WHAT THE LEFT HAND GIVETH THE OTHER LEFT HAND TAKETH AWAY:

Democrats Propose Tax Surcharge for War (ANDREW TAYLOR, 10/02/07, AP)

Three senior House Democrats proposed an income tax surcharge Tuesday to finance the approximately $150 billion annual cost of operations in Iraq, saying it is unfair to pass the cost of the war on to future generations.

The plan, unveiled by Reps. David Obey, D-Wis., John Murtha, D-Pa., and Jim McGovern, D-Mass., would require low- and middle-income taxpayers to add 2 percent to their tax bill. Wealthier people would add a 12 to 15 percent surcharge, Obey said.

House Appropriations Chairman's War Tax Bill Dead on Arrival (FOX News, October 02, 2007)

A top congressman, saying Democrats "have had it with being maneuvered and jerked around" on the war in Iraq, offered a new approach Tuesday to change the course of funding for the ongoing war: A war tax.

Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said he will not allow a bill to come for debate to provide emergency supplemental funds for the war and suggested Americans should be compelled to pay for it through a "surtax."

Obey's proposal came on a day the House approved a plan to force President Bush to submit a troop withdrawal plan from Iraq, and then require regular updates on progress of the plan. The bill requires the administration to report to Congress on the status of redeployment plans in 60 days. Follow up reports would be required every 90 days thereafter. The House passed the plan 337-46.

Pelosi nixes idea of ‘war tax’ (Mike Soraghan, October 02, 2007, The Hill)

All told, the Democratic proposal for an “Iraq tax” lasted about four hours. That’s roughly the amount of time from when House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) gave life to the idea with his endorsement to when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) strangled it.

“Just as I have opposed the war from the outset, I am opposed to a draft and I am opposed to a war surtax,” Pelosi said in a statement issued this afternoon.

A whole lot of jerkin' and stranglin' going on in that Democrat cloakroom...

Posted by Orrin Judd at October 2, 2007 5:28 PM