Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

Today, the House leadership pulled from the floor its own Reconciliation Budget Package, because moderates scoffed at its proposed cuts in social programs.  The New York TImes:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- Unable to ensure a majority for a contentious budget-cutting bill even after jettisoning a plan for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, House Republican leaders this afternoon pulled back from a floor debate.

Democrats and other House officials said they had been informed that the budget vote that had been promised repeatedly by the leadership would be postponed. The turmoil was the latest sign of Republican dissension and represented a major embarrassment for the Republican leadership, particularly Roy Blunt of Missouri, who is serving as temporary majority leader and would like the job on a full-time basis if legal troubles persist for Representative Tom DeLay.

Another major GOP congressional agenda item, tax cuts for the wealthy, also is taking it on the chin.  CNN says:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republicans started advancing their tax-cutting agenda through the Senate with lingering questions about whether the GOP has enough votes to win support in the tax-writing Finance Committee.

GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine, a moderate whose vote is pivotal, has not said whether she will endorse the cuts at the committee hearing on Thursday.

"It's no secret that we have to get all of our Republican members to vote for this bill," said Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pennsylvania. "Right now, we do not have all of our Republican members."

Until recently, the GOP spin-meisters have been adroit at wrapping their corporate war agenda in a blanket of fear and terror while their number one pitchman has been equally adroit at feeding social wedge issues to the religious right. But now things have changed and that agenda has to stand on its own...stripped of its veneer of fear, terror and hate.  

This week's election fired a warning shot over the Republican bow as voters have signaled that the jig may soon be up.

With Rove on his way out, Cheney feeling legal pressure and Libby under indictment for lying to protect the administration's Iraqi Mendacity Machine, the GOP congress can't count on the White House to provide cover for its disasterous priorities.

As a result, some self-serving Republican members of Congress see the writing on the wall and they have decided to provide their own cover; a cover that will lead them to do the only thing that will save their jobs. They will choose to run against themselves.

The 2005 off year election has its first casulty; the wingnut congressional agenda.