Monday, September 22, 2008

Gang of 10 plan dead


http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=Y2NhNTdjNjljYWVjYjQ4ZjRlN2I1YTdlM2M1Yzg3ZWM=

Senate's "Gang of New Pork" Disbands   [Stephen Spruiell]

This is old news in the blogosphere, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention on the Corner that the Gang of 10 16 20 won't offer its energy bill after all. The gang's bill would have opened up only a smidgen of the Outer Continental Shelf for drilling, leaving close to 80 percent off-limits. It was loaded with pork — mostly tax credits for hybrid cars and subsidies for biofuels — and it would have raised taxes on domestic energy production. It was a bad deal, and taxpayers should be glad to see it go.

Instead of passing a sham energy bill, it looks like Congress will let the ban on offshore drilling expire October 1. Just months ago this looked like an impossible goal, and a lot of people deserve credit for the turnaround. House GOP leaders and Sens. Jim DeMint and Tom Coburn are at the top of that list. Leading Democrats swear that this is merely a temporary defeat, and they have promised to renew the ban as soon as the election is over. They could not have handed McCain a better talking point. He needs to be out there telling voters that he would veto any attempt to restore the ban.


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