He had already insisted on getting rid of the proposed BTU tax and wanted a "compromise" that would have dropped all the new taxes on the wealthy and make up the money by capping Medicare and Medicaid and getting rid of Clinton's planned EITC for the poor. He, like Bob Kerrey and many others, were obsessed with "fixing" social security and other "entitlements" in order to cure the deficit.
But there was one thing he believed in more than anything else:
From The Agenda
:Gore asked, what did Boren want changed in the plan in order to secure his vote?No Republican voted for the plan. Clinton knew that he would never get any Republicans to vote for a plan to raise taxes on the wealthy after the handful who had done so in 1990 were burned at the stake by the conservative movement. But sure, they would have voted for a "compromise" that raised no taxes, dropped all investment in infrastructure, any help for the poor and capped spending on the sick to cure the deficit. That's bipartisanship, village-style.
Like a little list? Boren asked.
Yeah, Gore said.
Boren said he didn't have little list. Raising the gas tax a nickel or cutting it a nickel or anything like that wouldn't do it, he said. He had given his list to Moynihan like everybody else in the Finance Committee. It was over and done with, and Boren likened himself to a free agent in baseball. "I have the luxury of standing back here and looking at this," Boren said. His test would be simple: Would it work? If not, it didn't serve the national interest.
Gore said he was optimistic for the first time.
Boren shot back. "There's nothing you can do for me or to me that will influence my decision on this matter." he added. "I'm going to make it on the basis of what I think is right or wrong."
Nobody responded for a moment. Clinton then stepped in. Why didn't Boren think it was in the national interest? he asked.
It wasn't bipartisan, Boren answered. To be successful in this country it had been demonstrated over and over, an effort had to be bipartisan, Clinton had even said so himself, Boren pointed out. Even most optimists, Boren said, thought they were still not even halfway there.
Bob Kerrey eventually agreed to vote for the plan making it a 50-50 tie --- which Al Gore broke, passing the plan. (It passed by one vote in the House, as well.)
Right after the vote Kerrey went on the Senate floor said:
"My heart aches with the conclusion that I will vote yes for a bill which challenges Americans too little.
"President Clinton, if you're watching now, as I suspect you are, I tell you this: I could not and should not cast a vote that brings down the presidency...
"Get back on the high road, Mr President,"Kerrey proclaimed. Taxing the wealthy was simply "political revenge," he said. "Our fiscal problems exist because of rapid, uncontrolled growth in the programs that primarily benefit the middle class." Clinton needed to return to the theme of shared sacrifice, he said, and should have said no to the deals and compromises.
And then he went back on his word to Clinton that he wouldn't demand a bipartisan commission to study how to cut all those middle class "entitlements."
David Broder loves David Boren and Bob Kerrey and thinks the country is best served by rabid conservative ideologues and preening Democratic narcissists who lay down for Republicans and fight their own president every step of the way if he wants to enact any kind of progressive legislation. That's called "getting things done."