Crush Liberalism

Pe-loco: Shhh! I support Rangel’s tax-thru-the-nose scheme, but not “officially”

The headline reads thusly: “Pelosi finesses tax message”.  I suppose that sounds a lot better than “I think we should implement an oppressive tax structure that returns us to Jimmah Carter’s tax days”, wouldn’t you say?  We call that “trying to polish a turd.”  From The Hill:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi  (D-Calif.) is finessing her support of Rep. Charles Rangel’s (D-N.Y.) controversial new tax bill, highlighting Democrats’ concern about how Republicans plan to use it in the 2008 elections.

Following the unveiling of arguably the most politically explosive domestic policy bill of the 110th Congress last Thursday, Pelosi seemed to wholeheartedly support the tax overhaul authored by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rangel.

“I certainly support his plan,” Pelosi (D-Calif.) said to the assembled reporters.

But when the transcript of the briefing came out, words were inserted — highlighted by brackets — clarifying that she supported his goal, if not his specific proposals.

The final transcript read: “I certainly support his plan [to begin tax reform.]”

The distinction is an important one. Rangel was immediately criticized by the GOP as he announced his highly controversial tax plan and Republicans started trying to tie the plan to Pelosi and the Democratic leadership.

The change makes it clear that the House’s Democratic leader is supporting only the concept of changing tax laws, not every one of Rangel’s proposed changes, which would raise taxes for people with higher incomes and cut them for those with lower incomes.

The change didn’t take. Stories in The Associated Press and Congressional Quarterly (CQ) ran the initial quote.

The Federal News Service and LexisNexis transcripts don’t include the change. The CQ transcript, which notes at the top, “AS RELEASED BY REP. PELOSI’S OFFICE,” does include the after-the-fact change in brackets.

Republicans criticized the change, but irritated Pelosi aides said too much is being made of an innocent change that was not intended to deceive.

“It is clear she didn’t say it, but we put in there, in brackets, to clarify her intent,” Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami said in an e-mail exchange. “She personally supports Rangel’s plan/bill to begin tax reform, but Congress will work its will.” 
…
It’s not the first time that Republicans have faulted Democrats for changing the record. After a vote was incorrectly gaveled to a close too early on Aug. 2, Republicans say Democratic leaders scrubbed from The Congressional Record many of the floor comments of House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Boehner.

“Don’t like the outcome of a vote? Change it. Don’t like the way transcripts read? Scrub them,” Kennedy added. …

Yeah, sure.  San Fran Nan was enthuiastic about just a generic “tax modification”, huh?  What a crock!  Rangel represents the Democrats’ class warfare mentality, and now Peloser and her ilk are trying their best damage control.  They’re afraid that they’ll be seen as the socialist tax-and-spend achievement-averse leftists that they truly are.

Rangel will suffer no repercussions for his socialism.  After all, he represents Harlem, and since most of his constituents are poor enough to pay little to no income taxes anyway, what would they care?

October 30, 2007 - Posted by crushliberalism | economic ignorance, Pelosi, socialism, taxes