Bill Frist’s Plan For $100 Gas Rebate Is Reportedly DOA In Congress (UPDATED)

File this one in the Yet Another Political Prescription From Majority Leader Bill Frist that proved to be the wrong one.

Can the Republicans sue him for political malpractice yet?

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s proposal last week to offer consumers $100 rebates for high gasoline prices is “dead,” according to several House and Senate leaders.

House Majority Leader John Boehner, an Ohio Republican, said the idea of a $100 rebate is “insulting” to consumers. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said the plan was “dead before it was offered.”

“Insulting….” “….dead before it was offered…”?

Wait: are they talking about a gas rebate or the administration’s proposal for social security reform?

Frist unveiled the $100 proposal as part of an eight-point plan to tackle high gasoline prices. The Republican legislation would also allow drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, repeal tax incentives for big oil companies, encourage additional refinery capacity and authorize the secretary of transportation to change fuel economy rules for passenger cars….

…. A spokeswoman for Frist said the legislation proposed last week may be broken into pieces, rather than move through Congress as one large package.

Asked whether Frist will continue to press the notion of the rebate, his spokeswoman, Amy Call, said Republican leaders will consider what portions of their proposal to advance in coming weeks.

“We may do the whole package, or parts of it,” Call said. “We’ll see what we can get done.”

Frist thus continues his record as perhaps one of the most ineffective Senate Majority Leaders in the last half-century. The number of political bungles by Dr. Frist is getting to be mind-bogging:

• Threatening to use the “nuclear option” on Supreme Court nominations, only to be out maneuvered by a coalition of more moderate Republicans and Democrats who carved out and solidified a fragile base of cards-holding centrist power in the Senate.

• Championing Congress’ big push to get involved in the Terri Schiavo controversy — and stepping into a big one of his own by essentially doing a diagnosis of Schiavo (siding with the family, of course) by watching a video tape (he later denied he did just that and videos of his original statement played for days on cable news shows). Polls later showed most Americans were not pleased.
• Opposing, then backing the administration’s highly controversial plan to let Dubai-based company administer key U.S. ports — changing his viewpoint faster than Michael Jackson changes his face. In the end, when Frist knew it was fruitless and he didn’t have the votes he informed the White House, which let the deal die.

Frist is getting the reputation of someone who (a) opens his mouth before he knows he has the votes, (b) takes a stand that proves to be politically detrimental to him and his party, (c) has to backtrack because some of his stands prove to be political mistakes.

A good Majority Leader knows when he has the votes, dominates parliamentary procedures, and by his actions strengthens his party’s image and position — and that of the White House. Has Frist done any of these things to an acceptable degree?

PS: It is widely believe he is running for President. Running on his record..

UPDATE: And do you know who Frist blames for high gas prices? Bill Clinton.