The Daily Background

The New York Times today reports on the latest Repulican blunder, led by Senate Majority Leader, blunderer-in-chief Bill Frist– the man who wants to run for President in 2008:

Senate Republicans on Monday hurriedly abandoned a broad tax proposal opposed by the oil industry and business leaders, another sign of their struggle to come up with an acceptable political and legislative answer to high gasoline prices.

Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee, the majority leader, said he had decided to jettison the provision, which would have generated billions of dollars by changing the way businesses treat inventories for tax purposes. Instead, he said the Senate Finance Committee would hold hearings on the plan “later this year, so the pluses and minuses of the provision can become well known.”

The retreat came after a torrent of objections from business leaders and their advocates, who typically view Republicans in Congress as allies. They said they had been blindsided by the inclusion of the proposal as a central element of the Republican leadership’s energy package late last week.

The centerpiece of the leadership proposal, a $100 rebate check to compensate taxpayers for higher gasoline prices, continued to receive a rough reception. Members of the public have telephoned and written to ridicule the idea, and even Republican lawmakers are finding fault.

Caving into big business. And as for the rebate check bullshit, that was already attracting quite a bit of negative attention. Chalk another Republican attempt up as a failure. Do nothing Republican-controlled-Congress. Have they actually gotten anything real done so far this (election) year?

Oh, and speaking of Bill Frist? What an idiot. He’s trying to blame high gas prices on former President Clinton. Idiot.

Filed under: oil related, Z-TDB Blog