The American Spectator

“It wasn’t like they signed off on the plan, but they knew in advance what we were doing and were enthusiastic supporters,” says a Democratic staffer on the Joint Economic Committee.

Despite arguments by moderate Democrats to include a broad-based tax cut and/or refund to families with incomes greater than $80,000 to $100,000, Pelosi’s left-leaning leadership team instead focused on putting together a plan that they hoped would energize their base. “They weren’t interested in helping the people who consistently are the most taxed group in America,” says a staffer for a conservative Democratic House member. “It was all about helping the lower end of the economic spectrum.”

p> SENATE SQUATTER br> For someone who claims to know so much about the inner-workings of the Senate, Trent Lott seems awfully forgetful. /p>

With the Senate kicking into business mode today, the outgoing party leader hasn’t moved out of his leadership offices, meaning new majority leader Sen. Bill Frist is still using his personal offices for leadership meetings.

According to a Frist leadership source, Lott, while not being wholly uncooperative about a move, suggested that they simply hang the Majority Leader shingle over Frist’s office space, in a manner similar to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who replaced his House Whip shingle on Monday with the leadership title.

p>”We all understand what Lott is up against,” says a Senate leadership source. “He hasn’t been unclassy about what is happening, but he isn’t moving as fast as he could.” br> /p>