Victory on the estate tax - for now

Good news from the District of Columbia:

Senators voted Thursday to reject a Republican effort to abolish taxes on inherited estates during an election year with control of Congress at stake.

GOP leaders had pushed senators to permanently eliminate the estate tax, which disappears in 2010 under President Bush's first tax cut, but rears up again a year later.

A 57-41 vote fell three votes short of advancing the bill. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said the Senate will vote again this year on a tax that opponents call the "death tax."

Democrats, especially Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, were instrumental in ensuring today's victory. We were pleased to see that Senator Cantwell joined her fellow caucus members in voting against cloture.