepted the status-quo.
Just another floating turd, going along with the flow.

39 posted on 09/04/2005 8:54:27 AM PDT by Willie Green (Go Pat Go!!!)
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