Free Republic

Thanks to CATO’s Jim Harper, we discover that the slovenly work of Obama’s Congress is so bad that they are now passing bills that they haven’t even bothered to name. It’s been bad enough that the Democrats have affixed to bills names that are entirely Orwellian in nature, but now they aren’t even bothering to think that hard. In the recent past we’ve gotten bills named in ways that convey the precise opposite nature of what the bill does. We’ve had the “Employee Free Choice Act” that actually takes away worker’s choice, we’ve had the “Uniting American Families Act” that...

(CNSNews.com) -- A senior aide to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told CNSNews.com that it is “likely” that Reid will use H.R. 1586—a bill passed by the House in March to impose a 90-percent tax on bonuses paid to employees of certain bailed-out financial institutions—as a “shell” for enacting the final version of the Senate’s health care bill, which Reid is responsible for crafting.

Reid ‘Likely’ to Make Entire Health Bill an Amendment to Unrelated Tax Bill That House Passed in March(CNSNews.com) -- A senior aide to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told CNSNews.com that it is “likely” that Reid will use H.R. 1586—a bill passed by the House in March to impose a 90-percent tax on bonuses paid to employees of certain bailed-out financial institutions—as a “shell” for enacting the final version of the Senate’s health care bill, which Reid is responsible for crafting. Under the procedure, the substance of House Resolution 1586 would be removed and replaced with the entire Senate...

The power to tax is the power to destroy, and when Congress decides to tax 90 percent of anything it is sowing the seeds of destruction. HR 1586, which passed in the House with lightning speed and bipartisan support, seeks to tax away the bonuses paid to AIG executives and others whose corporations have benefited from TARP funds. The Senate, a more deliberative body, is more sanguine on proceeding with its version, S 651, which is broader, covering businesses that received much less government cash, but at a lower 35 percent rate. Finance Chairman Max Baucus, Montana Democrat, said the...

Well Halle-freaking-lujah! At least Obama is smart enough to realize that HR 1586 -- legislation passed this week by the House to tax AIG bonuses at 90% -- is unconstitutional! It's a miracle! Obama and I agree on something! I called this unconstitutional the day it passed! Hopefully this bill dies in the Senate and if not, let Obama live up to his words and veto this stupidity and arrogance. Seriously, I'm surprised and impressed that Obama said this. From 60 Minutes/CBS News: "I mean you're a constitutional law professor," Kroft remarked. "You think this bill's constitutional?" "Well, I think...

Senator Dodd admitting lying the other day - actually knowing about the stimulus bill allowances for AIG execs to receive bonuses from taxpayer dollars - came as really no surprise considering how he receives more financial backing from banking interests and lobbyists than any other politician (second to him in the Senate was Obama). HR 1586 is tantamount to political theater when considering its loopholes; HR 1586 is ridden by constitutional questions on whether it is a bill of attainder or even an ex post facto law - at the very least it's an under-the-table "mea culpa" by the Dems...