The Washington Post‘s Shailagh Murray and Charles Babington report that under pressure from Democrats and the current political realities across the nation, Republicans are backing off on one of the most conservative items on their agenda.
As Congress returns from its August recess today, Republicans face a far more troubling political landscape than the one they left a month ago, according to lawmakers in both parties.
Gasoline prices have skyrocketed, the Bush administration is being widely criticized for its handling of Hurricane Katrina, and as the war in Iraq grows increasingly unpopular, the president’s approval ratings have sunk to an all-time low. Further complicating the picture is a rare double vacancy on the Supreme Court, which could trigger sniping between the GOP’s center and right wing if not deftly handled.
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As the pressure on Republicans builds, Democrats are sounding emboldened. One sign of GOP unease: The Senate was supposed to vote this week on whether to permanently repeal the estate tax, but Frist said yesterday that the bill will be temporarily shelved. The announcement came two hours after Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) called for Republicans to back off tax cuts in the wake of the Katrina tragedy. “Not now, for heaven’s sake,” Reid said.
Is the reason why Senate Republicans aren’t moving forward with a vote on the full repeal of the estate tax because of the new current in American politics or because they simply do not have the votes to pass the measure?
originally posted to my blog, Basie!
