April 9, 2007 5:03 PM

Chairmanship as tool of obstruction

The broad strokes of Democrats' basic congressional agenda on domestic issues is pretty obvious: Raise the minimum wage, let Medicare negotiate lower prices for medicine, stop President Bush's destructive job-killing "free" trade agenda, and make taxes more fair. There are certainly other agenda items, but these are the bedrock. Now, here's the big problem: To date, there's a major obstruction named Max Baucus heading the committee that oversees all of these issues in the U.S. Senate. Check it out.

Minimum wage:

"House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-NY) appears to have staked out a bargaining position that Senate Democrats should at least first try to pass the wage increase without the tax breaks. 'Why do you need a tax break to do the right thing?' Mr. Rangel asked. 'Maybe he (Sen. Baucus) doesn't have a strong feel for the depth of support that this bill has. ... I strongly disagree that this thing would be filibustered.'"

Drug prices:

"Baucus said calls for the federal government to negotiate lower prices for drugs under Part D should be avoided. 'We don't need price fixing' he said."

Trade:

"Baucus has said he wants to work with the administration to revamp and extend fast track."

Taxes:

"House Democratic leaders, in an effort to upstage Republicans on the issue of tax cuts, are preparing legislation that would permanently shield all but the very richest taxpayers from the alternative minimum tax, which is likely to affect tens of millions of families as early as next year if it is left unchanged...The Democrats themselves are divided on how to alter the alternative minimum tax. The Democrats’ chief tax-writer in the Senate, Max Baucus of Montana, has shown little enthusiasm for replacing it with tax increases in other areas."

Let's hope Baucus starts being a team player on these issues ASAP.