The Negotiating Partner

By Brian Beutler

Quoting Dave Weigel in full:

This amendment to the economic stimulus bill passed by the House and now being considered by the Senate, submitted by conservative icon-in-the-making Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), was breathtakingly bold. The gist, from Sen. DeMint’s Website:

o Permanently repeal the alternative minimum tax once and for all;
o Permanently keep the capital gains and dividends taxes at 15 percent;
o Permanently kill the Death Tax for estates under $5 million, and cut the tax rate to 15 percent for those above;
o Permanently extend the $1,000-per-child tax credit;
o Permanently repeal the marriage tax penalty;
o Permanently simplify itemized deductions to include only home mortgage interest and charitable contributions.
o Lower top marginal income rates from 35 percent to 25 percent.
o Simplify the tax code to include only two other brackets, 15 and 10 percent.
o Lower corporate tax rate as well, from 35 percent to 25 percent.

This got the support of all but five Senate Republicans.

That’s four nays (Collins, Snow, Specter, and Voinovich), and one not voting. That would be Judd Gregg, whose Commerce appointment has apparently robbed him of his ability to do his job but, curiously, not possessed him of the integrity to resign from it. Roll Call.