More fiscal irresponsibility from the Congress Criminals.

The House of Representatives approved a $69 billion bill to extend President Bush's tax cuts for two more years this afternoon, sending the measure to the Senate, where passage is expected by Thursday.

The House vote was 244 to 185, with nearly all Republicans voting in favor. Although most Democrats voted no, more than a dozen voted in favor. The measure also temporarily blocks a big jump in the alternative minimum tax.
...
Those tax cuts on dividends and capital gains were the heart of Mr. Bush's 2003 tax-cutting package, and Republicans had credited them with spurring a rebound in investment and economic growth in the past three years. They also had enormous support from business groups and Wall Street.

Democrats and some Senate Republicans opposed extending them this year, arguing that the dividend tax cuts would not expire until 2009 and would primarily benefit the top 10 percent of income-earners.

The investors and businesses who are going to benefit from this could give a flying fuck about the cost of a gallon of gas. Not true of the rest of America...maybe the Democrats need to frame this in terms of the cost of a gallon of gasoline. I suspect that no tax cuts for rich folks would get passed by anyone Democrat or republican if it were presented in that context.

Tax cuts have been a great tool for the credit-card conservatives, but now the bills are coming due and their solution is just continued borrowing for as long as possible. That should be November, 2006. No Kidding.