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Subscribe to RSSThe New York Times looks at Paul Ryan’s role as a power broker during the fiscal cliff negotiations: “Speaker John A. Boehner has tapped Mr. Ryan, who has returned to his post as the House Budget Committee chairman after an unsuccessful run for vice president, to help strike a deal to avoid big tax increases and spending cuts by the end of the year, and to bring along fellow Republicans… The test will be whether Mr. Ryan — who declined last year to sit on another Congressional committee charged with taming the deficit, in large part because doing so might have hurt his prospects for national office — can make the transition from House budget philosopher to governing heavyweight who can help negotiate a bipartisan deal and sell it to his colleagues.”
More: Ryan’s “distaste for Mr. Obama’s fiscal theories was unambiguous. At the Republican convention, for example, he called the Obama administration’s economic vision ‘a dull, adventureless journey from one entitlement to the next, a government-planned life, a country where everything is free but us.’ With his new muscle and increased respect from his colleagues, Mr. Ryan could conceivably scuttle any deal if he loudly opposes a solution that the speaker and the top Republican leaders embrace. But his conservative base might rebel against him if he were to endorse any deal seen as awarding too much to Mr. Obama and the Democrats, particularly on tax rates. Some Republicans think the pitfalls are dangerous enough that Mr. Ryan might consider leaving Congress altogether to work on his policy agenda without the inherent headaches of the Hill.”
Even Republicans like Peter King aren’t buying what Gen. David Petraeus is now saying, that the CIA knew from the beginning that it was terrorism in Benghazi. King: “I told him in my questions that I had a very different recollection of that. The clear impression was given was that the overwhelming amount of evidence was that it rose out of a spontaneous demonstration and it was not a terrorist attack.”
“The Pentagon is soaking up most of the attention around the looming budget cuts that would take place at the start of the new year, but there are a host of other national security programs caught up in the fiscal cliff debate, too,” Politico writes. “Sequestration would also mean fewer FBI agents, border patrols, meat inspectors, disease trackers, Secret Service agents, prison guards and National Guardsmen for storms like Hurricane Sandy.”
Political Wire: “Ballot Access News reports that 25 minor party and independent candidates were elected to state legislatures this month. ‘Checking records of past elections reveals that this is the highest such number since 1942, when there were 31 such candidates elected. In 1944, there were 22 such candidates elected, and at no time since 1944 (until 2012) had there been any election with more than 17.’”
“After a long-awaited recount of early voting ballots in St. Lucie County was completed Sunday, businessman Patrick Murphy, a Democrat, increased his lead over Republican Rep. Allen West and re-declared victory,” Roll Call writes. “West has not conceded the race, which remains uncalled by The Associated Press. But his path to the 113th Congress now looks significantly narrower.”
Roll Call: “Democratic Rep. Ron Barber has defeated Republican Martha McSally in the over-time ballot counting for Arizona’s 2nd District, according to The Associated Press.”
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It could not be clearer that McCain-Graham want to damage U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice's career - as well as somehow implicate General Petraeus - under the umbrella of "Benghazi".
Why are they ignoring Former Head of CIA, General David Petraeus? - he testified that the CIA approved Ambassador Rice's declassified TV remarks about Benghazi. Twenty intelligence reports had indicated "that anger about the (anti-muslim) film may be to blame".
Consider that McCain, Graham and Ayotte skipped a high-level security closed-door hearing, in order to hold a press conference about NOT having access to information! Now they're demanding a Special Committee, so they can harang Ambassador Rice and re-hash her words. Senators Reid, Collins, and Lieberman have pooh-poohed McCain's demands for a Select Committee, as there are several investigations underway. Even former GWB secretary of state Condoleeza Rice said:"It's easy to try and jump to conclusions about what might have happened here. It's probably better to let the relevant bodies do their work."
McCain is STILL politicizing the deaths in Benghazi. Despite zero evidence of a cover-up, or any crime committed by the U.S. government, McCain has gone headfirst over the cliff with his claims about the incident. Will he join other GOP-ers (viz. Limbaugh) who are inventing stories about General Petraeus as well?
Graham fears GOP is in a "death spiral". And yet GrahamMcCain continue to write their political epitaphs, via these Benghazi conspiracy theories.
The above comment magically moved here.
But to the topic - Paul Ryan has proved he is NO fiscal wonk. Nuns on the Bus will attest that his budget is cruel and unusual. Economics of all stripes will attest that his numbers do NOT add up.
Ryan would add $10 Trillion to the deficit -- and should not be left to broker the price of fish on the day of your best catch.
Let's see here now......$10 trillion added to the debt over 10 years vs. $6 trillion added to the debt in 4 years......hmmmmmm????
And here's another example of a conservative that doesn't realize what exactly is driving the national dept.
www.offthechartsblog.org/what%E2%80%99s-driving-projected-debt/
Well, let's see here............Defense spending, social program spending, and interest on our debt are the 3 biggest things driving our debt, coupled along with chronically high unemployment.
But $6 trillion over less than 4 years or $10 trillion over 10 years? Hmmmm, tough one there, huh?
Tht title of the article is -
....................Congress: Paul Ryan, power broker?
but it's a perfect title if tweeked a little bit -
....................Congress: Paul Ryan, power broke?
Paul Ryan is proof that the GOP does not intend to work across the aisle...
Ryan just seems so not with the program... Kind of a dork...
Ryan a "power broker".....LOL....gave me my morning laugh.
Ryan burst any bubble about him being intelligent, having math skills, having budget smarts, during the campaign.
Ryan has proven to be a one-trick pony, and that trick, his budget, has been totally debunked by experts as awful.
Ryan is a has-been.....
Dragon,
I hope you're right.
But then I think of the Republican candidates for president (Santorum, Bachmann, Perry . . . and, finally, Romney) who were taken seriously by a significant portion of the public, and I think: Don't count him out just yet.
But I agree. A "power broker", he ain't.
And he really isn't very bright, either.
I truly wonder the collective IQ's of Janesville Wi is. It is obvious that most of WI. is sane, because Ryan didn't even carry his own state. Those in Ryan's district are where the insane of WI. go to vote. How on earth could this lying bastard even make it back to congress is beyond me. Hopefully we have heard the last of congressman Ryan and he will fade away in history to a mere blip, which in my opinion is more then he deserves.
Were the experts the very same ones who think borrowing 40 cents for every dollar we spend and trillion + dollar deficits every year is sustainable??????
Yes, the very same one's that lost the election in 2008 & again in 2012...IJS
considering the interest is on debt created during 8yrs of Bush II.
I hope Mr Ryan remembers all his lines about bipartisanship from the campaign trail. They have to ring true even if the GOP is not in charge of all 3 branches like they hoped. The House GOP cannot go back to being against compromise. Their other leaders have already signaled they are. Is Mr. Ryan ready?
The fiscal cliff IS compromise! The Democrats also have to remember that they don't control all 3 branches of government, like they had hoped. The Senate can not be the place where every House-passed bill and budget goes to die, either. Is Harry Reid ready?
I believe that more and more Americans are seeing the Republican party just what it is a party of no depth, shifting values and a party that do anything and say anything to gain politically. Post election we have Romney with his asinine remarks and congressional republicans that are determined to use anything to try to cause problems for this president.
Problems for the President? Because the GOP has no intention of rubber-stamping everything the President wants? By representing the people who voted them in? The WH wanted the cliff in the first place, it got it, and now we get to see it hopefully implemented on January 1. The fiscal cliff IS compromise!
For lack of a better way of putting it you lie. The republicans walked away from a 5.00 spending cut to 1.00 in revenue package with the only reason being to try to humiliate the President and in the process they were able to get our credit rating downgraded with the speaker Boner saying they had got 95% of what they wanted from the President, those are the facts but you refuse to accept them.
What specifically did I write that wasn't true?
That the W.H. wanted the fiscal cliff, this was another issue the republicans come up with like legitimate rape.
Wrong again! But even if it WAS the GOP that came up with it, who went along? The Democrats?
Republicans refused to raise the debt ceiling remember? And daily the Speaker would run his mouth about needing the president to lead and the president would try to come up with another agreement and then the republicans finally would not agree to anything at all.I remember I saw it all.
So did the Democrats AND Republicans agree to the fiscal cliff or not? Seems to me, I remember them doing EXACTLY that!
And wasn't it Senator Obama who made that famous speech about having to raise the debt ceiling limit showing a "lack of leadership" right before he voted NOT to raise the ceiling?
And WHY are we referring to it as a ceiling anyways? There, apparently, IS no "debt ceiling limit".
let's not play the blame game, the elections are over and now we must demand that they all do their work.
I still don't see what the big concern is about us going over the fiscal cliff. The WH wanted the cliff, and it got it. The WH thought it would make the GOP negotiate rather than see budget cuts to defense. The GOP went along with the cliff because it thought it would make Dems negotiate rather than see cuts to social programs.
The cliff IS the compromise. It forces BOTH parties to do some of what they don't want to do.
Cuts to defense won't kill us, and cuts to social programs won't either. The rich having to pay more won't kill us, and neither will broadening our tax base by having more actual taxpayers.
That is because you have little understanding of the economy. There is a balanced way of dealing with the budget that will help the country not hurt the country.
Oh, the usual bs, I see. I guess running up $6 trillion MORE in debt over just 4 years is "sound fiscal policy" to you! How was THAT remotely balanced?
Going over the cliff gives both parties some of what they want. The Dems get to see taxes raised on the rich, and cuts to the Defense budget. The GOP sees cuts to social program spending and more people actually paying taxes.
If you really believe for one minute that "cuts" will be made willingly by either side, think again. Neither party will do it on their own, or we wouldn't BE where we are now. Does "the doctor fix" sound familiar? That can has been kicked down the road for years now.
But spending trillions on wars to kill innocent people is a wise way to spend money right. I would rather had the money burned than to see it used to kill innocent people.
Umm, that would most likely be under the heading of "Defense Budget". And don't put words in MY mouth, I never said war was a wise way to spend money. In fact, I specifically said that the Defense budget would be cut and it wouldn't hurt us. Isn't that, along with raising taxes on the rich, really what the Democrats wanted all along anyways? Going over the cliff ENSURES the Dems that both of these things happen.
Well if you agree that war is not money well spent you may be an O.K. person and we just have a slight problem in communicating. I'm sorry if I thought you were one of those crooked slimy snakes who try to pass themselves off as a republicans.
If it was so wrong to go to war under Bush, is it now just as wrong to keep at war?
Except in this case we all pay more, which by the way I don't see as a problem. After all they were the law of the land when Clinton was president and we all know how well that turned out. God, how I wish we could have Clinton as King for Life. I would vote on that in an instant.
The media built Ryan is history. He wasn't able to live up to the hipe the media gave him. He is how ever, the wonk of stupidity. Goes to show just because the media says your smart doesn't make it so.
Ryan like Romney is not much of anything but a bow hunter who has a passion for killing Bamba. He is a liar or very boring sexually because he does not believe in birth control so the chances of him being sexually active are small if he practices the natural method since he has stopped reproducing.
You seem so overly interested in Congressman Ryan's member!
I have the impression that he is a hypocrite like so many other republicans and I like God have a low tolerance level for hypocrites.
Hmmm...how would you feel if you couldn't carry your own hometown (Janesville), much less your own home state (Wisconsin)?
"With his new muscle and increased respect from his colleagues..."
-----------
Uhhh, definitely a matter of opinion here. He brought what exactly to the ticket either in the form of electoral math or popular vote...not to mention substantive qualities to the Executive Branch?
If simply being 'named' gives one clout, it's no wonder you folks are in the position you are in. I would assume the GOP are thanking their lucky stars for the Census, redistricting laws and good timing or else these fools might not exist in the near future.
The House is situational, but you definitely have to earn the WH and the Senate and we can all see how that went.
Oh you mean conniving Jokers.
Men who are nothing but liars deserve no respect.
Little man should just be dismissed as the ignorant fool he is.
The Ryan Way Of Doing Things Is Dead -- I Guess The Republicans Didn't Get The Election Results Yet -- The
Ryan / Republican Concepts Were Rejected By THe Majority Of Americans!
Ryan Was Never A Heavy Weight -- To All The American People -- His Concepts At Best Would Have Been The
Final Straw For This Country -- Still Favoring The High End And Continue To Destroy The Middle And Lower End --
The Economic Core Of The Country!
The Republicans Need To Get Ride Of Him Not Continue To Embrace Him And His Unacceptable Concepts!
Hello Republican Party Is Anyone Home In There!
Just Another Bad Re-Run I Guess!
Obama Is Now Presenting The Bills For The Deficit To The Republican Party That They Created To Begin With!
Nothing Wrong With Asking Those Responsible For Making The Bills To Make Good On Them!
The Raping And Sowing Days Are Finally Over For These Folks -- And It's About Time!
I find it amazing how the Republican Party hitches their wagon to idiots like Ryan. Why they want to perpetuate the ignorance of the tea party is completely beyond me.
Did they not get the message from the election that Ryan is not a viable candidate? His ideas have been rejected by the electorate and yet they still go to him.
OK Republicans, we can't stop you. Just remember this when you try to get anybody elected. We tend to punish parties that hold the country back or hostage.
What they are trying to do since the election is hitch their wagon to the Democratic party concepts.
I think what the speaker is trying to do is use Ryan to get the tea party rep. to vote for the best interest for the nation.
It's a smart move, it was shown the last time around with this issue that he can't get the tea party to get with the program. Maybe Ryan can succeed where he is certain to fail.
DEN
Just Plain Blind Ambition!
It's Going to Be Really Interesting To See Who Votes For Or Against The Issues Coming To The Table!
Geez...why can't Ryan and Romney just go home and stay there....who wants to hear what either of them have to say anymore? They lost the election....get over it.
It's kind of off topic, but I've seen it twice today so it's bound to catch "trackshun"... There is a clip from a Judge Judy episode of her trying to school an idiot about using his free rent money (as a student) on his actual rent...
So a reality T.V. episode hand-picked for its outrageousness and aired for its WWF-like wrasslin' excitement is the new flagship for entitlement abuse for the desperate loser republican base...
With the apparent ability to only suck pablum spooned to them, it's no wonder they have such a belly-ache!
The fact that Boehner chose Ryan is an indication that he has no intention of compromise, in my opinion. Ryan is considered smart in Congressional circles...which may be true when you look at the rest of them. But we know from the campaign that he isn't. First Boehner tries to stall the issue, then he picks someone who believes in the "makers and takers". How far will that get us. Let's not forget that all of the Republicans signed the Norquist tax pledge. Perhaps this is a design to actually go off the cliff in January so then they will be able to vote for a tax decrease instead of an increase. If it's true that the Republicans have new "respect" for Ryan, which the electorate clearly doesn't, then they have learned nothing from the election results and still don't get it. Probably never will.
Ryan a power broker?? You're kidding right?? 1) NOTHING Ryan says should be taken as fact! 2) His goal, come hell or high water, is to privatize SS and Medicare and Americans are unalterably OPPOSED to that.
Ryan has no role to play!! It just shows that the GOP will again REFUSE to compromise on taxes, spending and the debt even tho it was THEY who deliberately caused the problems of all three! Whatever happens, let it be on their heads! Republicans are due for another 40 year hiatus from power anyway!
Joe America wants his country back!
First--Ryan better realize that his "plan to prosperity" was rejected in it's entirety on Nov. 6 2012. Second--like with Cantor during the debt negotiation, how long before Obama tells Boehner, "That guy (Ryan) isn't helping at all and is no longer needed in this discussion. Let him go talk to the Nuns."
The two major drivers of the national debt are the Bush tax cuts and the war(s). Remember, under Bush the two wars were funded and booked as borrowed money so along with the tax cuts we are still paying for those debts. As for deficit spending, the big contributors are the entitlements and general heath care. "Obama care" when fully implemented will work to reduce the cost of health care including Medicare and Medicaid.
HARRY:
Remember, the huge deficit spending started under raygun, who nearly tripled the debt by cutting taxes for the wealthy and increasing defense spending by huge amounts. Finally, to avoid bankrupting the country, he had to INCREASE taxes to the tune of 50% of what he cut! All Told, raygun increased taxes 11 times!
Daddy bush kept up the spending and tax cuts, (READ MY LIPS) but he also had to increase taxes to avoid a meltdown. That defeated him.
Clinton eliminated deficit spednding and also produced 3 surpluses. The GOP retaliation was to open up the impeachment inquiry!
GWB, by far, had the greatest effect on the deficit, having more than doubled the debt he inherited when he took office by immediately returning to deficit spending. He even left Obama with a $1.3T deficit, the prime cause of the deficits under Obama since his spending increases are the smallest in 60 years.
This emphasis by the GOP to tax cut and spend to cause a debt crisis was a deliberately plan to force the privatizing of SS and Medicare-- which BTW, didnt add ONE PENNY to the debt since they are self sustaining (for notw. The ONLY way the GOP avoids going down in history as the wrecker of US finances and stability is to privatize SS and Medicare. THAT is why they'll do anything to achieve it, even risk destroying the country.. This past election proved that Americans will have NONE Of it. My own view is that this version of the Republican Party is a clear and present danger to the survival of the United States as we know it. Therefore it must be destroyed lest we become a 2nd class country!
http://zfacts.com/p/318.html
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo4.htm
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo5.htm
http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/06/tax-cuts-republicans-starve-the-beast-columnists-bruce-bartlett.html
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/opinion/perspectives/paul-krugman-starve-the-beast-fiscal-calamity-is-the-gops-plan-to-shrink-government-234845/
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/12/the-fiscal-legacy-of-george-w-bush/
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/14/blaming-obama-for-george-w-bushs-policies/
Obama spending binge never happened -- http://articles.marketwatch.com/2012-05-22/commentary/31802270_1_spending-federal-budget-drunken-sailor
The GOP will now spiral down into oblivion, and they did it to themselves! How can any group sell themselves out to corporate lobbyists, fight for tax breaks for millionaires at the expense of the middle class, try to dismantle Medicare and Social Security because they are rich enough to not need it, and then expect to be elected running on a blatantly racist, fascist, fear-mongering class-warfare platform. It is ridiculous!
Turn of the MSNBC.
Paul Ryan for President in 2016! Rice or Rubio for VP.