The House today passed 234-188 a permanent extension of Bush’s tax cuts for those making $250,000 or less. A handful of Dems – mostly moderates and surviving Blue Dogs — defected and voted against the measure, which was, essentially, sock puppet theater for the benefit of the Democratic base. Even if the Senate takes a [...]
The House Republicans’ best-known budget big-thinker, Paul Ryan, is saying he finds the new proposal from President Obama’s fiscal commission an unacceptable step “backwards.” Unlike some other conservatives, who are focusing on the specter of possible tax hikes, Ryan’s big complaint has to do with health care. He’s right that the budget’s most voracious program [...]
In recent days, anti-corruption investigators in Nigeria have told reporters that they plan to bring charges against former Vice President Dick Cheney in connection with a $180 million bribery scheme undertaken by Cheney’s former company, Halliburton. This case has already been litigated in U.S. courts. Halliburton, which Cheney left in 2000, has admitted to wrongdoing [...]
This morning, Sen. John McCain addressed a panel of military brass at an Armed Services Committee hearing, where he explained again his opposition to changing the U.S. military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. At this time, we should be inherently cautious about making any changes that would affect our military, and what changes we do [...]
About 20,000 people are expected to attend lower-calorie White House holiday parties this year.
Combing through records compiled by the spending watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste, Hotline‘s Reid Wilson writes that members of the 52-person Congressional Tea Party Caucus requested more than $1 billion in earmarks during the 2010 fiscal year. From Wilson’s piece: [...]the 52 members of the caucus, which pledges to cut spending and reduce the [...]
It comes by way of Goldman Sachs, which Adam flagged below, but is worth reproducing in part: The US growth outlook has brightened significantly in recent weeks. As a result, we have raised our sights for 2011, calling for real GDP growth to average 2.7% for the year versus 2.0% previously. We expect growth to [...]
Former Missouri state treasurer Sarah Steelman announced her challenge to Senator Claire McCaskill on Wednesday. Jim Talent, who held the seat before McCaskill did, is reportedly close to joining the race himself. It’s the very beginning of what’s likely to be a long, crowded and wild 2012 primary season for Republicans nationwide. Here’s why: There [...]
Steny Hoyer, the House Democrats’ #2, announced today that there will be a vote Thursday on extending just the middle class tax cuts, not the tax cuts for the richest 2 percent. This is exactly what liberals have been advocating for weeks, with online spots like this one. The second part of the liberal gambit, [...]
