By Pete Kasperowicz 

 

With Christmas less than two weeks away, House Democrats in particular are ramping up their use of metaphors involving the Grinch who stole Christmas and Ebenezer Scrooge as they look to make their criticism of House Republicans more timely for the holiday season.

 

"Americans across this country can tune into C-SPAN and watch our own version of the Grinch and Ebenezer Scrooge and Henry Potter, our House holiday humbugs right here on the floor of the House of Representatives," Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.) said Wednesday morning, in reference to the House GOP's payroll tax bill that was approved over Democratic objections.

 

"In this end-of-the-year drama, Republicans play the role of the Grinch who stole Christmas," Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) added Wednesday morning.

 

On Tuesday, Edwards called Republicans "the Grinch" because they want to "deny an unemployment check" to the unemployed. That same day, Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) said the GOP solution to the economy "would do Ebenezer Scrooge proud."

 

On Dec. 6, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) offered the somewhat hazy comment that "Scrooge would not find a place of comfort in this House."

And on Dec. 1, Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) said, "Like the Grinch who stole Christmas, the Republican majority with devilish grins are tipping through Whoville or, in this case, across the country attempting to steal the holiday cheer from hardworking Americans with these tortured rationales as to why they oppose these much and desperately needed benefits, while continuing simultaneously to work to ensure that the rich get richer through maintaining tax cuts."

 

While use of the Grinch and Scrooge are natural for Democrats looking to cast Republicans as tight-fisted when it comes to federal spending, one of these low-hanging fruits of holiday metaphors were also used this week by a Republican. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) read a list of holiday wishes that Americans want that reflected GOP goals for the year, many of which were included in the payroll tax bill.

 

"To my colleagues, don't be a Grinch," she said. "Please help grant America's holiday wishes."

 

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