Republican Senate gas plan 'tanking' with conservatives and liberals

RAW STORY
Published: Sunday April 30, 2006

A Republican Senate plan to send $200 rebates to millions of taxpayers to help offset the escalating cost of gasoline appears to be 'tanking' with conservative and liberal voters, according to a story set for the front page of Monday's New York Times, RAW STORY has found.

"Congressional offices report that some constituents quickly called and e-mailed to make their displeasure known, portraying the idea as pandering and insufficient," reports the Times.

A spokesman for Texas Senator John Cornyn, Don Stewart tells the Times, "The conservatives think it is socialist bunk, and the liberals think it is conservative trickery."

The plan, proposed by Republicans last Thursday, also contains a provision calling for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

"But Republicans say they believe that their new proposal, which is promoted as an eight-point plan and which was announced at a news conference attended by several senators facing re-election this year, could strike a public chord, particularly with its promise of a $200 check to millions of taxpayers," the Times wrote last Friday.

Excerpts from the Times article set for Monday:

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Angry constituents have asked, "Do you think we are prostitutes? Do you think you can buy us?" said another Republican senator's aide, who was granted anonymity to discuss the feedback openly because the senator had publicly supported the plan.

Conservative talk radio hosts have been particularly vocal. "What kind of insult is this?" Rush Limbaugh asked on his radio program Friday. "Instead of buying us off and treating us like we're a bunch of whores, just solve the problem." In commentary on Fox News Sunday, Brit Hume called the idea "silly."

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In interviews on television news programs Sunday, several Republicans emphasized the need for long-term solutions and played down the rebates. "I don't think much about the $200 rebate," Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., said on CNN's "Late Edition." "We're going to have to produce more domestic oil, natural gas. We're going to have to build pipelines, liquefied natural gas plants.

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FULL ARTICLE HERE