White House Seeking Deal on Energy Bill

Like a vampire this evil plan is rising from its tomb again.


Tue Nov 4, 9:51 PM ET
By H. JOSEF HEBERT, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites), trying to break a deadlock over energy legislation, circulated a compromise on energy taxes Tuesday and got favorable reaction from Republican congressional leaders, sources close to the discussions said.



The compromise, details of which were not disclosed, appeared to give fresh momentum to energy negotiations that have been stalled for more than two weeks over disagreements between House and Senate Republicans over ethanol taxes.


Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn. gave an optimistic assessment and said the dispute over the energy tax issues could be resolved "within the next 24 hours or so."


"We're making real progress," Frist told reporters.


The dispute has centered over disagreements between Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Calif., over whether to change how gasoline taxes are collected to ensure no reduction in the highway trust fund if ethanol use is significantly expanded. Grassley's proposal would add $2 billion a year to the highway fund from gasoline taxes and give refiners a federal tax credit to make up the difference
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=512&ncid=1278&e=5&u=/ap/20031105/ap_on_go_co/energy_bill

If this can not be made into a Presidential campaign issue, I fear for the campaign.

But it can and will be an issue once it is proposed!

:-)