WP: More Aggressive Congress Could Hinder Bush's Plans

[kskiska]

Monday, December 20, 2004; Page A01

President Bush's second-term plans to reshape Social Security, immigration laws and other domestic programs are facing a stiff challenge from a group that was reliably accommodating in the president's first four years: congressional Republicans.

After essentially rubber-stamping much of Bush's first-term agenda, many House and Senate Republicans plan to assert themselves more forcefully to put their mark on domestic policy in the new year, according to several lawmakers.

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) has privately criticized White House handling of the recent intelligence bill and Bush's plan to postpone tax reform until 2006 or later. Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) and others have publicly complained about the political and fiscal hazards of overhauling Social Security. Several senators, including a few 2008 presidential contenders, are rushing to promote their own Social Security plans to compete with Bush's.

And a number of conservative Republicans such as Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), who are concerned about states' rights, are threatening to derail the White House plan to impose federal limits on medical lawsuits. "It's one of the worst bills going," Graham said.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12382-2004Dec19.html

[genieroze]

1. They are starting to eat their own. excellent. eom

[Mist]

5. Yep, it's gonna get ugly

I've been waiting for this for a while--the RW agenda is such that it requires soaking everybody in sight, including their "own." Sort of like starving rats that chew their own tails.

[Art_from_Ark]

6. It's just the old "good cop, bad cop" routine

At the end of the day, they congratulate themselves for once again duping the American public.

[TahitiNut]

10. Yup. Kabuki.

[Wabbajack]

2. As evidenced by the intell bill

most of them are RIGHT of bush. :(

[Robbien]

3. Bush is the lame duck here

GOP Senators are watching out for their own fiefdoms now.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. A mixture of smoke screen and trouble in paradise

Some of this may be righteous (rightist?) indignation about Chimpus Khan's agenda. But some of it is engineered smoke screen so King Khan can say to his deluded supporters ..... "oh well, we tried" :shrug:

[mazzarro]

8. This is more smoke screen than indignation!

I'll believe it when it happens - these people have all ganaged up to sucker the country and gotten away with it. Now even DeLay is rumored to be peeved? Give me a f**king break!

[VegasWolf]

7. awol doesn't have to worry about keeping his cushy job, they do. n/t

[goforit]

9. Agressive Congresss????............You've gotta be joking!!!

[The Judged]

11. Unfortunately, they will find the lowest common denominators on each issue

[w4rma]

12. Good Cop, bad Cop. Same authoritarian agenda in the end, though. (nt)

[rpannier]

13. Unfortunately...

they'll stand shoulder-to-shoulder on the Supreme Court nominees.

[0007]

14. junior facing big problems with Tom DeLay leading the charge!

"If the president wants to maintain credibility with House Republicans, he has to be engaged and willing to pass immigration reform that conservatives want," said Rep. Ray LaHood (Ill.), one of 57 House Republicans who voted against the intelligence bill Bush just signed into law. "If he does that, he will build a bridge" that could open the way to far-reaching changes to Social Security, the tax code and other policies, LaHood said. "If he's missing in action on that issue, he's going to have big problems."

[leesa]

15. All the greedy Republicans are jostling for position in their elections

They will devour their own to get a toehold up the ladder. Rapacious fucks!