Posted on 12/09/2005 3:20:48 PM PST by RWR8189
REPUBLICAN MODERATES, only two dozen or so strong, believe they now hold a pivotal position in the House of Representatives and can influence legislation and internal Republican affairs as never before. Oddly enough, House Democrats have put them in this key position.
With Democrats in lockstep opposition to all Republican proposals, the votes of moderates are now critical to the passage of any Republican-backed legislation. "This the moderates' moment," said Rep. Sherry Boehlert of New York. He said the "power" of moderates is still "emerging."
Boehlert and Rep. Chris Shays of Connecticut, leaders of the moderate Mainstream Partnership, met with reporters Thursday at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor. They insisted, among other things, that moderate Republicans favor the election of a new House majority leader to replace Tom DeLay, who was forced to step down temporarily because he's under indictment in Texas for alleged money laundering. Shays said an election of a new leader would likely come in early February.
Moderates make up a small percentage of the 231 House Republicans and their clout has been minimal in recent years. But with Democrats under pressure not to cooperate with Republicans, they now have a "seat at the table" in Republican deliberations, Boehlert said. By bullying Democrats who want to work with Republicans, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi is actually "empowering" Republican moderates.
This was demonstrated last month on a bill that included $50 billion in spending cuts. Moderates forced House Republican leaders to drop from the bill a measure to open the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil drilling. Boehlert said the moderate view was simple: "If ANWR is in, we're out." And moderates also got "specific language" dealing with their other concerns in the bill, he said.
Moderates also showed this fall what can happen when their concerns are not accommodated. With Democrats and moderate Republicans joining together, the House passed a bill calling for broader federal support of stem-cell research. It was opposed by Republican leaders and the White House.
While they don't have an agenda, Boehlert said, there are a number of issues on which moderates try to play an increased role. These include the following:
Taxes. Moderates mostly oppose the elimination of the federal estate tax. Shays, a strong supporter of President Bush's tax cuts, said killing the estate tax would not produce any significant economic incentives.
Energy. Moderates want to force Republican leaders to bring up CAFE standards for a vote. These involve the minimum gas mileage for automobiles. Moderates want to hike the minimum level.
Ideas. Boehlert said the House leaders and the White House are now receptive to their ideas on expanded spending on scientific research and on workplace issues. A group of moderates conferred recently with Josh Bolten, the White House budget chief.
Civil liberties. Shays said moderates are wary of increasing the government's power to investigate terrorism if that entails new curbs on civil liberties.
Political reform. Shays said the issue of corruption and ethics violations amount to a "huge" political problem for Republicans. He said a package of reforms devised by liberal Democrats is one he wished moderate Republicans had proposed.
With Republican moderates, there's always a question about their moxie and their follow-through. Will they really exploit their critical position as swing votes in the House? In the past, they've talked big, then failed to stay united and pressing their concerns aggressively. This time, the opportunity for them to exert influence is greater than ever. We'll soon see if they're able to seize it.
Fred Barnes is executive editor of The Weekly Standard.
Let's make a list and check it twice.
Want to give our funds to men or mice?
-- the power to determine whether they want the Republicans to be the majority party...
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Amazing what a "little" corruption and deceit will do.
Appearances are deceiving. I was "agreeing" for sake of argument. The point is that Shays doesn't have a point, because his foundational assumption is that we don't own our own money.
It is interesting that 9 Democrats voted for the tax cut extentions yesterday.
What I'd like to know is how come the RATS can maintain NAZI strength party discipline while republicans act like a herd of cats?
modeRATS of either party are still RATS.
Just think of the influence they will have wielded when the '06 election comes. If the Republicans lose the House, the RINOs will be the ones responsible. When the Democrats take over, they will have to decide which they would prefer to be - back bench nobody Democrats with crappy committee assignments or members of the Republican minority with no power at all. What a bright future!
These "moderates" are leftists. Fred Barnes must be getting early stage Alzheimers.
There are no "moderates" in the Republican ranks. Most Republicans are pretty left of center, with a solid liberal ideology. Then you have the flaming liberals. Then you have a few Marxists.
There are no moderates, and there are no conservatives in the Republican ranks. Just various degrees of leftists.
Just for the sake of argument, assume they don't rely on our money anymore. If they did, they would've never traveled the road they're on. The money they take into their chest from US, is a mere pittance. Blackbird.
Sickening. Might as well give those seats to the Democrats.
I'm surprised the democrats don't want to eliminate the estate tax. After all, IT IS FOR THE CHILDREN. (/sarcasm)
You need help.
You must not follow current events and political records/votes/research/history.
1] Senator Santorum (RINO-PA) wants to give/follow the UN guidelines and give a fixed % of our GDP to global charity.
2] Senator Charles Grasley (RINO-IA) wants to force the oil indstry to give a fixed % of their profits to the poor.
3] Senator Bill Frist (RINO-TN) said he would accept a windfall profits tax on the oil industry.
Not what I said was FACT! You may be a RNC cheerleader and beleive the Republicans are all a bunch of Constitutionalists . . . go ahead and cheer all you want. You must like being in a fan club and screaming in line to get autographs of your idiols and such.
Yes sir, what I said is proved by FACT! Most Republicans [in Congress] are leftists.
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