Party Line

WASHINGTON -- The Republican-led House early today passed a $2.2 trillion budget that includes President Bush's $726 billion tax cut, even as Senate leaders fought off attempts by Democrats and moderate Republicans to slash the tax cut by more than half. The near party-line 215-212 roll call came after a long day of arm-twisting by House Republican leaders and top administration officials, who were determined to shield the president from a domestic defeat as war with Iraq commences. Scrambling late into the night for the votes to pass their $2.2 trillion budget, House Republican leaders faced opposition from virtually all Democrats and from some moderate Republicans who said the tax cuts were too large and the spending on key social programs too limited.

WASHINGTON -- With Trent Lott's post as Senate majority leader in jeopardy and Republicans seeking to limit the political damage, President Bush and his party face unexpected obstacles to enacting their agenda in the next Congress. When Lott told Black Entertainment Television on Monday that "as majority leader, I can move an agenda that would have things that would be helpful to African-Americans," he made a pledge that could haunt Republicans. Lott's promise could endanger, for example, the party's prospects for confirming conservative judges.

LET ME TELL you something," Melvin A. "Mickey" Steinberg, the former lieutenant governor, said in Glen Burnie Monday, the day he and about 20 other former Democratic officeholders endorsed a Republican for governor. "Real Democrats care about the state of Maryland." Real Democrats? I'm confused. I figured real Democrats - you know, the real party animals - would back a Democrat for governor. But, hey, it's a free country, and a man's got to do what a man's got to do. Four years ago, Steinberg backed the Republican Ellen Sauerbrey over the Democratic incumbent Parris Glendening, so he's crossed this street before.

It's easy to forget sometimes that politicians are not human beings like the rest of us. It's not only that they are able to look beatific while listening to someone else's kids sing patriotic songs, or that they appear totally riveted on an inspection tour of farm machinery. What's truly fascinating is that they can pretend that they don't despise each other. Or, at least, some of them can. This subject comes up in the wake of all the rancor Maryland Democrats are directing toward Martin O'Malley for his perceived lack of support for Kathleen Kennedy Townsend in her run for governor.

WASHINGTON - The House early today approved a bill to offer prescription drug benefits to Medicare recipients, before lawmakers adjourn for the Fourth of July recess. Republican leaders spent all day yesterday struggling to secure enough votes for passage. The bill is intended to address a top concern among a critical voter group by allowing the elderly to buy drug coverage through the private insurance market. At a cost of $350 billion over 10 years, the bill also would boost Medicare payments to health-care providers.

Baltimore Sen. Clarence M. Mitchell IV crossed party lines to endorse Rep. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. for governor yesterday, becoming the first prominent African-American elected official to publicly support the Republican candidate. Hailing Ehrlich as someone who has been "responsive" to the concerns of city voters, Mitchell predicted the congressman will make inroads into the city's heavily Democratic black vote. "African-Americans will not be pushed into a position where we have no choice," he said.

After months of political give and take, Howard County's new County Council district boundaries were set last night for the next decade - but not without a final bit of partisan drama. The bill was approved with seven amendments on a 3-2 party-line vote after the new council chairman, C. Vernon Gray, an east Columbia Democrat, delayed his vote until the other four members recorded their 2-2 tie, then joined the council's two Republicans in killing the bill. Finally, just before the end of the meeting, Gray changed his mind to vote with the Democratic majority.

The gloves came off last night in Howard County's version of the political tug of war called redistricting as a statewide committee heard frankly partisan appeals from county Democrats -- and appeals from Republicans for a "fair shake." "We want to have two strong Democratic Senate seats," said David Marker, a Democratic activist who submitted a plan circulating in the county's now-dominant party. It would create friendly turf for incumbent state Sen. Edward J. Kasemeyer and a possible run by Councilman C. Vernon Gray, an east Columbia Democrat, whom Marker identified as a possible Senate candidate next year.

WASHINGTON - Handing President Bush an important political victory, the House voted along party lines last night to approve a patients' rights bill tailored to discourage lawsuits against HMOs that Bush says would drive up the cost of health care. Final approval of that measure, 226-203, came after a 218-213 cliffhanger to endorse a last-minute deal Bush struck Wednesday with one of the bill's chief sponsors - Georgia Republican Charlie Norwood - over the objections of Democratic leaders.

WASHINGTON - The House Budget Committee last night endorsed President Bush's blueprint for spending and tax cuts that relies on projections of huge budget surpluses from a booming economy, despite growing warnings on Wall Street that those surpluses might not materialize. The vote was 23-19 and followed party lines. Several of the majority Republicans on the committee argued that concerns about a weakening economy made it even more important to move quickly on the tax cuts. "We are clearly in the midst of an economic slowdown, but that doesn't mean we have to be a helpless victim," said Rep. Pat Toomey, a Pennsylvania Republican.