Senate Democrats Foil GOP Plan to "Fool Voters"
Posted by on August 4, 2006 at 01:46 PM
Democrats in the Senate successfully blocked Republican efforts to blackmail them into voting to gut the estate tax by combining the measure with an increase in the minimum wage - an issue Democrats have repeatedly tried to bring up for a vote, but have been stymied by Republican Congressional leaders.
The bill, a "trifecta" of legislation, was clearly seen as a political ploy by the Republicans who are panicking during a midterm election.
From The Washington Post:
Under the bill, "8,100 of the wealthy and well-off hit the jackpot, while millions of working families get $800 billion in [federal] debt," said Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), who led the opposition to the measure.
...
Rejecting the measure will be easy to explain "when you have all of labor saying they don't like it," said Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), who is campaigning to keep his seat in November. "It comes down to taking care of a lot of wealthy people" whose estate tax reductions would have prompted reductions in social spending, he said. By one estimate, the plan would have lowered federal tax revenue by $268 billion over 10 years.
Gerald W. McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), said, "This was a transparent attempt to dangle a minimum-wage increase for families struggling to make ends meet to secure yet another Texas-size tax handout for the wealthiest."
Comments (15) «
Democrats! Wake up! It is the Republicans that once again out maneuvered you and you don't realize it! The Republicans know that an increase in the minimum wage is bad economic policy. They knew the Democrats would never vote for this legislation if it was attached to an elimination of the estate tax. They can live without that! It's a forced hike in the minimun wage that they understand... our economy can not live with! It's bad for small business, bad for inexperienced workers who want to enter the work force, and bad for the economy! This issue is yet another albatrose around the Democrats neck. I know there are a lot of Democrats out there that agree with me. Don't be afraid, have the courage to speak up! And speak loudly to the Democratic leadership. It's this type of issue that will help sink the Democrats again! Our goal MUST BE, personal advancement through the advantages provided by higher education!!
looks like the democrats not only stopped an evil piece of legislation but are also getting out in front of the republican spin machine in explaining why they shot down the trojan horse and getting labor behind their position...bravo!
APPEARS 4 DEMOS ARE REPUBLS. THE OTHER 2 DEMOS WERE ASLEEP?
Party Yes No Not Voting
Democratic 4 38 2
Independent 0 1 0
Republican 52 3 0
Total 56 42 2
are those 4 demos up for re-election in november?
Well, at least when the Congressional Republicans run into Paris Hilton at The Hamptons this month on their five week summer vacation, they can say they tried to help her.
gregg, I'm not sure I understand your comments. If by evil legislation you mean the mandatory hike in the minimum wage... you are absolutely correct! The Democrats did stop it! And it was exactly what the Republicans knew they would do. I'm not sure if this is what you meant however?
Hopefully, the American public is seeing through the cynical trickery of Rove's legions. If that bill had passed, the federal debt would have gone much higher into the stratosphere. Good work on the part of most of the Democrats, but this has to be just the beginning. It's time to stop trying to be everything to everybody. Republican-lite won't do the job.
Sadly, there's no need to 'fool voters'. Voters that are allowed to vote by assholes like Kenmeth Blackwell and Death-of-a-clown-by-seriously-bad-makeup-despite-the-Paula-Jones-makeover Katharine Harriss are obviously Ricky Bobby, and they think the estate tax applies to them. Southren strategy. It's a stupid country.
People being f%%ked over believe they get to buy an extra 12-pack if Paris Hilton gets an additional 1.3 mil back on her taxes. They also believe she might sleep with them and she's not revolting and painfully stupid. This is how people vote. So much for representative democracy, even when it's not stolen outright by the Supreme f@@king Court.
What the neocons and the old cons like Grover have produced? Third world.
Someboby needs to propose a living mimimum wage. Amd force a vote, and make ahole creepublicans eat it raw. More like twelve bucks, and make it not hurt the exceptionally small number of mom & pop businesses (that Republicams frauduently claim are subject to estate taxes). I could figure this out in a minute or two, but isn't that what we elect and pay for Congress to do?
Remts are hitting a grand for sh*tholes and while people are whining about the cost of gasoline, ground pork is $2.99/lb. Groceries. gas? Gas, gtoderies? I realize these things are connected, but how does any ideologue say the economu is kust fine?
And it was exactly what the Republicans knew they would do. I'm not sure if this is what you meant however?
Posted by jonhn on August 4, 2006 at 04:11 PM
this is a crock of crap. The Republicans wanted this both ways. They wanted to give the appearance to the low income workers that they were finally breaking down and giving them the long overdue raise in minimum raise, but thought they could blackmail the Dems by saying"we're gonna get a little something out of this, too, for OUR base".
They now will try and use the fact that the Dems voted AGAINST minimum wage, watch them!
It is your job to see that the truth gets out there.
and as for your comment on 'personal advancement', how very Rovian of you! You just don't get the fact some people are not scholars. They barely make it thru the education system, if at all. Not everyone has the ability , mentally nor emotionally, to pursue higher education.
This is a Republican way of looking at the poor and saying they should sink or swim ! It is not how Democrats view them. These people are Working, for Gawd's sake. They go out everyday and do pissy work for the lowest their bosses can get away with paying them. Give them a living wage, so maybe their next generation can climb up the ladder a step or two!
I took my wife out to eat lunch at a decent restaurant today, and, as we added up the tip, I had an epiphany. For every waitstaffer that served my meals up to this very day, I thought my tip was a personal expression to the server.
Boy, was I wrong.
It take a Republican to PERVERT the idea of a minimum wage to such a degree, that I AM TIPPING THE RESTAURANT'S OWNER, not the waitstaffer.
That, to put it mildly, made me angry. I am paying all my tips in dollar bills for now on UNTIL MEANINGFUL MINIMUM WAGE LAW IS PASSED, and I encourage everyone to do the same.
Baucus (D-MT), Not Voting
Lieberman (D-CT), Not Voting
Byrd (D-WV), Yea
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
It amazes me Senator Byrd VOTED for this bill. It is even more amazing that Senator Lieberman abstained, considering how he has been running his reelection lately.
Posted by jonhn on August 4, 2006 at 04:11 PM
This boy works for the minimum wage. He also believes illegal immigrants are after his job.
Wait. Can I take back what I just said? Well, it was true, but I micharacterized that guy. he's the idiot Repiblicans are counting on to think he's in line for a windfall when Daddy kicks it. Outside of Will Farrell, where do they find these cretins, and can they all play the banjo genetically?
Good Job,Democrats.Finally,they are not allowing the Republicans to intimidate them into playing their little games.We know Democrats are for increasing the Minimum Wage, we also know that this was not they way to do that.
Go Dems, Go!
Yesssssssss the Senate finally grew a set, unlike the House. This bill was such a turkey. Not only was the Estate tax repealed, the really despicable part of the bill was that “TIP EARNERS” would loose their minimum wage protection, and might even earn less of a paycheck!!! The tips would compensate, the customer would then be in place to subsidize the establishment’s plans for slave wages. This is the topic of my cartoon that's probably not in a weekly paper near you, I’m trying. see it at my website;
www.whatnowtoons.com
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