Politics
2/13/2009 | Economy, Politics
Will the stimulus actually stimulate? Economists say no
Mcclatchy
WASHINGTON — The compromise economic stimulus plan agreed to by negotiators from the House of Representatives and the Senate is short on incentives to get consumers spending again and long on social goals that won't stimulate economic activity, according to a range of respected economists. "I think (doing) nothing would have been better," said Ed Yardeni, an investment analyst who's usually an optimist, in an interview with McClatchy. He argued that the plan fails to provide the right incentives to spur spending. ...A Republican-backed proposal that would've provided a $15,000 tax credit to first-time homebuyers also was scaled back dramatically. Instead, the compromise provides first-time homebuyers a tax credit of up to $8,000, and it doesn't have to be repaid over the life of the mortgage. Incentives already in place offer buyers a $7,500 credit that must be repaid, so the bill is an improvement, but short of what many economists think is necessary. Another reason that some analysts frown on the stimulus is the social spending it includes on things such as the Head Start program for disadvantaged children and aid to NASA for climate-change research. Both may be worthy efforts, but they aren't aimed at delivering short-term boosts to economic activity. "All this is 25 years of government expansion jammed into one bill and sold as stimulus," said Brian Riedl, the director of budget analysis for the Heritage Foundation, a conservative policy research group.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisDavid Bossie, President, Citizens UnitedDan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio ProgramPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipWard Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights InstituteWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteJames Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLCJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingLowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.Larry Hunter, President, The Social Security InstitutePhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)Chuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsTony Strickland, Taxpayer AdvocateJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res2/13/2009 | Politics
Democratic Senator Predicts None of His Colleagues 'Will Have the Chance' to Read Final Stimulus Bill Before Vote
CSNNEWS.com
(CNSNews.com) – Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) predicted on Thursday that none of his Senate colleagues would "have the chance" to read the entire final version of the $790-billion stimulus bill before the bill comes up for a final vote in Congress. “No, I don’t think anyone will have the chance to [read the entire bill],” Lautenberg told CNSNews.com. Of the several senators that CNSNews.com interviewed on Thursday, only Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) claimed to have read the entire bill--and he was speaking of the preliminary version that had been approved by the Senate, not the final 999-page version that the House-Senate conference committee was still haggling over on Thursday afternoon. When CNSNews.com asked members of both parties on Capitol Hill on Thursday whether they had read the full, final bill, not one member could say, "Yes." And only one--Voinovich--volunteered that he had actually read the version of the bill that had passed the Senate. Both Republicans and Democrats told CNSNews.com they were eager to read the unseen bill--once they could get get their hands on a copy of the final legislation. ...Some lawmakers said one of the reasons they would not vote for the bill was because there would be no time to study it before it came up for a vote. “The Democrats have thrown this at us very last-minute,” said Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.). “That’s why the rule of thumb in the United States Congress should be, ‘When in doubt, vote no,’ because the devil is in the details and that’s why this stimulus is not worthy of support.”
2/12/2009 | Economy, Politics
Economic stimulus package on track for final votes
Breitbart.com
WASHINGTON (AP) - Economic stimulus legislation at the heart of President Barack Obama's recovery plan is on track for final votes Friday in the House and Senate after a dizzying final round of bargaining that yielded agreement on tax cuts and spending totaling $789 billion. Obama, who has campaigned energetically for the legislation, welcomed the agreement, saying it would "save or create more than 3.5 million jobs and get our economy back on track." The $500-per-worker credit for lower- and middle-income taxpayers that Obama outlined during his presidential campaign was scaled back to $400 during bargaining by the Democratic-controlled Congress and White House. Couples would receive $800 instead of $1,000. Over two years, that move would pump about $25 billion less into the economy than had been previously planned. Officials estimated it would mean about $13 a week more in people's paychecks this year when withholding tables are adjusted in late spring. Next year, the measure could yield workers about $8 a week. Critics say that's unlikely to do much to boost consumption. "The most highly touted tax cut in the original proposal now translates into $7.70 a week for middle-class workers," said Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisDavid Bossie, President, Citizens UnitedDan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio ProgramPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipWard Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights InstituteWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteJames Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLCJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingLowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.Larry Hunter, President, The Social Security InstitutePhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)Chuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsTony Strickland, Taxpayer AdvocateJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res2/3/2009 | Politics
Daschle withdraws as nominee for HHS secretary
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - Tom Daschle withdrew his nomination on Tuesday to be President Barack Obama's Health and Human Services secretary, dealing potential blows to both speedy health care reform and Obama's hopes for a smoother start as president. "Now we must move forward," Obama said in a written statement accepting "with sadness and regret" Daschle's surprise request to be removed from consideration. A day earlier, Obama had said he "absolutely" stood by Daschle in the face of problems over back taxes and potential conflicts of interest. ...Daschle also was facing questions about potential conflicts of interests related to the speaking fees he accepted from health care interests. Daschle also provided advice to health insurers and hospitals through his post-Senate work at a law firm. The controversy also has undercut Obama's promise to run a more ethical, responsible and special interest-free administration.
1/22/2009 | Politics
CAROLINE'S KAPUT
The New York Post
Caroline Kennedy last night withdrew from consideration to replace Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, just two months after rocking the New York political landscape by throwing her hat in the ring. She confirmed the news publicly in a statement released shortly after midnight today - hours after The Post exclusively revealed her decision last night. "I informed Gov. Paterson today that, for personal reasons, I am withdrawing my name from consideration for the United States Senate," the 51-year-old Camelot daughter said.
1/22/2009 | Politics
The Obama presidency: Here comes socialism
The Hill
2009-2010 will rank with 1913-14, 1933-36, 1964-65 and 1981-82 as years that will permanently change our government, politics and lives. Just as the stars were aligned for Wilson, Roosevelt, Johnson and Reagan, they are aligned for Obama. Simply put, we enter his administration as free-enterprise, market-dominated, laissez-faire America. We will shortly become like Germany, France, the United Kingdom, or Sweden — a socialist democracy in which the government dominates the economy, determines private-sector priorities and offers a vastly expanded range of services to many more people at much higher taxes. Obama will accomplish his agenda of “reform” under the rubric of “recovery.” Using the electoral mandate bestowed on a Democratic Congress by restless voters and the economic power given his administration by terrified Americans, he will change our country fundamentally in the name of lifting the depression. His stimulus packages won’t do much to shorten the downturn — although they will make it less painful — but they will do a great deal to change our nation.
12/31/2008 | Politics
New Yorker of the Year: Hillary Clinton proved a woman of resolve and class
The Daily News
The most powerful woman in the world. So Hillary Clinton will become with the dawn of a new White House. Madam Secretary of State. A strong hand in a velvet glove, extended to the globe on behalf of the most anticipated presidency in generations. Short of Barack Obama, no American today has a greater opportunity to shape international history than does New York’s departing junior U.S. senator. And, short of Barack Obama, no American played a greater role last year in influencing the choice of the 44th President of the United States. Clinton galvanized 18 million voters and made her ultimately successful rival much the better by testing him vigorously. For carrying the banner of a history-making candidacy with a resolve and class worthy of this city — in victory and defeat — we today salute Hillary Clinton as the Daily News New Yorker of the Year for 2008.
12/31/2008 | Politics
The Minnesota Recount Folly: We've Been Down That Road
The Wall Street Journal
Sorry Minnesota, but the sequel is never as good as the original. For those who watched the Washington State governor's race recounts in 2004, the ongoing recount drama in Minnesota is just another rehash of the same script -- albeit for a U.S. Senate seat that might put Democrats one vote away from a filibuster-proof majority. Four years ago in Washington, Democratic Party candidate Christine Gregoire lost the first count, lost the recount, and then won a second, highly dubious recount by 133 votes. In Minnesota, where Sen. Norm Coleman is defending his seat against comedian-turned-candidate Al Franken, the first count showed Mr. Coleman up 725 votes. Today, thanks to another dubious recount, Mr. Franken is apparently in the lead. Razor-thin margins like these put election systems to the test. As the old proverb goes, they are a crisis and an opportunity. Yet the crises keep coming and the opportunities continue to be squandered. It's time to learn the lessons of the recount wars and address the systemic flaws in our election processes. Indeed, the price of a continued decline in voter confidence is too troubling for most Americans to comprehend. In Washington's 2004 gubernatorial election, at least 1,392 felons illegally voted, 252 provisional ballots were wrongly counted, and 19 votes were cast from beyond the grave, according to Chelan County Superior Court Judge John Bridges's opinion in a case brought by Dino Rossi, Ms. Gregoire's Republican opponent.
12/16/2008 | Politics
Time's Jay Carney will be Biden aide
Politico
Jay Carney is leaving Time magazine after 20 years to be Vice President-elect Joe Biden's communications director in the White House, astonished magazine and gleeful transition sources said. Carney's title will be assistant to the vice president and director of communications. TIME.com's "The Page" first reported his new job. Carney, the magazine's Washington bureau chief, is one of Washington's best-known talking heads, with regular appearances on ABC's "This Week," "The McLaughlin Group" and MSNBC's "Hardball." Biden has assembled a team of heavyweights: Ron Klain, who was chief of staff to former Vice President Al Gore, as chief of staff; Mike Donilon, one of Washington's best-connected Democratic consultants, as counselor; and Tony Blinken, a longtime Biden adviser, who is expected to fill a senior role on the National Security Council or on Biden's staff. A Democratic official close to the selection process said Carney had already decided to do something different after the election, and Biden advisers believed Carney would bring "a fresh perspective" to their deliberations.
12/9/2008 | Politics
Chicago Sun-Times
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich taken into federal custody
Gov. Blagojevich and his chief of staff John Harris were arrested at their homes this morning in a probe involving the governor’s quest to fill Sen. Barack Obama’s Senate seat. The charges also include alleged attempts by the governor to influence the Tribune editorial board.
12/3/2008 | Politics
Saxby Chambliss wins Georgia runoff
Politico.com
Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss won a resounding victory over Democrat Jim Martin in the Georgia Senate runoff Tuesday, capturing a second term and ending Democratic hopes of gaining a 60-seat filibuster-proof Senate majority. Chambliss defeated Martin by 16 percentage points, 58 to 42 percent, with 93 percent of precincts reporting. Turnout was moderate across the state– estimated to be around 30-35 percent – a development that unexpectedly played to Chambliss’ advantage. In the battle to get out the vote, Republicans won decisively. GOP turnout in the party's metropolitan Atlanta suburban strongholds surged for Chambliss, while African-American turnout dropped off significantly from the levels attained in the November election. The runoff was necessitated after Chambliss came up about 9,000 votes short of the 50 percent threshold necessary to win the seat outright on Election Night. In his victory speech, Chambliss said his re-election was a triumph of conservative principles.
12/3/2008 | Politics
Anxiety among Democrats as Pelosi tightens her grip
The Hill
Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) moves since the November elections have shaken up some of her colleagues, with some looking over their shoulders and others worried about how the Speaker will lead her expanded majority in 2009. Next year is regarded as the biggest legislative opportunity for Democrats since 1993, the last time they controlled the White House and both chambers of Congress. But not all Democrats are celebrating. Liberals are worried about Pelosi’s vow to govern “from the middle” and centrists are concerned that the make-up of the House leadership team has shifted noticeably to the left. Contrary to the jubilation of House Democrats after they regained control of the lower chamber after the 2006 elections, there is some unease among members heading into the 111th Congress. “Everybody I talk to, everybody’s worried about something,” said a Democratic staffer.
12/2/2008 | Politics
Outsiders Look to Sway Georgia Race With Ads, Manpower
Wall Street Journal
ATLANTA -- Georgia voters on Tuesday are set to resolve one of the final elections of the 2008 campaign, but some of the most active groups seeking to shape the outcome of the Senate race here won't be heading to the polls. With Democrats inching toward a 60-seat, filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, dozens of out-of-state interest groups on both sides of the aisle have flooded the state with political advertisements and manpower in an effort to influence the race. Neither incumbent Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss nor Democratic challenger Jim Martin won 50% of the vote on Nov. 4, as required to declare a winner under state law. Tuesday's runoff has turned into an unlikely and expensive battleground, with the outcome of the race possibly determining whether Democrats gain an even tighter grip on Washington next year. Overall, interest groups, candidates and political parties have spent more than $17 million during the four-week runoff campaign. That is about as much as was spent during the nine-month run-up to the November election, according to figures collected by the Federal Election Commission, the candidates and their political parties.
11/18/2008 | Politics
Soros-Funded Democratic Idea Factory Becomes Obama Policy Font
Bloomberg.com
Nov. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Three blocks from the White House, on the 10th floor of a sleek glass building, young workers pound at computers, with giant flat-screen TVs overhead. It has the look and feel of a high-tech startup. In many ways it is. The product is ideas. Thanks in part to funding from benefactors such as billionaire George Soros, the Center for American Progress has become in just five years an intellectual wellspring for Democratic policy proposals, including many that are shaping the agenda of the new Obama administration. Much as the Heritage Foundation provided intellectual heft for the Republican Party in the 1980s, CAP has been an incubator for liberal thought and helped build the platform that triumphed in the 2008 campaign.
11/13/2008 | Politics
MSNBC retracts false Palin story; others duped
Yahoo News
NEW YORK – MSNBC was the victim of a hoax when it reported that an adviser to John McCain had identified himself as the source of an embarrassing story about former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, the network said Wednesday. David Shuster, an anchor for the cable news network, said on air Monday that Martin Eisenstadt, a McCain policy adviser, had come forth and identified himself as the source of a Fox News Channel story saying Palin had mistakenly believed Africa was a country instead of a continent. Eisenstadt identifies himself on a blog as a senior fellow at the Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy. Yet neither he nor the institute exist; each is part of a hoax dreamed up by a filmmaker named Eitan Gorlin and his partner, Dan Mirvish, the New York Times reported Wednesday. The Eisenstadt claim had mistakenly been delivered to Shuster by a producer and was used in a political discussion Monday afternoon, MSNBC said. "The story was not properly vetted and should not have made air," said Jeremy Gaines, network spokesman. "We recognized the error almost immediately and ran a correction on air within minutes." Gaines told the Times that someone in the network's newsroom had presumed the information solid because it was passed along in an e-mail from a colleague.
11/13/2008 | Politics
Palin tamps down talk of '12 presidential run
USA Today
MIAMI — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Thursday dismissed speculation about her ambitions for higher office but told a group of Republican governors that they are the future of the GOP. "It is the Republican governors that have the experience and the leadership qualities that can help usher back in to our states and our nation the bedrock principles that do make up the Republican Party," Palin said at her first news conference since she became the Republican vice presidential nominee. Palin is one of 17 governors attending the Republican Governors Association conference this week. The state leaders have used the meeting to assess why the GOP lost the presidential race and 26 seats in Congress and what they must to do to move forward.
11/6/2008 | Pro-Family, Presidential Issues, Politics, Homosexuality
Post-Election National Conference Call
Conservative Commentators Reflect
Newsguests would like to welcome and thank our panel of national leaders and the members of the press for joining our teleconference call today. I'm Debbie Hamilton, president of Newsguest, and Felicia Horton, who's on the line, is our national media director. Newsguest.com is a public relations firm providing prepared guests on a wide variety of provocative topics to local, regional, and national media. The reason for our series of teleconference calls is to give the media the opportunity to hear the perspectives from top conservative leaders in the country. And today it is, of course, regarding the results of the 2008 presidential election. We ask that members of the press go ahead and ask questions but, importantly, because this conference call is being recorded, when asking a question, please announce your name and media organization and direct the question at one of our commentators by name. We do have the silent entry and exit on the line so as not to distract the call for the recording. Our commentators today are Connie Mackey, senior vice-president from Family Research Council Action, FRC Action; Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International; Dr. Gerald Kieschnick, president of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod; Marjorie [Deniselser], president of the Susan B. Anthony List; Ken Blackwell, chairman for the Coalition for a Conservative Majority and vice-chair of the 2008 Republican Platform Committee; and Colin Hanna, president of Let Freedom Ring.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Phil Burress, President, Citizens for Community ValuesAlan Chambers, President, Exodus InternationalRev. Clenard Childress, Jr., Assistant Director, Life Education and Resource NetworkPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipWard Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights InstituteScott Davis, Director of Student Ministries, Exodus InternationalTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesLen Deo, President, New Jersey Family Policy CouncilWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteChuck Donovan, Senior Research Fellow-DeVos Center for Religion a, The Heritage FoundationJessica Echard, Executive Director, Eagle ForumTim G. Echols, President/Founder, TeenPactJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyTodd Friel, Radio Host, Way of the MasterMike Gottfried, Founder, Team FocusRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingLowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.Dr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchPeter Lillback, President, Westminster Theological SeminaryJennifer Marshall, Director of Domestic Policy Studies, The Heritage FoundationGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkAlex McFarland, President, Southern Evangelical SeminaryJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)Elizabeth Racine, Founder, Moralert.comPhyllis Schlafly, President and Founder, Eagle ForumChristopher Slattery, Founder and President, EMC Frontline Pregnancy CentersDavid Smith, Executive Director, Illinois Family InstituteRandy Thomas, Executive Vice President, Exodus InternationalDavid Wheaton, Author, Speaker, Radio Talk Show Host, TheChristianWorldview.com10/28/2008 | Politics
Both sides of aisle rip MSNBC
THR.Com
In a room full of television industry executives, no one seemed inclined to defend MSNBC on Monday for what some were calling its lopsidedly liberal coverage of the presidential election. The cable news channel is "completely out of control," said writer-producer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, a self-proclaimed liberal Democrat. She added that she would prefer a lunch date with right-leaning Fox News star Sean Hannity over left-leaning MSNBC star Keith Olbermann. Olbermann was criticized by many who attended Monday's luncheon sponsored by the Caucus for Producers, Writers & Directors at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The event was dubbed "Hollywood, America and Election '08." Bloodworth-Thomason and others seemed especially critical of the way MSNBC -- and other media -- has attacked Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin while demeaning her supporters.
10/27/2008 | Homosexuality, Politics
Turnout could affect same-sex marriage bans
USA Today
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The presidential race won't be the only close vote here next week. A constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman and deny recognition to any "substantial equivalent" has stirred pocketbook concerns among Florida's seniors and those with domestic partner benefits. Voters in California and Arizona also will decide Nov. 4 whether to change their constitutions to prevent courts from overturning laws barring same-sex marriage. The California Supreme Court threw out a ban on same-sex nuptials in May. Since then, more than 11,000 gay couples have wed, says UCLA's Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy. Polls show voters evenly divided.
Recommended Guests:
Phil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchPeter Lillback, President, Westminster Theological SeminaryJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinDavid Wheaton, Author, Speaker, Radio Talk Show Host, TheChristianWorldview.com9/15/2008 | Politics
Legendary Conservative Paul Weyrich Honored
For His Life, Work and Mission
One of the most influential and respected political icons was honored on September 10 as over 400 of his closest friends, peers, colleagues and co-workers tried to fight back their tears of appreciation. A Salute to Mr. Paul Weyrich was held in the elegant ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington D.C. to celebrate his life, his mission and his work. Over $330,000 was raised that evening which will be donated to the Free Congress Foundation.