Political news and current events. How's life?
Oh yes, the United States government and many others around the world are still attempting to keep WikiLeaks off of the internet because of those damned embassy cables that the site posted online.
I am happy to say that those government efforts are not going so well,as many other site online have taken to mirroring the WikiLeaks site. Good for them.
You still want to keep up with the cables? Great, then go check out SaveWikiLeaks.Net to view those cables.
Posted by Micheal_d at 10:20 AM 0 comments
Not only has President Obama lied to those of us who went out and raised lots of cash for his campaign for the office which he now occupies, but the man has also shown his supporters that he is also a wimp when it comes to governing the United States. Not only is this an Obama problem,it is a problem that the Democrats have in general. A spineless group of folks who cannot stand up for what they are supposed to believe in,and they are certainly not standing up for the average joe when it comes to the major issues of importance to you and I.
Let’s take those Bush tax cuts for an example. Our president has been busting his ass in order to gain a compromise with the Republicans over the cuts for those making $250,000 a year or more. The problem with Obama and his compromise is that overall, 50 percent of those surveyed say that they only want the tax cuts extended to those making less than $250,000 a year.
So, is Obama just flat out not listening to the American people or is he just inept,or is he now also on the take? He is,after all,one of those who would benefit from those Bush tax cuts.
Frank Rich got it right in his editorial in the N.Y.Times on Sunday regarding Obama’s White House meeting with his hostage takers from across the aisle.
Hardly had this staged effusion of happy talk been disseminated than we learned of Mitch McConnell’s letter vowing to hold not just the president but the entire government hostage by blocking all legislation until the Bush-era tax cuts were extended for the top 2 percent of American households.
The captors will win this battle, if they haven’t already by the time you read this, because Obama has seemingly surrendered his once-considerable abilities to act, decide or think.
Maybe Obama should shut his so-called advisors up and learn to think for himself once again. Then again,maybe it is to late.
Posted by Micheal_d at 9:02 AM 0 comments
by Walt starr @DailyKos Sat Dec 04, 2010
The answer is simple. The votes have been taken. Let the debate end there.
All of the tax cuts expire on January 31 because Republicans are unwilling to compromise.
The GOP has handed the Democrats the single best talking point ever handed to them, and they gave it up on a silver platter.
The Republicans did not vote for tax cuts.
Fine, let them be the anti-tax cut party. It's how they voted, now let them reap the consequences of their actions.
The Democrats control the Senate and control the agenda. There's no need to ever let tax cuts for the rich make it to the floor of the Senate. No tax cuts for the rich ever need get out of any committee.
This is the single best winning issue the Democrats could have.
So let them all expire and let the blame sit where it belongs, with every Senator who voted "NO" to extending any tax cuts.
Posted by Micheal_d at 8:26 PM 3 comments
…and I should note that this was the first vote on the measure to extend that extra gift to the wealthy.
DailyKos (edited)
Nothing really reflects the absurdity of this debate better than this exchange from the morning's debate between Senators Schumer and Grassley. The Dems argue on facts, the Republicans argue nonsense, and will win the day. On behalf of billionaires. Against the rest of the country.
Mr. Schumer: I thank my colleague. And through the chair, I'd simply like to ask my colleague this. I understand we have a different point of view here. We both care about deficit reduction. Could he please explain to me why it is okay to take $300 billion of tax cuts for those at the highest income levels, above a million, and not pay for it and yet we have to pay for unemployment insurance ex extension?
Mr. Grassley: I thought I made that point very clear, because the taxpayers are smarter than we in Congress are. They know that they give another dollar to us to spend and it's a license to spend $1.15. So it just increases the national debt. And when it comes to paying for unemployment compensation, we can pay for unemployment compensation because the stimulus bill was supposed to stimulate the economy and it's not being spent. And if you put money from stimulus into unemployment, you don't increase the deficit and you'll also have the money spent right away.
Mr. Schumer: I would just say that the answer doesn't deal with deficit reduction. If you care about deficit reduction, the two should be treated equally. A dollar of tax break for millionaire and a dollar of increased unemployment benefits increases the deficit the same amount. However, every economist -- I saw we had a chart up about economists before -- will tell you that a dollar into unemployment benefits stimulates the economy about four times as much as a dollar into tax decreases for millionaires. That's pretty universal. Mark Zandy, John McCain's economic advisor during his campaign, said that a dollar of tax breaks for millionaires stimulates the economy about 30 cents worth. A dollar of tax -- a dollar of unemployment benefits increases the economy by about $1.62.
The fact that Republicans will be able to obstruct the Dem package today does not change any of the facts that extending the tax cuts for millionaires will continue to cost the country, dearly. Maybe instead of negotiating with the
terroristsSenate Republicans, it's time for President Obama to start talking about the veto pen.The first vote is happening now. For the highlights of the debate, check out the liveblog.
Update: Ok, then. As of now, Senators Feingold, Webb, Ben Nelson, Manchin, and Lieberman vote with the GOP on the first vote. That really helps. Presumably, Feingold did it because he doesn't want any of the cuts to be extended. Fails 53-36.
Update 2: We now know what the definition of "middle class" is for Senators Manchin, Ben Nelson, and Webb--$1 million in income. They all voted yes on the Schumer amendment. There were more no votes among Dems on this one--Feingold, Rockefeller, Harkin, and Durbin voted against it, as did Lieberman. Fails 53-37.
It's not clear at the moment what happens next with the tax cuts. Presumably, negotiations continue.
And in other business. Reid says that there will be cloture votes on DREAM Act, 911 firefighter health, firefighter collective bargaining and $250 cola for seniors on Wednesday.
Posted by Micheal_d at 11:30 AM 0 comments
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