They say political people are divided into two camps: the hacks and the wonks. It is even said that in Washington, this divide is stronger than that between left and right: that hacks of opposing parties often get along better than with the wonks of their own party, and vice versa.
Me, I'm a hack. I conduct focus groups for a living, and I relish the dramatic battles of persuasion that are American elections. Unfortunately for my kind (but fortunately for the country!), policy battles and analysis of them tend to be dominated by wonks. Which is as it should be, especially as we stare into the abyss of possible economic disaster and try to pull ourselves out with a major stimulus package.
But the hack in me cannot resist stressing what has gone almost unnoticed in all the stimulus talk: The GOP just voted against the biggest middle class tax cuts in history. To a hack like me already relishing the 2010 elections, today was like Christmas and my birthday all rolled into one. Multiplied times ten.
thereisnospoon's diary :: ::
From Steve Benen at the Political Animal:
The compromise plan announced last night includes $282 billion in tax cuts over two years. With that in mind, Steven Waldman argues, persuasively, that when the vast majority of congressional Republicans oppose the package, they'll be voting against the biggest tax cut "in history."
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http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/2/13/23198/8129/293/697371