Boehner to GOP: Forget About Spy Bill (FISA), Let's Focus on Taxes

[babylonsister]

Amid economic woes, House GOP to pivot from FISA, earmarks to taxes
By Jackie Kucinich
Posted: 04/09/08 07:09 PM


House Republicans are poised to shift their focus from national security to the economy, hoping to rally opposition to what they claim are Democratic plans to raise taxes amid the economic downturn.

Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) is expected to announce Thursday that the House GOP floor emphasis will transition away from passing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and earmark reform to “stop the tax hike.”

House Republican leaders will make their case to pass a tax bill introduced by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.).
Republicans will use procedural floor tactics to force votes on Walberg’s bill, which would make the 2001 tax cuts permanent.

The measure has 125 co-sponsors, none of whom are Democrats.

A recent CBS/New York Times poll found that 37 percent of those surveyed ranked the economy as the most important issue facing the United States. The Iraq war ranked second at 15 percent.

The strategy is detailed in an inaugural “Freedom File” e-mail — a monthly memo to GOP activists — from Boehner’s political action committee, Freedom Project.

more...

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/amid-economic-woes-house-gop-to-pivot-from-fisa-earmarks-to-taxes-2008-04-09.html

[Kolesar]

1. Is the GOP relenting on protecting the "telecoms" who allowed "illegal monitoring"

Michael Steel, a spokesman for Boehner, stressed that the pivot away from security and earmarks was not an indicator that the GOP was giving up pushing for passage of FISA or comprehensive earmark reform.


Republicans have noted they have successfully peeled off centrist Democrats during procedural votes on FISA and earmark reform. They have also attracted 10 Democrats to sign on to a discharge petition that would force a floor vote on Rep. Heath Shuler’s (D-N.C.) immigration bill, which has more Republican than Democratic co-sponsors.

[Mountainman]

2. They are going to lie to people and tell them that keeping the tax cuts for the wealthy will help

them get out of the effects of the recession. In other words, let the wealthy, sitting at the banquet table, have more food so the rest of us on the floor will have more crumbs to fight over. Trickle down bull shit. I say let us all sit at the table!

Of course the freeper knuckle draggers will fall for that shit again and again even though it has been shown to be false ever since Reagan's economist wrote a book about it. Voodoo economics 101!

[Winterblues]

3. If Democrats had half a brain they would use sound bites from Republicans

in 1993 giving speeches on the floor of the house and else where claiming Clinton's budget which would raise taxes on wealthy while lowering them for middle and lower classes would devastate the American economy. They said it could not be done. They said the ONLY way to improve the economy was to Lower taxes for wealthy. Every Republican voted in lock step against Clinton's budget but because Democrats were in the majority at that time it passed although Al Gore had to cast the tie breaking vote in the Senate. America went on to experience the Greatest Economic Expansion in History But when did Democrats ever show they had half a brain?...