It's B-a-a-a-ck!

Wall Street Journal ^ | jan 8, 2003 | Editorial

[The Raven]

The 108th Congress convened yesterday, and on their first day back on the job the Members were up to a familiar mix of the good, the mad and the ugly.

The good is that the GOP House majority passed a resolution calling for "dynamic scoring" of tax cuts. This means that the Joint Committee on Taxation henceforth must take into account the effect that tax cuts (or increases) will have on actual human behavior rather than pretend that incentives don't matter. This means in turn that the Members will be better informed about the growth and revenue impact of the tax policies they will soon have to debate and vote on. We may even get better tax policy.

[The Raven]

>>GOP House majority passed a resolution calling for "dynamic scoring" of tax cuts.

YES !!!!!

[friendly]

"Dynamic scoring" of tax cuts. This means that the Joint Committee on Taxation henceforth must take into account the effect that tax cuts (or increases) will have on actual human behavior rather than pretend that incentives don't matter.

Does this mean we get scores for democrat lies, misrepresentation, incompetence, and class warfare?

[HiTech RedNeck]

The good is that the GOP House majority passed a resolution calling for "dynamic scoring" of tax cuts. This means that the Joint Committee on Taxation henceforth must take into account the effect that tax cuts (or increases) will have on actual human behavior rather than pretend that incentives don't matter.

You mean... they are actually going to pay attention to economics now? Wow. Sanity is returning to Washington.

[Movemout]

Good post! Dynamic scoring is very good news. The Dims have been demago(gougeing) Republicans for decades using static scoring methods. This in spite of RR's proof that static scoring is flawed. Gee it only took twenty years.

A revolt in the ranks of the Pelosi Dims is also very good news. If four have openly rebelled then you have to wonder how many others are thinking about it.

The bit about repealing term limits for the Speaker is just kind of ugly. Dennis Hastert doesn't make my socks roll up and down. He may be effective but he sure ain't pretty about it. I really liked Newt's in your face approach but it is a losing strategy.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I really liked Newt's in your face approach but it is a losing strategy.

Does this make Pelosi the anti-Newt.

[Movemout]

With a face like hers, she is definitely an anti-Newt. I just love it that the Dims saw fit to annoint Nancy as the savior of the Dimoctrats. It just doesn't get any better than that. She had an original thought once but it escaped.

[Mudboy Slim]

"The mad (as in angry) concerns the four House Democrats who refused to vote for Nancy Pelosi as their leader. All four were Southern moderates: Gene Taylor of Mississippi, an old dissenter, but surprisingly also Texans Ralph Hall and Charlie Stenholm and Ken Lucas of Kentucky. They presumably wanted to make a symbolic statement to the voters back home about their independence from their new San Francisco liberal leadership. Call it an omen of votes to come."

I prefer to look at it as a list of Ol' Democrats who realize the folly of following the DemonRATS down this ill-considered path they are poised to follow. This "LIST" can be used fer GOP Membership Recruiting purposes, IMHO.

Pelosi's the Republican Party's Wet Dream...MUD

BTW...Gene, Ralph, Charlie and Ken, Yer Conservative ROOTS are callin' ya home!!

[BaBaStooey]

You forgot to mention that Hastert voted present and Pelosi broke tradition by voting for herself, instead of present. She is one selfish evil broad (the female Clinton?) and the dems are doomed.

[buffyt]

The dems are doomed? I HOPE SO!!!!!!

[fatrat]

Gene Taylor is our stealth republican. Even though a dem, his voting record is better than many so-called republicans.

[MrB]

Dynamic scoring is good, but do they really have a feel for the results?
Human behavior, though easy to predict given a set of incentives, is difficult to put numbers to.
Lower taxes on investments results in more investments, but you can't say that if I lower taxes by X%, I get Y% more investment.

[Nick Danger]

Hastert... his term doesn't expire until 2007 and it can't help the GOP image to look as cozy with entrenched power as Democrats once did.

That's true, but I could see the move as a highly practical way to stifle a bunch of unproductive maneuvering and back-stabbing that would otherwise go on as people angle for a Speakership that is known to be opening up on some date certain. It's not clear why the Journal applauds taking behavioral changes into account when forecasting tax revenues, but then condemns this, which is basically the same principle.

[Cincinatus]

Dynamic scoring is good, but do they really have a feel for the results?

You can if you use history as a guide. Of course, no future predictions are perfect; dynamic scoring must be judged in the context of its alternative, demagoguery.

[Eric Roelfsema]

I wonder if the Democrats are going to take away the committie assignments of Taylor, Hall, Stenholm and Lucas. Remember that Gephardt did that with Rep. Traficant atfer he voted for Dennis Hastert for Speaker.

Eric Roelfsema
Kentwood, MI

[Mudboy Slim]

"Gene Taylor is our stealth republican"

His constituents need to lay down the law and tell him they will no longer support a Pelosi DemonRAT as their Congressman!! This is serious...RATS Loathe OUR Country and must be DESTROYED as a Viable Political Entity. Congressman Taylor ought to be told in no uncertain terms that there will NEVER be a return to Power by the DemonRATS and he oughtta just get a clue and join US!!

FReegards...MUD

[Mudboy Slim]

"I wonder if the Democrats are going to take away the committie assignments of Taylor, Hall, Stenholm and Lucas."

I hope they do...it'll make the GOP's case to their semi-conservative brethren that much easier to make, IMHO...MUD

[IncPen]

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