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“Top congressional negotiators said Tuesday that they were ‘very close’ to reaching a major deal on a payroll tax cut package that would hand President Obama an early election-year victory,” The Hill writes.
“Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) publicly distanced himself from House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Tuesday, the latest twist in a relationship put to the test in recent weeks,” The Hill reports. “McConnell declined to endorse a proposal announced by Boehner on Monday to extend the payroll tax holiday without paying for it. The Kentucky senator said last week the payroll tax cut must be offset, only to find himself days later being asked about Boehner’s shift, which would add about $100 billion to the deficit over 10 months.”
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By the time this all said and done, John Boehner will have no friends or support on either side of the aisle!
John Boehner and his do nothing congresses time is almost up... And come this November, hopefully, Nancy Pelosi will become speaker of the house once again and then we can continue to take this country forward...
The republicans in congress, for years before president Obama took office, never paid for anything... Two wars, prescription drugs part D. etc. etc. Yet under this president they won't even back programs that they in the past supported...
November will be a time to change from this republican, do nothing congress to a congress that is interested in the heart of the people... You know, the 99% of us...
Terry, It's thinking like yours that keeps this country divided. You are aware that the Democrats control the Senate and the House can't really pass anything without Senate approval. You are aware that the Senate has not passed, or even written as required by law, a FY Budget in over 1000 days and according to Harry Reid they won't even do one this FY.
Because the Republicans spent like drunken sailors and never paid for anything doesn't mean the Democrats should follow suit. One reason the Republicans lost both houses of congress in 2006 election was because the American people were tired of the outlandish spending. The reason the democrats lost the House in 2010 election was because they gave Obama everything he wanted and spent like the Republicans before them. The Democrats kept the Senate only because the Republicans picked 2 or 3 poor candidates.
sfcret -- The country is divided because of polarizing policies like the Iraq war, further fueled by partisan "news" outlets like FOX, and low-integrity politicians who embrace or won't deny something as idiotic (and racist) as the Birther conspiracy.
The Democrats do NOT control the Senate, because it now takes a Super Majority of 60 votes to pass anything due to non-stop filibusters by Teapublicans. The Teapublican House can't get anything passed by the Senate because they barely pretend to work -- Passing draconian crap like the balanced budget amendment, which they know will never be accepted because it's complete crazy talk, and then recycling it by slapping a new label on it with "jobs" in the title. That's what they do on the two weeks they show up for work.
The fact is the Teapublicans are the Do Nothing congress, and any sane person knows it. We all know the debt from Bush-era spending hasn't gone away, but the GOP/TP still don't want to pay for it. So they not only "spent like drunken sailors," now they're reneging on the debt and trying to blame it on the Dems.
The Republicans have only "poor candidates" as the current presdiential primary shows, along with their old, debunked platform. We need to reelect President Obama and give him a congress that will work with him and work together to move this country forward.
Throw the Teapublicans out -- Obama/Biden - 2012!
TruePatroit, Same old liberal talking points. How about the Senate not even trying to write and pass a Budget for FY2013? The budget can not be filibustered, it only requires a majority up or down vote. Obama is incompetent and divisive just like the majority of democrats in Congress. It's the democrats in the Senate that isn't doing their job, and don't give me this crap about the 60 votes required. If they would come up with something the people wanted they could get it passed.
You are just like the other liberal idiots that post on First Read, do it our way or we will take our ball and go home. Tell the incompetent in the WH to quit running around the country trashing and blaming everyone and everything but himself.
With the left it's the same old crap, raise taxes and spend more, tax the rich and spend more, keep increasing the national debt and spend more. You and your fellow left wingers only know how to suck the governments teat. Get out and do something for yourself instead of asking the government for everything from cradle to grave.
He already doesn't have any friends. He'd better enjoy the rest of his time as leader (now that's a word that doesn't belong in the same sentence with Boehner) their already trying to get him out.
Mo, I have noticed that sharp knife in Eric Cantor's hand every time he looks at the back of Speaker Boehner!
phine--I see it too. I am not sure which one, John Boehner or Eric Cantor, is worse. One can only hope that their constituencies vote them out next time around!
"We have met the enemy and he is us!" Pogo by Walt Kelly
There both at the bottom of the chum bucket. Look at cantor he has that spoiled rich kid look to him. In may not happen now but they will step in it & it will be so deep there worlds will crash down quicker than anyone could imagine.
Cantor is a poster child for the 1%.
The topic was about a tentative deal on the payroll tax extension not Boehner and Cantor. I personally do not think the payroll tax cut should be extended. They really hasn't been any proof that the money has helped the economy and, if not paid for, only short changes the Social Security Trust Fund. I guarantee that if will hurt just as much in Jan 2013, as it would now.
I agree with extending the unemployment payments as it has been proven that it has helped the economy because it is used for necessities. I would however require that people must actively look for work and provide proof by furnishing who they talked to. I would further require, much like in the 50s, that the State unemployment department get a list of job openings in the state and personally require the unemployed worker to apply and if not hired bring back a letter stating why. I would also require the a person take any job offered, even one not in his/her field.