Okay, now...down to business now that the road block is gone

[Ripsnort]

Suddenly, items that had been bottled up in the Democratic Senate have new life. President Bush has new hopes for action on his conservative slate of judges, his energy plan calling for drilling in Alaska's wildlife refuge, and the policies he favors on topics such as homeland security, terrorism insurance and prescription drug coverage. With Democrats losing their ability to set the Senate schedule and launch probes of the administration, chances improve for Bush's hopes to extend last year's tax cuts, curtail jury awards, cut business regulations and overhaul Medicare.

At the same time, White House officials said last night that most of their early effort in the new Congress will revolve around stimulating economic growth. Wary of the struggling economy as a vulnerability for Bush heading into his reelection race, administration officials said Bush was likely to introduce a new economic-stimulus package early next year. Among the plans being drawn up are new tax cuts for businesses and investors.

The officials said they recognize that the economy now will be squarely on Bush's shoulders, and he will no longer be able to blame Democratic Senate leaders or former president Bill Clinton. "Republicans have the keys to the car and we're going to have to take action and continue to work for economic growth," a White House official said.

Unified control of the government presents both rewards and risks for Bush and the Republicans. They will be far freer to enact legislation and leave their stamp on both domestic and foreign policy -- and they will get the bulk of the credit, or blame, for events. The electorate remains evenly divided, and Republicans will lack a majority that can withstand Democratic filibusters and defections by GOP moderates in the Senate. But Bush, for better or worse, will come close to having sole ownership of the war on terrorism, military action in Iraq, the federal budget, government spending and the economy.

In a conference call early this morning, White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said the first priority for the lame-duck session of Congress that begins next week should be passage of legislation creating a Cabinet-level Homeland Security Department. The spokesman also mentioned terrorism insurance legislation and unfinished spending bills. "The president hopes tonight's results will be an impetus to the Senate to finish its business," Fleischer said.

Another priority for the White House will be passage of Bush's "faith-based" initiative to boost religious charities; officials are hopeful that proposal can be advanced in the lame-duck session. They are also confident they can enact their preferred version of legislation extending the landmark 1996 welfare reform law; the matter was shelved earlier this year after disagreements with Democrats who favored more funding and less stringent requirements.

Though it's far from clear that Bush will be able to enact broad changes in health care, Social Security or taxes, he will now have much more freedom to pursue all three.

The administration is eyeing wholesale changes to the Medicare program that would add a prescription drug benefit but inject more private-sector competition into the massive government program. The Treasury Department is also formulating a series of options to simplify or overhaul the corporate and personal income tax system. And Social Security reform advocates insist they have been promised an all-out push from the White House to enact proposals that would divert some of the Social Security payroll tax into personal accounts that could be invested in the stock market.

Recent additions to the Bush economic team indicate the White House is gearing up for a major push on health care legislation, congressional aides and health care lobbyists said. The White House could resurrect its version of HMO legislation while it pushes a prescription drug bill and tax credits for the purchase of health insurance. "I don't think it's lost on the White House that we're in a period when health care is going to be a big, big issue, legislatively and politically," said a Republican lobbyist with close ties to the White House.

Before such broad initiatives, however, will come economic legislation. In the short run, the Republican Congress will try to make good on economic measures that could not pass when Democrats controlled the Senate, said Eric Ueland, chief of staff for Senate Republican Whip Don Nickles (R-Okla.).

That includes making last year's 10-year, $1.35 trillion tax cut permanent. Under current law, the tax cut would expire after 2010. If the proposal passes, it would be largely symbolic, because Congress can -- and almost certainly will -- vote to change tax policies over the next decade. Republicans would also likely move for a quick vote to speed up the repeal of the estate tax.

Ueland said Republicans are waiting for Bush to signal that they should move forward with a package of tax cuts aimed at investors, including proposals increasing the amount of stock losses that can be deducted from income taxes, raising the contribution limit on retirement accounts and cutting or eliminating taxes on stock dividends.

Bush has also promised proposals to curb lawsuits, especially malpractice suits, and some kind of effort to cut back business regulations, possibly on Superfund environmental cleanups.

[Airhead]

Rip, two years from now after nothing gets accomplished we'll revisit this post. The problem with politics is that it attracts politicians, and whether they're Democrats or Republicans or whatever nothing much ever gets done.

[AKDejaVu]

Remember this post Rip.  The Dems said the same thing a few years ago.

I tend to lean more towards Republican views, but I also believe that neither side is capable of cooperation on any level.

AKDejaVu

[Udie]

51/50 isn't near as strong a majority as we need.  They can still filibuster (sp?). At least we'll have the commity chairmanships so we'll at least be ablt to set the/an agenda.  That's why the dems lost.  THey've had the senate for almost 2 years and have done NOTHING.

 Hopefuly tommy boy will be gone next go round...


 oh and Buh Bye Terry Mcaulif  fek'n loser

[Furious]

Boys and their "teams".

Its fun to watch, but no way to run a government.


F.

[Wlfgng]

I still don't trust politicians !

but at least they're Republican now

[OZkansas]

I think we will see the new Congress doing something.  The American people have raised their voice stating that the Bush agenda is ok by them.  They have responded to his message that the Senate was filled with obstructionist.  The American people elected the President his majority in the Senate.   Now it is up to the Pres to form the Congress to his wishes.  I do not doubt that this Pres lacks the will to get the job done.  Be prepared to have more money in your pockets, action on the war front, and long standing issues that haven't been addressed to be addressed(health care and Social Security).

All in all after 2 years of small steps forward and large steps backwards we will see only steps forward:)

[Udie]

nah the Dem leadership is going to be desperate now.  They may cooperate for a while.  But they'll soon start trying to deminish Bush again.  Wow they are out of power.  WHEW, let's hope they stay that way.


51/50 isn't as good as it could be. 57/43 is what it should be, that's the make up of the country conservative/liberal I believe.

[Thrawn]

Originally posted by Udie
57/43 is what it should be, that's the make up of the country conservative/liberal I believe.

Neat number you invented.

[Nash]

Yup, it's put up or shut up time for the Republicans.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Airhead
Rip, two years from now after nothing gets accomplished we'll revisit this post. The problem with politics is that it attracts politicians, and whether they're Democrats or Republicans or whatever nothing much ever gets done.

I'll agree with this post Airhead.  At least they're important issues, not something like whether we should give Animal his rights to marry, and get spouse benefits...etc.

[gofaster]

They'd be doing Bush a favor if they veto'd his move to allow drilling in the Alaskan wildlife refuge.  Nothing like polarizing the environmentalists and moderates against you.  Its not like we're starving for oil.  If there were an energy crisis, then maybe he'd have a better argument, but not now, not yet.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by gofaster
They'd be doing Bush a favor if they veto'd his move to allow drilling in the Alaskan wildlife refuge.  Nothing like polarizing the environmentalists and moderates against you.  Its not like we're starving for oil.  If there were an energy crisis, then maybe he'd have a better argument, but not now, not yet.

Dependence on foreign oil. Do I need to say more about where most terrorists originate from?

[Udie]

Originally posted by Thrawn


Neat number you invented.

 I haven't invented anything. The numbers were already invented by either al gore or kurt tank.  All I did was grab them from thin air....




what a kick bellybutton day today is!!!  Dems out of power first time in my life and my roommate comes home after 5 weeks in India.  WOOHOO!!  

Tom Dashle is Bushes squeak

[popeye]

"The American people have raised their voice stating that the Bush agenda is ok by them."

Hehe.  I love it when political parties claim a "mandate from the people" for their entire "agenda", based on a slim majority.