House GOP has manuevered itself into a dead end
“You’ve always been crazy, this is just the first chance you’ve had to express yourself.”
– Louise to Thelma
——————————-
Even the folks on the Wall Street Journal editorial board understand that the House GOP is acting suicidal, noting that the squabble with Senate Republicans has turned into a “circular firing squad” and that “the political rout will only get worse” unless they concede the standoff with President Obama.
“At this stage, Republicans would do best to cut their losses and find a way to extend the payroll holiday quickly. Then go home and return in January with a united House-Senate strategy that forces Democrats to make specific policy choices that highlight the differences between the parties on spending, taxes and regulation. Wisconsin freshman Senator Ron Johnson has been floating a useful agenda for such a strategy. The alternative is more chaotic retreat and the return of all-Democratic rule.”
But Thelma and Louise, also known as John Boehner and Eric Cantor, show no signs of altering course, as the New York Times reports:
“Mr. Boehner of Ohio, the first-year speaker who has struggled throughout 2011 to corral his members, said House Republicans would not relent and accept a two-month extension of the tax cut that was approved by the Senate on Saturday as a way to buy time for a more permanent solution. He instead named members to a committee to negotiate a new agreement with the Senate, which adjourned Saturday….
Mr. Boehner called Mr. Obama to summon the Senate back to Washington to bargain with House Republicans despite the approach of the holidays. “I just think the American people expect us to do our work,” Mr. Boehner said.
But he was rebuffed by Mr. Obama, and by House and Senate Democrats, who said they would appoint no counterparts to Mr. Boehner’s newly named negotiators. And more Republican senators who voted for the Senate bill urged Mr. Boehner to get his lawmakers to do the same, saying the ugly fight was damaging both Republicans and the already badly battered Congress.
“It is harming the Republican Party,” Senator John McCain of Arizona said in an interview on CNN. “It is harming the view, if it’s possible anymore, of the American people about Congress. And we’ve got to get this thing resolved and with the realization that the payroll tax cut must remain in effect.”
Obama and the Democrats must think it’s Christmas or something.
– Jay Bookman
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1,134 comments Add your comment
Common Sense isn't very Common
December 21st, 2011
9:27 am
Adam @ 9:22 am
It can be done by adding back the percent extra that was taken.
But for those proclaiming that it is a nightmare. It isn’t. The remittance to the gov. would be the problem. but since it is done quarterly not much of an issue.
josef
December 21st, 2011
9:27 am
Well, and a cheery good morning to all from your sorry-low-down-good-for-nothing blog relative gubment employee with a couple of weeks off at the taxpayers’ expense. Thank you very much, and Happy Birthday Baby Jesus! It’s still Christmas Break no matter what the heathens amongst us insist we call it…
Thelma and Louise? That’s about the size of it. Good one, Imam, even though I ought not to be speaking to you after you got me in trouble last night and left me to duel banjoes with the Strawman…
Granny
Question: if Mr. GG is a dude and you’re a dudette, are your offspring dudelings?
Normal…great story from the ggkid!
USinUK–if the Newt goes in, will the Brits offer some of us political refugee status?
Not a Neal Boortz Redneck
December 21st, 2011
9:28 am
Budgets are nearly worthless.
All tax receipts (income) and 90% of appropriations are set on auto-pilot. Sequestration will be far more important than a budget.
Normal
December 21st, 2011
9:28 am
Maker (non-gov’t/union worker)
December 21st, 2011
9:11 am
Just keep smoking that “wacky tobaccy”….
USinUK
December 21st, 2011
9:29 am
“would rather mock people who don’t drink their Democrat/Republican kool-aid:”
um, understanding what the 3 branches of government are has isn’t Dem/GOP kool-aid … it’s founding father kool-aid …
but I admire that you’re willing to boldly throw your ignorance out before the world … and continue to stand by it.
you just go.
Normal
December 21st, 2011
9:29 am
Grand morning to you, Josef.
Did I get my last answer right? Wounded Knee?
Adam
December 21st, 2011
9:30 am
RB: You’re expecting rational debate from Granny and you’re no more likely to get it than countless other posters who’ve tried for years. Don’t bother.
Riiiiiiight. Because “Democrats had full control and could pass anything they wanted!” is rational discussion. Oh sure, THIS TIME you took out the hyperbole, but it’s basically the same thing. Having a majority in the Senate does not equal control, nor does having exactly 58 Democrats and two Independents that all voted together with the Republicans voting against EXACTLY ONCE (after watering down said bill enough to make it palatable to ConservaDems). If you really want RATIONAL discussion, you would discuss all the nuances. Instead, we get “Democrats had ‘control,’ therefore they are FULLY responsible for anything that passes or doesn’t pass.”
USinUK
December 21st, 2011
9:30 am
josef – 9:27 – everyone can come stay at our house …
godless heathen
December 21st, 2011
9:31 am
Ronald Reagan spent Christmas in the White House so that his Secret Service people and his staff could spend the holiday with their families.
SPC
December 21st, 2011
9:31 am
Stupidity on top of stupidity. Is it any wonder we’re in the mess we’re in?
Mighty Righty
December 21st, 2011
9:31 am
It aggravates me to have to agree with Jay, but this is one of the few times he has been correct. Hey Jay, how about a column on how the Taliban is not our enemy as the Obama administraton thinks?
Keep Up the Good Fight!
December 21st, 2011
9:33 am
josef…. will this make you feel better:
On December 6, President Obama issued a memorandum stating that he was “directing all agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons,” an initiative that includes combating criminalization of LGBT status by foreign governments and enhancing efforts to protect LGBT asylum seekers.
WorldNetDaily’s Bob Unruh, who is apparently its correspondent from Bizarro World, offered this, um, unique interpretation of the memo in a December 7 article headlined “Obama offers plan for U.S. to be global LGBT sex cop: Wants to import homosexuals with special asylum privileges”
All part of the plan to make LGBT a majority in this country!
But just for USinUK, no log cabins!
TaxPayer
December 21st, 2011
9:33 am
Perhaps the house Republicans should publicly announce a change to the Senate bill to do nothing but increase the payroll tax holiday from 2 to 12 months since that is clearly the only issue they have with it. Go for it.
Adam
December 21st, 2011
9:33 am
Mighty Righty: Hey Jay, how about a column on how the Taliban is not our enemy as the Obama administraton thinks?
Ok, people often use this sarcastically, but I’m serious. I would like to see you write a column on this on your own blog or place of writing, because I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.
Rightwing Troll
December 21st, 2011
9:34 am
Irony – The Newtster on TV whining about what the Mitten’s superpac is doing to his campaign.
It’ll be soon. Newt can only contain himself for so long before his true inner Newt shows back up. He’s got some pretty good (sounding) ideas in that bulbous, narcissistic head of his, but a zebra can’t change his stripes, and Newt can’t not be Newt for long.
Not a Neal Boortz Redneck
December 21st, 2011
9:34 am
George W. Bush and his Enron buddies were very cozy with the Taliban, Mighty Righty.
That Afghan pipeline was the Keystone XL of their day.
It's laughable
December 21st, 2011
9:34 am
that the GOP and Dems think that they can get things done without some compromise. I mean, 50% of the country is democratic and 50% is republican. it’s lunacy to think that one party can ram their agenda through without considering the wishes and needs of half the country. and it goes both ways
Adam
December 21st, 2011
9:35 am
TaxPayer: Perhaps the house Republicans should publicly announce a change to the Senate bill to do nothing but increase the payroll tax holiday from 2 to 12 months since that is clearly the only issue they have with it. Go for it.
I know, that would call them out wouldn’t it? That’s NOT the issue they have. The issue they have is they don’t want to extend it at all, unless they can extract more from the Democrat side. Negotiations and all that.
sam
December 21st, 2011
9:35 am
boehner may be the worst speaker ever. good golfer, bad leader
Not a Neal Boortz Redneck
December 21st, 2011
9:36 am
How long before Newt calls Willard a “Mormon Fascist anti-American”?
Normal
December 21st, 2011
9:36 am
Josef, USinUK,
“USinUK–if the Newt goes in, will the Brits offer some of us political refugee status?”
In one year from February 2012, I can collect SS and retire. With my Military retirement and SS, I was thinking of moving to St. Croix. But If Newt does get in, I’ll help build the bridge to Britain…
AmVet - Pa rum pum pum pum, cons are dumb
December 21st, 2011
9:36 am
heathen, that is only because he couldn’t find his way out of the building. (grin)
josef, you neer-do-well, mooching off of the rest of us!
Granny Godzilla
December 21st, 2011
9:36 am
RB from Gwinnett
December 21st, 2011
9:26 am
“@ Granny – what is the lie? Did the Democrats not have control of the White House, Senate, and House for 2 years?”
Don’t waste your time. You’re expecting rational debate from Granny and you’re no more likely to get it than countless other posters who’ve tried for years. Don’t bother.
NOW NOW RB…
You know that rational debate one must have a rational premise.
And old what’s his name up there didn’t have one.
then again that may be one of the gozillion things you don’t know…
facts hurt
December 21st, 2011
9:36 am
Yeah! Obama and the Democrats win the political fights like children. But American’s continue to drift without a leader.
USinUK
December 21st, 2011
9:36 am
Godless – 9:31 – okay, I’ll bite –
where’d you find that little nugget???
mmm, mmm, mmm, Barack the Liar Obama - BEND OVER, Here comes the CHANGE!
December 21st, 2011
9:37 am
Hawaii or DC? $4 MILLION tax payer dollars? One of them is out of touch, you decide. Here’s a hint, he has BIG EARS and will be ONE TERM. MERRY CHRISTmas!
willydoit?
December 21st, 2011
9:37 am
For once, I have to agree with the democrats!!
we can not afford a tax cut and we want to pay more..our fair share!
Wait a minute!
Now the democrats want to keep the tax cuts and don’t want to pay their fair share???
Politics is so confusing!!
Adam
December 21st, 2011
9:37 am
Normal: But If Newt does get in, I’ll help build the bridge to Britain…
You’ll never get the funding
Adam
December 21st, 2011
9:38 am
I like how people think leadership is “do everything my way or else.” No wonder you’re not in leadership positions yourselves….
yuzeyurbrane
December 21st, 2011
9:38 am
Even in Georgia, this suicidal behavior will be for naught unless middle class voters turn out next November and vote these scoundrels out of office. It will be good for the country and even good for the Republican Party to return to sanity.
Rightwing Troll
December 21st, 2011
9:38 am
Andy’s back!
stands for decibels
December 21st, 2011
9:39 am
Riiiiiiight. Because “Democrats had full control and could pass anything they wanted!” is rational discussion.
Yeah, I only occasionally bother to correct that one. An accurate statement would be to say that Democrats had theoretical control over two of three branches of government for about a year, until MA’s senate seat changed hands. That control depended on the tender mercies of a guy who had actively campaigned for John McCain, who had a serious grudge against the Democrats for denying him a primary win in 2006.
Without Joementum’s say so, nothing got done.
So yeah, that was the “total Democrat control” our conservative brethren love to bring up. Over and freaking over again.
facts hurt
December 21st, 2011
9:39 am
@Not a Neal Boortz Redneck
“George W. Bush and his Enron buddies were very cozy with the Taliban, Mighty Righty.”
You mean the Enron scandal that occurred under Bill Clinton’s administration? Check your facts you stupid tool.
godless heathen
December 21st, 2011
9:40 am
USinUK. Heard it on MSNBC, so it might not be true.
AmVet: Or maybe he forgot where home was.
stands for decibels
December 21st, 2011
9:41 am
anyway, gotta go run in this soup.
back later, maybe, kids. Be excellent to one another.
Not a Neal Boortz Redneck
December 21st, 2011
9:41 am
Enron imploded in 2002 – that is the fact.
They were working on the Afghan pipeline with Dumbya and the Taliban in 1999.
SAm
December 21st, 2011
9:42 am
I thought “Greed is good!” was the national motto.
godless heathen
December 21st, 2011
9:42 am
Tax cut extension? We don’t need no tax cut extension. The Federal Government needs more revenue so it continue to do its good works.
Adam
December 21st, 2011
9:42 am
stands: The “didn’t pass a budget” canard is old too. As though keeping the previous budget isn’t EXACTLY part of what they want, a freezing of government spending at certain levels. Sure, it would be nice to pass a budget that reduced spending on some things, but can you guess what would happen to a budget that didn’t gut SS, Medicare, and give lots to DoD? It would be filibustered. No point in even bothering.
Jm
December 21st, 2011
9:43 am
Common 9:17
Nope. The internets. Looking for an 18 inch dobsonian. May have to wait another year before the wife green lights it.
BW
December 21st, 2011
9:43 am
I love how presidential leadership has now been defined as usurping Congress and ruling by fiat. The President should “lead” a Republican House and a filibuster-prone Senate to passing solutions for America. Sweet jeebus!
stands for decibels
December 21st, 2011
9:43 am
one other thing…
Hawaii or DC? $4 MILLION tax payer dollars?
refresh my memory, and I’ll take the answer off line… what’d it cost to fly Preznit Chimpy McWarHard-on & his crew to his fake ranch in Crawford all those times?
They BOTh suck
December 21st, 2011
9:44 am
FACTS HURT
Guess you missed the time Bush said he didn’t know Kenny Boy Lay, but it was found he sent him a birtday or Christmas card when he was Governor and signed called him by his little nick name (you know you loved his nicknames)…
“Kenny Boy Lay”
Wasn’t that sweet of Dubya?
Not a Neal Boortz Redneck
December 21st, 2011
9:44 am
2001 -
“The Enron scandal, revealed in October 2001, eventually led to the bankruptcy of the Enron Corporation, an American energy company based in Houston, Texas, and the dissolution of Arthur Andersen, which was one of the five largest audit and accountancy partnerships in the world. In addition to being the largest bankruptcy reorganization in American history at that time, Enron was attributed as the biggest audit failure.[1]”
Wiki.
Kenny Boy was a big Bush donor.
Bill Orvis White
December 21st, 2011
9:44 am
Dear honorable Mr. Speaker and honorable Majority Leader Cantor:
Onward my Christian soldier, honorable Speaker Boehner. WE THE PEOPLE in the Tea Party were upset with you earlier this year, but it looks like you got your strength back. Stand up for your rightful principles and you know that with the help of the Lord Almighty, you will be set on the righteous path to saving this once-free nation.
To my Hebrew friend, Mr. Cantor who I had the pleasure of sitting near at a prayer breakfast several years ago: I know that you know that you are doing the right thing by cutting through the extreme liberal media filter to disseminate the truth. What is the truth? The truth is that the rightful GOP wishes to extend the payroll taxation levels for one year, but would like to create over 20,000 jobs in the process. This so-called “president” does not wish to create jobs. Instead, “he” wishes to expand the largess of government in the form of Social Insecurity, Mediraid, Mediscare and unemployment “benefits.” Please let the once-free nation and the world know that you are dedicated to creating real jobs, real growth, real prosperity, a culture of life and a return to the values that made this once-free nation great! We have a Marxist in the White House who will be easily defeated in less than one year by either the honorable Speaker Gingrich or the honorable Governor Romney. But, you know something, I cannot wait that long. I would like to start hiring workers now. Unfortunately, I will have to wait until January 2013.
Amen,
Merry Christmas,
Bill
USinUK
December 21st, 2011
9:45 am
Godless – considering Reagan took 112 vacation days at his Santa Barbara ranch, I find it highly unlikely that at least one of those vacations wasn’t during Cmas
and you seem to forget – Joe Scarborough is on msnbc -
sam
December 21st, 2011
9:46 am
Willard is in fact a mormom facist anti-american
USinUK
December 21st, 2011
9:46 am
Jm – are you far enough out of a city so that you don’t have a lot of light pollution?
They BOTh suck
December 21st, 2011
9:46 am
facts…. lets not get to far off base from the original article, but figured I would give you just a little food for thought…. Good day
Lay, who President Bush affectionately referred to as “Kenny-boy” when the two forged an alliance in the 1990s to advance Bush’s political ambitions and Lay’s business prospects, contributed $122,500 to Bush’s gubernatorial campaigns in Texas. Lay would later explain to a PBS “Frontline” interviewer that, though he had worked closely with former Texas Governor Ann Richards, the Democrat incumbent who Bush challenged in 1994, he backed the Republican because “I was very close to George W.”
Needless to say, once Bush became governor, Lay got his phone calls returned. A report issued by Public Citizen in February, 2001, months before the Enron scandal broke, identified Lay as “a long-time Bush family friend and an architect of Bush’s policies on electricity deregulation, taxes and tort reform while Bush was Texas governor.”
No wonder Lay had Enron give $50,000 to pay for Bush’s second inaugural party in Austin in 1999 — a showcase event that was organized by Karl Rove and others to help the Texas governor step onto the national political stage.
After Bush gave Enron exactly what it wanted in 1999, by signing legislation that deregulated the state’s electrical markets, Lay knew he had found his candidate for president.
Common Sense isn't very Common
December 21st, 2011
9:46 am
Jm – be careful throwing about words like 18 inch dobsonian. Calista may hear about you
USinUK
December 21st, 2011
9:48 am
Common – 9:46 – or Mrs. Dr. Dobson …
josef
December 21st, 2011
9:49 am
Normal
Yep. Wounded Knee.
USinUK
I’ll just get the Romany Lady to get me a caravan…but if we need a place to park it…
good fight
Looks good on the surface…til you take a look at what’s being sent to such havens of gay security as Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Uganda…like a lot of the rest of his stuff, all hat and no cattle…
And actually I feel fine..I’m in a good mood as per the better nature of my fellow human beings…
TaxPayer
December 21st, 2011
9:50 am
how about a column on how the Taliban is not our enemy as the Obama administraton thinks?
But they are not our enemy, are they!
kreedham
December 21st, 2011
9:50 am
You know you folks could get new Congressmen next year….if you have to vote for 1 party get someone to run against the incumbent. In Georgia there are none worth sending back. Gingrey, Price, Westmoreland, Lewis, Broun, Bishop….replace em all!
oldtimer
December 21st, 2011
9:51 am
Why not just extend for the year and be done. This is driving smalll firms mad…
Not a Neal Boortz Redneck
December 21st, 2011
9:52 am
Enron was also responsible for the rolling blackouts in California – they bribed energy producers to cut production at peak times and then sold energy at 500% mark-ups to desperate providers.
Bush could pick em!
Kamchak
December 21st, 2011
9:52 am
Did someone say caravan?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4XKHkzDggk
Obozonomics
December 21st, 2011
9:52 am
I think it is funny how you liberal losers always fail to mention that this bill has OVER 7 Billion is DEMOCRATIC earmarks, but that is par for the course for liberals….If they want to pass this bill why not do it like this;
“The payroll tax shall be extended for 1 year”
Then vote on it…but wait where is the pork?????
Strawman
December 21st, 2011
9:52 am
LOL. Hate to tell you this, Jay, but Kyle clearly got the better of you today:
“No one is completely in the right in the Washington-wide temper tantrum over extending the payroll-tax holiday. I don’t understand how Senate Republicans — who voted in large numbers for a two-month extension of the holiday — could have been so far out of step with House Republicans who insist on the year-long extension they’ve already passed.
That said, I have a hard time understanding the sudden conventional wisdom that public opinion about the situation will favor:
a) Senate Democrats, who want to enact a two-month extension offset by a tax on middle-class mortgagees and then spend even more time early next year arguing about the very same issue rather than moving on to other issues — rather than enacting a one-year extension offset by the exact same tax on middle-class mortgagees as well as a reduction in welfare and entitlement benefits for wealthy Americans and illegal immigrants, a pay freeze for federal workers, the auctioning of some wireless spectrum, and a few smaller items;
and/or
b) President Obama, who has repeatedly said he wants a full-year extension of the payroll-tax holiday but who, rather than castigating the Senate for passing only a two-month extension, instead is being nakedly partisan in castigating the House for sticking to its year-long extension.
Other than the length of the extension, there is very little substantive difference between the two bills except for the offsets, which is natural given that a year-long extension requires more offsets than a two-month extension. And there is very little in the House’s list of offsets that could be considered widely controversial.
And then there’s the fact that neutral experts say a two-month extension would be a nightmare for smaller firms to implement.”
Maybe you should have given a bit more thought to your piece.
Stevie Ray
December 21st, 2011
9:56 am
JAY
I understand from an OLDCOWBOY’s post at 8:52 that you have love for sale….if so, I am feeling a bit frisky this morning…
Another thoughtful post from a less than thoughtful contestant…
RB from Gwinnett
December 21st, 2011
9:56 am
How about one of you lemming liberals explain to us why we should be happy about only getting a 2 month extension on this tax deal? Why 2 months anyway? Why not 1 or 4? And then we can have this same stupid conversation again in 2 months?
I’m sure that pile of crap sounds rational to you lemmings, but dang….
Adam
December 21st, 2011
9:57 am
I think it is funny how you liberal losers always fail to mention that this bill has OVER 7 Billion is DEMOCRATIC earmarks
Care to name just 5? Should be easy, considering there are 7 BILLION.
Stevie Ray
December 21st, 2011
9:58 am
As usual, there is of course three sides to the extension story….of which only two are offered.
ADAM,
I’m confused how you posit that a federal budget is not important…can you help a brother out? Seems reckless and political to me but I’m always interested in learning…
Strawman
December 21st, 2011
9:59 am
“And then we can have this same stupid conversation again in 2 months?”
Well, now that we are NOT talking about raising the debt ceiling, Obama apparently is okay with short term solutions. The hypocrisy is glaring.
Ol' Times
December 21st, 2011
9:59 am
Boehner has got his manhood in a vice with Grover Norquist and the oligarchs on the one side squeezing and the working class stiffs who are getting tired of being screwed on the other.
And, in a situation like this, there’s only two things Boehner can do: 1. blame the President, and 2. have a bottle of Merlot.
I’ve said all along that a year is a lifetime in presidential politics and, given their need to be partisan, provocative and over-the-top, the GOTP will alienate themselves from anyone with an IQ over 40.
harvey
December 21st, 2011
9:59 am
Republicans are trying to stem the bleeding in this country, and the borrowing. To defund social security by allowing the payroll tax extension is a short term solution to a long term problem. Like putting a bandaid on someone who is bleeding internally. We need people who will stand up for what is right and we need to understand money doesn’t grow on trees.
bookman parrott
December 21st, 2011
9:59 am
Democraps good, umgowwa; Repubs bad, umgowwa.
Adam
December 21st, 2011
9:59 am
RB: How about one of you lemming liberals explain to us why we should be happy about only getting a 2 month extension on this tax deal? Why 2 months anyway? Why not 1 or 4? And then we can have this same stupid conversation again in 2 months?
I’m NOT happy with that. But if it is 2 months vs 0 months, I’ll take 2 months. Because it damn sure isn’t 2 months vs 12, no matter how much your reps want you to think it is. This is all about taking a tax cut away from the President, and trying to use the propaganda machine to later say Obama is at fault because he can’t “lead.” It doesn’t work on most people. I’m sorry for the gullible ones.
godless heathen
December 21st, 2011
10:00 am
I don’t know USinUK. They didn’t say every Christmas, but IMHO, if he only stayed in DC for one Christmas so that his staff and security could be with their families, it was mighty damn considerate.
I’m not one that begrudges the POTUS his “vacation” time because he is never really on vacation. It’s a 24/7 job. I do think President Obama has a perception problem when he gives a speech about shared sacrifice and then the missus has to head out to Hawaii a couple of days before the President, greatly increasing the cost. Does it enter his head, “You know this won’t look good?” But I guess when you consider yourself one of the 4 best Presidents ever and all your dog washers assure you that reelection is a certainty, why care?
Peter
December 21st, 2011
10:00 am
Wow……… Bin Laden’s dead, Iraq War basically over, un-employment coming down, the economy is picking up speed, and now folks want to help the middle class for a change……..gosh what will happen next ?
PROSPERITY FOR ALL in the USA ?
Looks like the Right is coming un-glued, and Newt and Romney behaving in funny ways.
By November 2012 if all keeps up, Obama will win in a landslide victory !
John K
December 21st, 2011
10:00 am
Blame the American people. They’re the ones who elected these tea bag idiots.
harvey
December 21st, 2011
10:01 am
It will take businesses 4 months to gear up their payroll systems to figure out the 2 month extension effect. Hasn’t anyone in Congress ever run a business? This is totally irrational.
Adam
December 21st, 2011
10:01 am
Stevie Ray: ’m confused how you posit that a federal budget is not important…can you help a brother out? Seems reckless and political to me but I’m always interested in learning…
The budget is the last one that was passed with whatever auto-adjustments get made, until a new one is passed. So, for now, the last passed budget is the one we follow.
So, there isn’t “no budget.” There’s just no NEW budget.
wreckmaniac
December 21st, 2011
10:01 am
Can the president and the Supreme Court nullify the credentials of this congress ? We can impeach the president. Can the president and/or the court impeach Congress ? Why are we forced to pay for the continuation of this farce we call Congress ?
TaxPayer
December 21st, 2011
10:02 am
Funny how that original bill submitted to the senate by the house had a little more to it than a simple payroll tax cut. Perhaps the house should have actually given the senate a simple bill that did nothing more than extend the payroll tax cut for 12 months if that is truly what they claim to want.
Steve - USA
December 21st, 2011
10:02 am
Looks like Obama has lost one fan.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/21/matt-damon-slams-obama-democrats-one-term-balls_n_1162511.html
“I’ve talked to a lot of people who worked for Obama at the grassroots level. One of them said to me, ‘Never again. I will never be fooled again by a politician,’” Damon tells the magazine. “You know, a one-term president with some balls who actually got stuff done would have been, in the long run of the country, much better.”
Peter
December 21st, 2011
10:02 am
Ha ha ha bookman parrott …….. Sounds like Repubs dumb….. umgowwa.
Adam
December 21st, 2011
10:03 am
godless heathen: I do think President Obama has a perception problem when he gives a speech about shared sacrifice and then the missus has to head out to Hawaii a couple of days before the President, greatly increasing the cost. Does it enter his head, “You know this won’t look good?”
So in order to “look good” the President and his wife and children must all go on vacation at the same time, or not at all, all because the President has to stay in Washington to make a point?
Why begrudge the family a chance to have their vacation? Why make the ACTUAL children suffer because Congress are acting like children? Are you saying the first family should fly coach with no security?
josef
December 21st, 2011
10:04 am
K’chak
Thanks for that! Love that piece…
Peter
December 21st, 2011
10:04 am
Hey harvey……Republicans are trying to stem the bleeding in this country, and the borrowing ?
Really ? Did that start just the other day ? Or with Bush ?
Dekalb comments
December 21st, 2011
10:04 am
To those posters that think the President isn’t showing leadership here I call you out.
The president has articulated his view that a 12 month extension is needed to keep the fragile recovery alive. The Senate Democrats were successful in working with the Senate Republics to get a temporary extension. The calculus was the two parties are still too far apart to agree on a funding mechanism for a 12 month extension but that something needed to be done to prevent taxes from going up on the majority of Americans in less than 2 weeks.
McConnell allegedly had an agreement with Boehner on the proposal but now Boehner boy cannot control the renegades in his own party. This isn’t about the president behaving like a schoolboy. This is about Teabagger Republics acting like toddlers that haven’t had their afternoon naps. Grow up.
Dekalb comments
December 21st, 2011
10:04 am
To those posters that think the President isn’t showing leadership here I call you out.
The president has articulated his view that a 12 month extension is needed to keep the fragile recovery alive. The Senate Democrats were successful in working with the Senate Republics to get a temporary extension. The calculus was the two parties are still too far apart to agree on a funding mechanism for a 12 month extension but that something needed to be done to prevent taxes from going up on the majority of Americans in less than 2 weeks.
McConnell allegedly had an agreement with Boehner on the proposal but now Boehner boy cannot control the renegades in his own party. This isn’t about the president behaving like a schoolboy. This is about Teabagger Republics acting like toddlers that haven’t had their afternoon naps. Grow up.
Paul
December 21st, 2011
10:05 am
I read the first page of comments and did not see one articulate defense of House Republicans’ actions. Oh, I read a few whines and talking points, but nothing addressing the concerns of the Sen McCains of the Senate.
Did I miss anything on the following three pages?
Now for off-topic: Pres Clinton appeared on Bill O’Reily’s show last night (followed by Newt). BOR said his arrival was amazing – said it’s kind of conservative central around there, yet nearly everyone was line up to get a pic taken with Pres Clinton. I still think they guy would win a third term. Anyhow, the interview’s not all that long and it’s here:
http://video.foxnews.com/v/1338638373001
I did enjoy the body language when BOR asked Pres Clinton if he respected Gingrich as a man -
Obozonomics
December 21st, 2011
10:05 am
Adam;
http://patdollard.com/2010/12/senate-spending-bill-contains-thousands-of-earmarks/
You are correct, it is 6,000 earmarks total over 8 billion, feel free to check it out..
Darwin
December 21st, 2011
10:05 am
Ragnar – Actually, Social Security is not underfunded. It was over funded starting in the Reagan years. It’s merely been raided repeatedly since the Republicans like to give tax breaks to the wealthy without reigning in defense and entitlement spending. Social Security has a ton of IOUs. When the baby boomers start straining the system, tax hikes will then be needed to pay back the IOUs. Ragnar – please educate yourself before posting your inane blogs.
carlosgvv
December 21st, 2011
10:05 am
The proposition that the House is acting suicidal is problamatic at best. It all depends on what Republican voters do in 2012. If past history is any indication, large numbers of voters will still vote Republican no matter how crazed House Republicans become. Happy New Year!!!!!!
Late to the party
December 21st, 2011
10:05 am
Look who is really the party of NO
The House passed several bills aimed at helping get Americans back to work. This year (2011) the House has passed over 20 crucial pro-growth, pro-jobs bills, which have been left to languish in the Democrat lead Senate.
This week the House passed the following important bills that will help our nation’s workers and job creators by removing burdensome, job-killing regulations. The passage of these bills now brings the tally of House-passed bipartisan jobs bills sitting in the Senate up to 25.
Payroll Tax Politics Pose Risk for Congressional Republicans – BusinessWeek | Botswana – iWooho.com
December 21st, 2011
10:06 am
[...] the politicsDallas Morning News (subscription) (blog)Newsday -Washington Post (blog) -Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)all 5,836 news articles » // © 2011 Botswana – [...]
USinUK
December 21st, 2011
10:06 am
yeah, Steve – he’s REALLY going to vote GOP …
you keep thinking that
Payroll Tax Politics Pose Risk for Congressional Republicans – BusinessWeek | Botswana – iWooho.com
December 21st, 2011
10:06 am
[...] the politicsDallas Morning News (subscription) (blog)Newsday -Washington Post (blog) -Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)all 5,836 news articles » // © 2011 Botswana – iWooho.com [...]
Strawman
December 21st, 2011
10:06 am
“This is all about taking a tax cut away from the President, and trying to use the propaganda machine to later say Obama is at fault because he can’t “lead.”
Do you really consider a short-lived (even if year or two) decrease in the amount you and I pay into an essential fund that is nearly insolvent a “tax cut”? It’s a gimmick, pure and simple. A tax cut for you and I would be eliminating a bunch of loopholes for the few to allow for a reduction in the lower tax rates for most Americans.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
December 21st, 2011
10:07 am
Did I miss anything on the following three pages?
Surely you jest.
Steve - USA
December 21st, 2011
10:07 am
Dekalb comments,
Why not just work on it and get the 12 month extension done? Why does everything have to be decided at a later date?
Payroll Tax Politics Pose Risk for Congressional Republicans – BusinessWeek | Botswana – iWooho.com
December 21st, 2011
10:07 am
[...] the politicsDallas Morning News (subscription) (blog)Newsday -Washington Post (blog) -Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)all 5,836 news articles » // © 2011 Botswana – [...]
josef
December 21st, 2011
10:07 am
heathen, et al
Is there something wrong with going home for the holidays?
Butch Cassidy
December 21st, 2011
10:07 am
RB from Gwinnett – “Only if you are acompletey hyper partisan left wing hack, Jay.”
Really? So The Wall Street Journal and John McCain are now “hyper partisan left wing hacks” now? I hope the GOP doesn’t find out, that would just be awkward.
Not a Neal Boortz Redneck
December 21st, 2011
10:08 am
Damon is just a slim talented version of Michael Moore.
Neither understands the real world cutthroat politics. And Moore is still flapping his gums on Glass Steagall – he knows nothing about Wall St.
Liz Warren does.
Donna
December 21st, 2011
10:08 am
I think the Democrats scheme to send up bills that are unworakble, is working. But the American people are the one who lose. All u lefties have already lost. The whining is insufferable.
USinUK
December 21st, 2011
10:08 am
“You are correct, it is 6,000 earmarks total over 8 billion, feel free to check it out..”
you did note that R’s are the beneficiaries of these earmarks, as well, didn’t you???
or did you just gloss over that part …
Steve - USA
December 21st, 2011
10:08 am
UsinUk,
Quote where I said he would vote for the GOP. Damn you are stupid.