Posted on 12/17/2010 5:48:37 AM PST by Kaslin
On Thursday's program I interviewed a man I greatly admire but with whom I have a significant disagreement about the tax deal making its way through the Congress: Senator Orrin Hatch.
The transcript of our conversation is here, as are interview transcripts with numerous other members of the Congress conducted over the past two weeks.
The divide in the GOP is deep and, while largely unreported, it will have consequences far more profound for the party than the divide among Democrats that has gotten most of the attention since President Obama announced the "compromise" on Monday, December 6.
The divide among conservatives is mirrored in the split among likely GOP presidential candidates.
Newt Gingrich and Senator John Thune have defended the deal. Mitt Romney and Congressman Mike Pence have urged its defeat. Other Republican candidates will weigh in in the weeks and months ahead and their disagreements will be about tactics, not substance.
Every GOP leader will say that they favor permanent extension of the Bush tax rates. Every GOP leader will announce the ethanol subsidies and most of the other spending in "the deal."
All of the conservatives will deplore the return of the death tax.
Since there is unity on policy, why so much division among the ranks?
Simply put, the base wants to fight it out now, and the D.C. GOP does not want a battle they don't think they can win against the combined forces of the president, Harry Reid backed by the rules of the Senate and the MSM.,
The base has a lot more faith in the Republican senators than the Republican senators do.
The weary realists among the GOP have seen decades of initiatives by fiscal conservatives fail to carry the day in the Congress. They know the new House can send over a thousand bills but that the Democratic majority can turn them all aside. Thus they saw a chance for two more years of the Bush tax rates and took it, even at the cost of additional deficit spending. They want more time to set up the confrontation and they wanted to avoid any chance of a tax hike that might not be able to be repealed retroactively in 2011.
By contrast, the "this is a new day" side of the party want a showdown with the left and they want it sooner rather than later. This part of the conservative movement believes that that confrontation cannot be avoided given the size of the deficit, and the board was set up as well as it ever could be.
For the moment caution largely rules among republicans inside the Beltway and boldness the GOP land beyond D.C. The Congressional primary season of 2012 is more than a year away, but the lines have already been drawn, and the Lame Duck Congress put the markers down, largely without even knowing they were doing so.
Split the bill into two separate ones - one for taxes, one for the spending, and you’d likely see a united front on both counts. It’s the Dem packaging. Michelle B is trying to change that and will next year.
This is silly. So ALL republicans are supposed to agree on everything? I prefer debate and difference of opinion, it’s the American people who win in that scenario.
Ummm, the first one out against the bailout budget was Palin.Hugh has to work at it to ignore her.
But this will be a good strategy going forward. Then when the economy is still in the dumps and unemployment is still double digits come 2012, the Repubs can run against the "do-nothing" dems and president who rejected all the legislation which would have improved everything. It's a no lose strategy.
You must be a squishy moderate.
Satan loves debate and difference of opinion, also. It's where he his at his best. Jesus loves truth. Either accept it or reject it. He's good with either one. But those who want to mix the two into some nauseatingly lukewarm third option produced by "debate" is what gave us Zero and has this country circling the drain as we speak.
When I see those lined up in favor of it, I count them all as traiters, the go along to get along crowd or more simply RINOs. You either have some firm positions or you do not. These clowns do not.
Notice that no matter whether they win or lose, the far left wackos never give up, they keep pushing their agenda. In fact, this Congress they pushed it KNOWING they would lose the house. The middle ground to these zealots is simply something to be used to push their causes. Meanwhile, the right continues to wallow along waiting for that perfect opportunity when they sun shines on them. It did for almost ten years and what did they do? They continued to act like democrates. IMO we must continue to purge these people from the ranks...some we will get out, some we will not but I’d rather know the face of the enemy, any democrate, then have to guess whether the one with the R label is truly conservative or just one of the click.
Satan loves debate and difference of opinion, also. It’s where he his at his best. Jesus loves truth. Either accept it or reject it. He’s good with either one. But those who want to mix the two into some nauseatingly lukewarm third option produced by “debate” is what gave us Zero and has this country circling the drain as we speak.
There was no debate on healthcare and all the dems voted in lockstep. I dont’ want that, do you. Jefferson said “question with boldness”, was he a Satanist. When there is no debate , there is dictatorship. By the way, Jesus did not agree with his government either.
The weary realists among the GOP have seen decades of initiatives by fiscal conservatives fail to carry the day in the Congress.
We're past the time where "initiatives" might help. We need a revolution.
The new House should send over 1000 bills and let the Dems vote them down. Now the Dems will be the party of no. We could beat them with it like a drum. The main problem with the GOP is that they do not have the killer instinct like the Dems do. Its an ongoing problem.
Split the bill into two separate ones - one for taxes, one for the spending, and you’d likely see a united front on both counts. It’s the Dem packaging. Michelle B is trying to change that and will next year.”
Absolutely......there is too much ‘bundling’ of bills in Congress on every topic.
The DEATH TAX:
1. This is double taxation on the same money. Estates are the result of a lifetime of purchasing items AFTER you have paid your Federal & State taxes.
You cannot be tried twice for the same crime-—why should you pay twice on the same money?
A person who never works—or who spends every penny as fast as it comes in & rents for an entire lifetime literally has no estate. Those who live a far more thrifty life are punished for doing so.
2. The DEATH TAX is actually “taxation without representation”, which has been struck down in many courts.
Since the person has DIED-they can no longer vote-have any input to their representatives at any level, or fight anything that impacts them in a court to get a redress of the situation.
IMO, both of these are valid reasons why the GOP should put up a new bill in January-— a STAND ALONE bill-—that abolishes estate taxes once and for all forever.
The wealthiest of every nation can hire lawyers & accountants to draw up trusts & avoid a myriad of the taxes. Sooner or later, that will come tumbling down. They should not be able to avoid that which they put upon others. Drop the estate taxes & end the complicated trusts.
When I see those lined up in favor of it, I count them all as traiters, the go along to get along crowd or more simply RINOs. You either have some firm positions or you do not. These clowns do not.””
Each & every GOP member of both houses up for re-election in 2012 has alot of scrutiny on them now. They must stand up for what the Republican conservatives are asking for, or there will be a third party & they will be in the dust bin of history.
Orrin Hatch better be selling his Washington home. He is going to be heavily targetd in 2012.
> Absolutely......there is too much ‘bundling’ of bills in Congress on every topic.
Yep. It makes the Congress do what voters have to do with voting - hold their noses. The new House should make rules so that bundling doesn’t happen. Make the House whips do their jobs instead of bundling and earmarks. And if you can’t get enough votes to pass something - less legislation!!
They must stand up for what the Republican conservatives are asking for
... well don’t expect that to happen with Ted Kennedy’s favorite lapdog ol’ Orin “ I write songs and jus want to get along” Hatch. He needs to be retired faster than Bennett!
Come on Utah Repubs, line someone up and put that gay Utah wimp out to pasture!!
ymmv
The two of you seem to have a difference of opinion.
Just a couple of Satam worshippers, I guess.
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