Speaking of pusillanimous pussyfooters:
Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, siding with moderate and liberal Republicans on Thursday, refused to back long-standing conservative and ranking Republican Rep. Phil Crane for chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee. Bill Thomas, a moderate from California will take the seat vacated by Texas Rep. Bill Archer. Hastert's decision is a stunning blow to conservatives and to the Bush administration's tax cut plans.
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Across Capitol Hill, the rumors were even worse than the Crane news. In the Senate, sources in the leadership staff report that in afternoon meetings with Republican and Democrat Senate leaders, Trent Lott agreed to equal membership for Democrats on all committees. "It means co-chairmen, 50-50 all the way, on everything," says a Republican staff director who was expecting to be briefed on the negotiations Thursday evening. "We don't know where this is going, but we all have a very bad feeling about this."
Democrats were said to be stunned and elated by Lott's seeming willingness to give in to almost all of their demands: increased Democratic staffing on committees, equal membership and co-chairmanships. "If it's true, we've just flushed the Bush and Republican agendas for the next two years right down the toilet. Forget Supreme Court nominations, tax cuts, education reform. We're finished and we never got a chance to fight." As the Prowler went online, there was no reaction from the Bush transition team.
spectator.org
Yes, but are you a pusillanimous pussyfooter?
I think not. |
