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GOP Gas Rebate Plan Raises Eyebrows And Gets Thumbs Down
Senate Republicans’ idea to give $100 gas rebate checks to voters has failed to ignite — and has run out of political gas, according to the New York Times.
Conservatives give it a thumbs down. Liberals give it a thumbs down. And the sheer idea of $100 impressing voters has become a laughline. To be sure: $100 is just about enough to fill an SUV once — or pay for a cup of coffee at Starbucks…
The Senate Republican plan to mail $100 checks to voters to ease the burden of high gasoline prices is eliciting more scorn than gratitude from the very people it was intended to help.Aides for several Republican senators reported a surge of calls and e-mail messages from constituents ridiculing the rebate as a paltry and transparent effort to pander to voters before the midterm elections in November.
“The conservatives think it is socialist bunk, and the liberals think it is conservative trickery,” said Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, pointing out that the criticism was coming from across the ideological spectrum.
Angry constituents have asked, “Do you think we are prostitutes? Do you think you can buy us?” said another Republican senator’s aide, who was granted anonymity to openly discuss the feedback because the senator had supported the plan.
How bad is it?
Well, let’s put it to you this way, in boldface: Rush Limbaugh and Fox News‘ Brit Hume have ridiculed it:
Conservative talk radio hosts have been particularly vocal. “What kind of insult is this?” Rush Limbaugh asked on his radio program on Friday. “Instead of buying us off and treating us like we’re a bunch of whores, just solve the problem.” In commentary on Fox News Sunday, Brit Hume called the idea “silly.”
And guess who is staunchly insisting it’s a brilliant idea?
You guessed right: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (a Presidential hopeful):
Still, Eric Ueland, chief of staff to Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee, the Republican leader, whose office played a main role in pulling the proposal together, said the rebate was an important short-term step in a broader array of measures that began with last year’s energy bill. Constituents “believe government ought to step up to the plate rather than loll around in the dugout,” Mr. Ueland wrote in an e-mail message on Sunday.
The problem: Ueland feels the proposal means the government won’t “loll.”
But the proposal has caused voters of both parties to “lol.”
9 Responses to “GOP Gas Rebate Plan Raises Eyebrows And Gets Thumbs Down”
As a legal alien resident, and yes, I work today, would I also get 100 bucks?
This is a pretty dumb idea, and honestly it’s an attempt to buy votes. Not gonna happen. It’s two fillups for my Accord, but Bush can shove his $100.
Question–are Bush and the Republicans purposely (from the mind of Karl Rove) making stupid proposals like this to make room for the 2008 candidates to argue “but he wasn’t a REAL conservative!”?
Well, if nothing else, this inane proposal has at least had the positive effect of making Bill Frist look even lamer than usual – and adding another shot to the locker of any 2008 rivals.
As if he had a chance, anyway.
Whatta maroon.
This is just what it looks like: Political pandering in the eleventh hour in an election year in lieu of, and I love this word, a “comprehensive” energy policy to address shortages. One thing we already know, we will not be getting any real relief at the pump any time soon, or any sensible policy that will address the long term problem. Our ideological stance in the Middle East is exacerbating this problem, as is inequality in economic gains in this country. As China makes gains in securing her oil interests in countries like Nigeria, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela, we are becoming more isolated. Although all admit we need to achieve independence from foreign oil we have no policies that accomplish that aim.
Maybe this administration, which promised to use their industry connections to give us cheaper oil, has such close ties to multinationals like Exxon-Mobil, that they are unable to do so. Iraq’s production capacity has been reduced due to the war, and Iran may cut off oil to the E.U. if we try to take out their nuclear capability.
That $100 was a number of things 1) a slap in the face 2) an underhanded attempt to get ANWR open to drilling….again. Did Frist think it wouldn’t come to light that the $100 checks would be billed to the opening of Drilling in ANWR. Yeah, the $100 would fill up our SUV, Miata, and motorcycle, for 1 week each. Instead I’d rather just keep taking the train to work.
Why is this guy still leading the party? At what point do other Republicans begin to ask what in the heck he is doing? I’m hoping they leave him at the head of the party, he does nothing but hurt the Republicans long term prospects.
This ranks right up there with his videotape diagnosis of Terri Schiavo. The man is not only stuck on stupid, he seems to revel in it.
Considering how dim this makes Frist look, one has to wonder how many people he maimed as a doctor.
I always assumed that our elected officials were a corrupt bunch of thieves who despised the common man, but I also assumed they were competent criminals. This kind of clueless activity smells like a case of panic.
This brings to mind a picture of a thief caught with his hand in the cookie jar by a baseball bat carrying homeowner.
The irony is Rush’s statement is that he is a whore.
But the idea was more than silly, it was stupid. Quite frankly, we need to force the oil companies to engage in some social responsibility, if they aren’t willing to do it on their own. Milon Friedman be damned, companies have a social responsibility and they need to comply.
Well this just proves one thing to me—if Sen. Frist is successful in his presidential ambitions, solid leadership will be even more absent in the White House than it is now! Frist is an amiable dimwit!
PING:
TITLE: Poppycock newsiness
BLOG NAME: aTypical Joe: A gay New Yorker living in the rural south.
There are so, so many examples, but I quote Diane Sawyer on GMA just now: …The word “crisis” has now been officially attached to the rising gas prices in this country… Say what? By who? Ah, the Chief of Staff…