They're trying to pick Dems off one at a time for Estate Tax vote

[Rose Siding]

This dog bill that would actually LOWER wages in some states is being tailored to meet some very dear objectives-

Coal Mine Cleanup Added to Tax Bill

The mining provision was added to the estate tax bill to try to entice West Virginia Democratic Sens. Robert Byrd and Jay Rockefeller to abandon a Democratic filibuster on the estate tax measure. It's also important to the re-election bid of Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., the provision's top sponsor.
...
The mining provision is one of several aimed at attracting the votes of wavering Democrats. A provision to authorize rural bonds targets Mark Pryor, D-Ark., while a tax break for timber companies is aimed at Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.

"They knew what they were doing," said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., of the GOP authors of the overall bill. "They loaded up the estate tax bill with as many state specific, industry specific projects as they could."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/02/AR2006080201174.html

If enough Dems can hold together on this, I'll be convinced that they finally recognize the stakes. The gop's been wheeling and dealing all day. Earlier the WSJ blog reported that-

snip>
Tucked into a House-passed estate- tax bill is a provision authorizing what amounts to a 17-month holiday during which the more-relaxed rules — predating 1993 tax changes — would again apply. The temporary arrangement would end Jan. 1, 2008, at an estimated cost to the Treasury of almost $60 million.

House tax writers have repeatedly rejected such efforts to revive the spousal- travel deduction, which had a history of abuse. Nonetheless, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R., Calif.) added it to the new estate-tax package in an apparent effort to woo Sen. Daniel Akaka (D., Hawaii) into supporting the bill in a showdown Senate vote Friday.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) remains confident that his party can again deny Republicans the 60 votes needed to cut off debate. But the roll call will be close, and the Republican willingness to spend on tax sweeteners and new spending to win votes is striking.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2006/08/02/sweetening-the-deal/

[OzarkDem]

1. Paygo

The GOP doesn't even bother with the pretense of justifying these disastrous tax cuts any longer. They don't bother to justify them at all.

I can never, ever, ever imagine the GOP and the news media to allow Dems to get by with something like this in the past.

Every single item Dems asked for increased spending, etc. was always met with "how do you expect to pay for it?" Dems were (and will continue to be) raked over the coals in endless rants to justify every penny they spend in Congress.

And now the GOP gives away billions to the wealthy with not a single attempt to justify it. And the news media says nothing, not a fucking word.

[theanarch]

2. well, not really...the WSJ just did (and usually does)...

...and that's the irony of it: just as ordinary citizens have to watch Comedy Central to get real news, it is the flagship publication of Piratical Capitalism that reports the nefariousness of our born-again Robber Barons, not the M$M. (Don't be fooled by the Cro-Magnum ideology of the WSJ's editorial page; their news reporting is more detailed and honest than anything you'll find in the WP, LAT or NYT.)

[Auntie Bush]

4. I love that! "born-again Robber Barons" or BARBs.

From now on we should refer to Rethugs as Barbs! At lest that sounds good to me.

I'm so angry about this bill...it literally makes me sick. :puke:

I hope no one will ever vote for any weasel or scum bag that votes for this bill and that includes Democrats. That would be a total betrayal to all our democratic principles. Is there nothing these selfish evil doers won't do?

[skids]

3. Dems should offer their own ammendment.

That the estate tax repeal only apply to people with net worth < X -- just raise the ceiling so the upper middle class is covered but the uber-rich are not.

Get the republicans to vote it down in a roll call vote.

[Rose Siding]

5. I don't support a complete repeal for "upper middle class" over 2 mil

-and doesn't it go to something like 7 million soon anyway?

Why shouldn't someone who inherits a fortune be taxed?

[theanarch]

6. Democrats are missing a very good opportunity...

...to rally public support by NOT pointing out the origins of the estate tax: it was the brain-child of Teddy Roosevelt. TR was such cold-blooded social and economic Darwinist that he hated the idea of inherited wealth, as it interferred with the evolution of natural capitalism. He had nothing against any individual accumulating as much wealth as possible in their own lifetime, but abhored the notion of passing that wealth on to heirs, who did little or nothing to earn wealth in their own right, or by their own labor. Doing so, he argued, created parasitic elites which would suck the vitality and work-ethic out of this country, and artifically skewer the economic system against those who might--in a level playing field--rise to the top of the food chain on their own. In a sense, TR was absolutely right...if for all the wrong reasons.