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Subscribe to RSSNBC's Domenico Montanaro reports on the outrage during a private meeting between John Boehner and Tea Party activists, when the House Speaker said the GOP would agree to raising America's debt limit.
A bill that would have “cut billions in tax breaks for the largest oil companies” failed 52-48 in the Senate, The Hill notes. It needed 60 votes to advance.
Here’s this from Roll Call: “‘Gang of Six’ Collapses on Itself.” “Hopes for a grand bipartisan debt limit deal took a big hit Tuesday after Sen. Tom Coburn pulled out of the ‘gang of six’ talks. … One source close to the talks said the break occurred after Coburn demanded an additional $130 billion in Medicare cuts over the next decade from current beneficiaries. That proposal goes beyond what was included in the president’s fiscal commission plan, on which the group was basing its talks. ‘He is asking for deep Medicare cuts beyond what the fiscal commission proposed and beyond even Paul Ryan’s [R-Wis.] proposal,’ the source said. ‘That is just not going to happen.’”
“House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, who as the House GOP’s lead watchdog has questioned the legitimacy of some Obama administration travel, jetted to Puerto Rico during the recess on a taxpayer-funded trip that included work and down time with a pal, POLITICO has learned.
Issa’s friend and former colleague from the House, Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuno, invited him to stay at the historic governor’s mansion in San Juan, a committee spokesman said Tuesday.”
The Washington Post’s fact checker gave Darrell Issa “two Pinocchios” for saying that the Mexican government said the Obama administration had committed an “act of war.” Issa’s office denied that he said “act of war” but “active war.” “We find it interesting that Issa’s office denied he said “act of war” but then defended his right to do so when shown a second quote,” the Washington Post’s Glenn Kessler writes.
“Former Sen. Blanche Lincoln is planning to set up shop on K Street. Alston & Bird will announce this week that the Arkansas Democrat will join its operation, according to a source close to the firm,” Roll Call reports.
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I actually don't know what to say or feel about this, really. On the one hand, not cutting the deficit is exacerbating things but on the other, cutting tax breaks for the oil companies would give them an excuse to jack prices and screw us all further.
Not that cutting Medicare wouldn't screw people, too, of course.
I've got an image macro for situations like this. What a shame I can't embed picture files in posts here.
It's called shared sacrifice, which apparently doesn't apply to corporations with record profits or the ultra rich, because both threaten to close their wallets to screw us. Even the feudal lord knew that he couldn't sacrifice his serfs to the neighboring lord. We are a society based on mutual responsibilities - not a communist society where a central government sets our responsibilities, nor a feudal/aristocratic/traditionalist society were are responsibilities are set by rigid tradition, religion and wealth. But if the affluent break that mutual compact, they risk authoritarian populist governments (the czars didn't learn).
"Republicans block bill to stop subsidizing big oil", shocking. Instead of people wasting their time going to the polls to cast another meaningless vote perhaps it's time to form a "citizens union" to hire lobbyists to buy off congressmen just like the big boys do. Our government is pathetic, anyone that thinks they can vote their way to an honest and receptive government needs to take a good look at how things in D.C. work, it's a disgusting, greed driven "pay to play" town devoid of morals, ethics, patriotism and integrity, nothing more than a bunch of worthless swine gathered at the slop through waiting for the lobbyists to give them more slop. Nothing short of dragging their sorry asses into the street for a robust tar and feathering will get these wretches attention, their allegiance is to the highest bidder and that is not you and I.
I keep hearing the removal of hte subsidies would not lower the price of gas. OK, fine. BUT- would it add some much needed scratch to the income pot?? What are these A** H*les thinking??
The removal of subsidies BETTER lower the price of oil. If it doesn't those TX Big Oil Boys are going to have to explain how they are making hundreds of billions in profits and still jacking oil prices. Most people call that price gouging. In a court of law it can be construed as "extortion".
People...get a clue. There ARE alternatives now. Enough of them to kick Big Oil's butt and never have to look back. Start doing your homework. Why would anyone continue to help Big Oil make obscene profits when there are other options?
That's the Republicans for you. Big business first, the American people second.
Job 1...As a former Republican voter, I can tell you that anything and everything that comes out of a Republican's mouth is to protect wealth even when they make it sound like they care about the people of this country. The "people" to them are CEOs and other rich butts.
I hope they all pull out and leave medicare/ss/medicade alone! it is time to raise taxes! taxes=revenue cuts=deficit=unemployment=foreclosurer=homelessness=death.
get with it, everyone must pay their equal tax share and the cap on SS must be removed, and medicare should be opened to all!
Hello, Wasshington are you listening?
Go ahead and raise taxes. What corporation will be the first to move it's headquarters overseas? I bet Anheuser-Bush will be gone in a heart beat They are already owned by InBev and will move everything over there. Then who you going to tax
Open Mind...Get a clue...Big Business is already overseas. Big business has already downsized, offshored and outsourced everything in this country and not because of taxes. Only a real fool believes that one. They did this to get at cheap labor, why else? American salaries were not allowing for those obscene CEO payouts in salary, bonuses and perks.
But, you know what? Not to worry. Good old American ingenuity is beating up on Corporate America big time. What we can't get from the Biggie Piggies, we can get from small business. And right now, it's small businesses doing all the hiring. What we need to do is demand that venture capitalists keep their slime ball mitts off buying up more small businesses and then using those sale profits they earn to send everything to China, Mexico and India.
They don't pay their fair share in taxes. They don't want to pay for employee benefits. They don't want to pay a dime toward the infrastructure they use 500 times more than the rest of us so that's another round of corporate expenses they are dumping on individual taxpayers...Republicans won't be happy till their Corporate America cronies are totally tax and expense free.. In other words, you'll be their clean up crew just like Democrats are always cleaning up after Republican messes.
To paraphrase William Jennings Bryan, burn down your corporations, but leave the workers, and new businesses will spring up again as if by magic. But destroy your workers, and cracks will grow in the bricks and mortar of every corporation in America.
The "Gross Odd People" (GOP), and the "Really Not Competent" (RNC) in the US Senate increased our national debt last night. The big Oil CEO's just had the GOP/RNC do their dirty work by passing more tax payer subsidies for them. It should be very clear by now, to anyone who carefully watches what is going on. That the GOP/RNC do not care about the Middle Class, the Working Poor, the elderly, and the disabled are economically expendible.