Category: Republican

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Domestic Policies Payroll tax Republican Tax Tax cut United States

President Obama Calls Boehner’s Caving “Good News”

In a statement, the President praised the “good news” that Boehner and House Republicans caved on extending the Payroll tax cuts for the middle class.

“For the past several weeks, I’ve stated consistently that it was critical that Congress not go home without preventing a tax increase on 160 million working Americans. Today, I congratulate members of Congress for ending the partisan stalemate by reaching an agreement that meets that test.

Because of this agreement, every working American will keep his or her tax cut – about $1,000 for the average family. That’s about $40 in every paycheck. Vital unemployment insurance will continue for millions of Americans who are looking for work. And when Congress returns, I urge them to keep working to reach an agreement that will extend this tax cut and unemployment insurance for all of 2012 without drama or delay.

This is good news, just in time for the holidays. This is the right thing to do to strengthen our families, grow our economy, and create new jobs. This is real money that will make a real difference in people’s lives. And I want to thank every American who raised your voice to remind folks in this town what this debate was all about. It was about you. And today, your voices made all the difference.”

Indeed.

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Barack Obama Politics Republican Senate United States

Boehner Surrenders – Bad Politics Caused House Republicans To Cave On Payroll Tax Cuts

Chalk this one up as a win for the hard-working middle class families. Earlier today, John Boehner, under excruciating pressure from members of his own party, caved and agreed to the payroll tax cut bill the Senate passed last week – a move that would save  American families $1000.00 a year.

It was the kind of pressure that could make one appear red in the face!

Under a deal reached between House and Senate leaders — which Speaker John A. Boehner was presenting to the rank and file in an evening conference call — House members would accept the two-month extension of a payroll tax holiday and unemployment benefits approved by the Senate last Saturday, while the Senate would appoint members of a House-Senate conference committee to negotiate legislation to extend both benefits through 2012.

House Republicans — who rejected an almost identical deal on Tuesday on the House floor — caved in under the political rubble that accumulated over the week, much of it from members of their own party, who worried the blockade would do serious damage to the party brand heading into an election year. The new deal makes minor adjustments to make it easier for small businesses with temporary new caps on the wages that are subject to the tax relief.

On news of Boehner’s reversal, President Obama issued a statement, saying “Because of this agreement, every working American will keep his or her tax cut – about $1,000 for the average family. That’s about $40 in every paycheck. And when Congress returns, I urge them to keep working to reach an agreement that will extend this tax cut and unemployment insurance for all of 2012 without drama or delay.”

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Iowa Newt Gingrich Politics presidential Republican

We Hardly Knewt Ye!

That was close.

And scary.

The idea that Newt Gingrich might actually win the GOP presidential nomination sent shivers down the spines of enough Republicans that they actually came to their senses this week and  began to support Ron Paul in the Iowa caucus polls. As for the national trends, it looks like Mitt Romney is the betting favorite on Internet sites.

The Gingrich flirtation lasted only as long as voters knew little about what he might do in office. His tirades against the federal judiciary might play well with the ultra-conservatives, but they seem to be non-starters among the more moderate voters who will come out in later primary states. Also, his lack of organization is showing, but that shouldn’t come as a complete surprise. Gingrich never seemed to be in the race for anything other than to get his ideas in the marketplace. He succeeded. Now there’s a 50% off sticker on them and they’re not long for the discontinued bin.

Republican voters have sampled all of the candidates over the course of the last few months and they seem to be coalescing around Romney, despite conservative suspicion that he’s not fully committed to their causes. There’s a good reason for this; he’s not, but he’s the only electable candidate in the field. So that leaves us with a volatile race in Iowa with Romney, Paul (my favorite to pull out a win), Bachmann and Perry able to cobble together enough caucus voters to move on to the next set of states. Rick Santorum is getting a little love this week from evangelicals, but that will all come to naught after Iowa.

Then the serious race will begin in earnest. Depending upon what happens in the next few days, Romney will have to defend Republican obstruction that led to the end of the payroll tax cut, or he’ll have to run against it as flawed policy, despite the cut being popular among voters and economists. He’ll also have to harness the Tea Party faction that doesn’t want to compromise on anything, and is losing support, even with Republicans. Add on the fact that President Obama’s poll numbers are improving, and Mitt suddenly has a more daunting task ahead of him than he did in October (did he just announce his first major policy decision?).

But that’s all in the future. Right now, we should be thanking Newt Gingrich for a spirited campaign that ultimately showed his best days to be behind him. His rise and fall was swifter than Herman Cain’s and the reality of a Gingrich presidency was always going to present problems in a world that’s moved beyond the 1990s. Perhaps Romney can find room for Newt in his administration as, say, ambassador to Libya?

For more spirited debate, go to www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives

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Republican Satan Tid Bits

G.O.P. Satanic Worship? Well –They Have Been Pretty Nasty Lately

So — I’m searching online this Sunday afternoon looking for a ‘clean’ Republican logo image for a design I had in mind, and I came across a post at the blog site SodaHead asking the question,

 

Some of the comments were…

 

 

…and then there were some very interesting comments from other readers that linked the use of the topsy-turvy star formation to a well known underground organization…

Hey, I just report the news, I don’t make it!

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Categories
Barack Obama Mitt Romney Nikki Haley Politics Republican Rick Santorum South Carolina

Mitt Is It

I’ve said it before. And it is now painfully apparent that Republican primary voters have cycled through almost every candidate who’s running for the nomination, and they will eventually settle on Mitt. Yes, it’s possible for Jon Huntsman to have his bump, although even if he doubled his support he’d only be polling at 4%. Rick Santorum? Again, it’s possible, but just how is he different from Rick Perry? Or, perhaps more importantly, how is he the same as Rick Perry? Here’s how: both will lose.

And Mitt? Well, he just picked up the endorsement of South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, which solidifies his position in an important southern state that votes in January, even though Haley’s support is causing her problems with the local Tea Party voters.

But how do we really know that Romney is heading towards the nomination?

Intrade. That’s right. The online trading market and prediction website showed that Mitt gained almost 10 points overnight, while Newt’s number plummeted from 38 to 18. Note to Newt: When the capitalists are bailing on you, it’s time to lobby for an ambassadorship to an island with hefty security. Even worse, he’s now behind Herman Cain(!). Ouch. Of course, these numbers could change tomorrow, but I wouldn’t expect a dramatic turnaround for any of the candidates in the field.

Romney might not win the Iowa caucuses and it won’t hurt him unless he falls to fourth place. He’ll win in New Hampshire, and by then a few of the candidates will have dropped out and thrown their support behind “the eventual nominee'” who will be Romney. Conservatives will have to either grin and bear him or stay home on election day, but that will only help Barack Obama, and we all know that helping the president is just not in the GOP’s DNA.

It might be February before Gingrich’s campaign issues a DNR order, but that day will come, sooner rather than later. Then the real campaign can begin.

For more pithy,  scientific references in political analysis, visit www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives

 

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Mitt Romney Newt Gingrich Politics presidential Republican

Pot and Kettle – Mitt Romney Calls Newt Gingrich “Unreliable”

When an inconsistent flip-flopper calls you an inconsistent flip-flopper, you know you’ve got problems. This is Mitt Romney’s next message for the Republican voters, that Newt is like a chameleon experienced in changing his colors to match his surroundings.

Defending himself against charges that his own conservative credentials are suspect, the former Massachusetts governor turned the question in Gingrich’s direction and said that it is the former speaker who has strayed repeatedly from embracing conservative doctrine in recent years.

“He has been an extraordinarily unreliable leader in the conservative world—not 16 or 17 years ago but in the last two to three years,” Romney said. “And even during the campaign, the number of times he has moved from one spot to another has been remarkable. I think he’s shown a level of unreliability as a conservative leader today.”

And who’s better equipped to talk about being a switch hitter than Ol’ Mitt Romney. His flip-flops are well documented here,  here, here,  here… and we could keep going, but you get the point. So, Mitt calling Newt “extraordinarily unreliable” and moving “from one spot to another” is – to borrow a phrase from Ed Shultz – Psycho Talk!

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Donald Trump Donald Trump Politics presidential Republican

Trump May Cancel The Three Ring Circus

If no one wants to play with you, then why play with yourself?

That’s the question Donald Trump is trying to answer, as just about all the Republican presidential candidates have decided to take their marbles and run, leaving the Donald with Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. Trump is now considering cancelling the debate all together.

WASHINGTON – Business mogul Donald Trump said Friday he might scrub a presidential debate that so far has drawn only Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum.

Trump, the reality television star who has not ruled out an independent White House bid, had hoped for all of the Republican candidates to join in a debate he would moderate Dec. 27 in Iowa. Most have decided not to, leaving only Gingrich, a former House speaker, and Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator.

“I have to look into it,” Trump told Fox Business Network when asked whether he would host a two-candidate debate.

Trump was most indignant about Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann skipping out.

“She came up to see me four times. She would call me and ask me for advice,” Trump said. “She said if she wins, she would like to think about me for the vice presidency. Most importantly, I did a two-hour phone call for her with her people. … And after all that, she announced she was not going to do the debate. It’s called loyalty. How do you do that? It’s amazing to me.”

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Newt Gingrich Politics Republican

Ron Paul Attacks Newt Gingrich With The Truth

Ron Paul is doing what Mitt Romney still cannot do, attacking the Republican frontrunner (for now, that person is Newt Gingrich) in their race for the White House. This is Paul’s latest ad, pointing out some truths about Gingrich that should cause any Christian Conservative…. any human being for that matter, to take a second look.

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Newt Gingrich Politics Republican

Before Being Elected, Gingrich Already Breaking The Law

He spent his whole life in Politics, you will figure that Newt Gingrich know what he can and cannot do before being elected to office.

According to the Washington Times, Newt Gingrich, the new flavor of the month and present leader among the few trying to beat President Obama in 2012, “promised conservatives on Tuesday he would ask former U.N. Ambassador John R. Bolton to be his secretary of state if he’s elected president next year.”

But is that legal? Can Gingrich make such a promise even before the elections happen?

Apparently not!

 Here’s Title 18, Part I, Chapter 29, Section 599 of the U.S. Code:

“Whoever, being a candidate, directly or indirectly promises or pledges the appointment, or the use of his influence or support for the appointment of any person to any public or private position or employment, for the purpose of procuring support in his candidacy shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if the violation was willful, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.”

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Politics Republican

Little Boy Tells Bachmann Of His Gay Mother

She prides herself in her ability to “fix”gay people. Infact, Michele Bachmann and her husband have a business dedicated to “praying the gay away.” So one could only imagine the horror Bachmann felt, as little Elijah whispered these words in her ear, “my mother is gay and she don’t need fixing.”

The look on Bachmann’s face after the revelation was made is priceless!

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Politics Republican Rick Scott

Florida’s Rick Scott – The Most Unpopular Governor In America

Governor Rick Scott of Florida. Remember him? The Republican governor who rode into the state on his white Teaparty horse in November 2010, promising to create jobs and providing every household with an unlimited supply of manna from above? Remember him? Well it seems that Floridians have had enough of the far-right ideology that Scott promotes, and plus, the manna was too dry!

In a new PPP poll, Scott’s already low approval ratings fell even further. And according to the PPP, it is not Democrats or Independents causing the sinking feeling in Scott’s Florida – no, it is his fellow Republicans abandoning ship!

PPP Poll found;

Rick Scott has hit a new low in PPP’s Florida polling with only 26% of voters now approving of his job performance to 58% who disapprove. His previous worst numbers had come in June when he had a 33% approval rating with 59% unhappy with his performance. Scott’s numbers with Democrats are pretty much unchanged compared to then and his standing with independents has gotten a little better.  What’s really caused the bottom to drop out for him is that even Republicans are starting to really sour on his leadership. In June Scott had a 63/30 approval spread with them. That’s now dropped all the way down to 46/31.

Scott is the most unpopular Governor in the country in PPP’s polling.

Buyers remorse indeed!

Categories
Mitt Romney Politics Republican

Mitt Romney Says He’s Not A Career Politician. Let’s Go To The Video Tape

Another superb production by the DNC. This time, taking on the false claim by Republican Presidential candidate, Mitt Romney: “I didn’t spend my life in politics.”

Well, maybe not your  entire life Mitt, but a huge portion of it was spent in politics, and we’re sure if children were allowed to run for political office, you would have been first in line.

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