Citizen prostitutes

Sharp Reaction to G.O.P. Plan on Gas Rebate:

The Senate Republican plan to mail $100 checks to voters to ease the burden of high gasoline prices is eliciting more scorn than gratitude from the very people it was intended to help.
...
"The conservatives think it is socialist bunk, and the liberals think it is conservative trickery," said Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, pointing out that the criticism was coming from across the ideological spectrum.

Angry constituents have asked, "Do you think we are prostitutes? Do you think you can buy us?" said another Republican senator's aide, who was granted anonymity to openly discuss the feedback because the senator had supported the plan.

What this article doesn't mention is that this is also incredibly inefficent policy. I am amazed that the they so desparately reached into their magic hat and pulled out this canard. It is so painfully obvious political pandering on an issue where they potentially look really bad. The Dems need to keep making the "two oilmen in the white house argument". It goes right to the heart of the issue - people can not trust their behaviour becuase this administration has competing interests. This is a highly salient point; it is true, easy internalizable, and easy to communicate.

The thing I didn't consider was the potential negative reaction from the right - the "this is socialism" reaction. They never cry out that it is corporate socialism when coporations get all sorts of breaks - but that is another matter.