fayfreethinkers.com

Jan. 29, 2007 Newsweek

...behind the scenes, according to administration officials (anonymous in order to discuss White House matters), Rove has been laying the groundwork for Bush's State of the Union address and mulling how the GOP can regain momentum in 2008. Earlier this month Rove showed up at a weekly meeting of influential D.C. conservatives, surprising attendees with his bubbly demeanor after weeks of rumors that he might be headed out.

...At the meeting Rove previewed Bush's final two years in office, saying Social Security reform was likely off the table and that Iraq and the economy would be the biggest issues for 2008. Rove offered a $5 bet to anyone in the room that Bush would not raise taxes during his final years in office. According to Norquist, two attendees took the bet. Norquist admits he's also skeptical about Rove's taxes claim. "I personally think it's going to happen," he tells NEWSWEEK. Rove has been busy trying to find common ground with Dems, organizing two meetings between Bush and the Blue Dog Democrats, a coalition of conservative lawmakers who offer the White House its best chance at compromise with the new Congress.

...Still, the Architect, as Bush dubbed him after his 2004 re-election win, was notably absent from last week's Republican National Committee meetings in Washington, where last year he delivered a blistering attack on "cut and run" Dems.

Read the rest here.

Unless Demos stop him Shrub will be taxing people for their "gold-plated" employer furnished health insurance.

This is a step towards "portable policies" which wingnuts have been pushing for 3 years or more. They wish to eliminate the benefits of employer furnished health insurance thereby ushering in their version of "free market" insurance, buffet style.

But on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 as highest probability, it has a 1 rating of being successful.

We need the same kind of portable insurance as we have retirement - Social Security works and works well. Part of the reason it works well is that, while employers put up half the money, they have no control whatsoever over it - can't scam the money out of it (which is why the Rs have been trying to dismantle since it 1935), and it goes with the worker from job to job. Something like that - Medicare with negotiation clout, for example - is what is needed. Yes, it will raise "taxes" for both the employer and employee - but not as much as the current insurance programs cost. Of course, that's not what W & the insurance industry are proposing.

As to Rove, he's work with the blue dogs to compromise congress, not compromise with congress.