Republican Senate gas plan 'tanking' with conservatives and liberals

NYT: GOP Senate gas rebate plan 'tanking;

RAW STORY
Published: Sunday April 30, 2006

A Republican Senate plan to send $100 rebates to millions of taxpayers to help offset the escalating cost of gasoline appears to be 'tanking' with conservative and liberal voters, according to a story set for the front page of Monday's New York Times, RAW STORY has found.

"Congressional offices report that some constituents quickly called and e-mailed to make their displeasure known, portraying the idea as pandering and insufficient," reports the Times.

A spokesman for Texas Senator John Cornyn, Don Stewart tells the Times, "The conservatives think it is socialist bunk, and the liberals think it is conservative trickery."

The plan, proposed by Republicans last Thursday, also contains a provision calling for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

"But Republicans say they believe that their new proposal, which is promoted as an eight-point plan and which was announced at a news conference attended by several senators facing re-election this year, could strike a public chord, particularly with its promise of a $100 check to millions of taxpayers," the Times wrote last Friday.

Developing...