Posts Tagged ‘election’

Election 2010 News

Evans Liberal Politics
October 5, 2010

 

Election 2010 News


Evans Liberal Politics, October 5, 2010, compilation and commentary by Paul Evans: selected news on House and Senate races of interest as we enter the last month before Congressional elections.

Democrats gain in poll but GOP still leads as midterm elections near, The Washington Post, October 5, 2010, by Dan Balz and Jon Cohen, excerpt quoted verbatim:

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Democrats have cut in half the GOP’s early-September advantage on the question of which party’s candidates voters say they will support on Nov. 2. They have also made small gains on the question of which party people trust to handle big issues, such as the economy and health care.

Voters give Democrats a significant edge as the party that would do a better job in helping the middle class, which has been a key campaign message from the White House in recent weeks.

President Obama’s approval rating has rebounded to where it was in July after hitting an all-time low a month ago. Also, in some state races, Democratic candidates have taken the lead over their Republican opponents or narrowed GOP advantages.

Also See In Ads, Democratic Candidates Play Down Party, The New York Times, October 4, 2010, by David W. Chen:

One New York Democrat proclaims that he proudly opposed the federal government’s health care overhaul plan. Another one pledges, in the finest Tea Party spirit, to oppose any future financial bailouts. Still another has rolled out three Republicans in three separate commercials, all vouching for his credentials.

But there is one word you will not hear mentioned in any of these campaign advertisements: Democrat.

With the Democratic Party bracing for a dismal showing in the elections next month, many candidates are doing everything possible to convince voters that they are not tied at the hip to President Obama or Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker. A vulnerable Democratic incumbent in North Dakota, Representative Earl Pomeroy, praises former President George W. Bush in one of his commercials. But even Democrats in and near New York State are running away from their party.

“In a year of insurgency and anti-incumbency, being a Republican in New York State is, for the first time in a long time, not a bad thing, because being a Democrat implies you’re an incumbent,” Hank Sheinkopf, a veteran Democratic consultant, said.

“So why would you mention that you’re a Democrat?” Mr. Sheinkopf said. “The smarter thing to do is, don’t tell them what kind of party you are, tell them what you’re going to do.”

Russ Feingold News


Also of Interest: Wisconsin’s Russ Feingold in Peril, But Still Practicing ‘I Did It My Way’ Politics, Politics Daily, October 4, 2010, by Walter Shapiro. Wisconsin’s Russ Feingold trails GOP challenger Ron Johnson, who is a plastics manufacturer (and therefore eminently qualified to lead America in the right direction), by some 7 points in the latest McClatchy-Maris poll, with only about three percent of voters still undecided. The candidates debate each other for the first in three debates on Friday evening.

See Feingold: They’re Dancing in The End Zone, Daily Kos, October 5, 2010, by Julie Gulden.

U.S. House of Representatives
OH-16: Boccieri vs. Renacci:


Watch OH-16: Renacci’s civil rights gaffe makes national news, Plunderbund, September 10, 2010, by Modernesquire: Renacci says the Federal Government has little place in the ongoing civil rights, race relations situation, that we’re past this now, and that local governments need to take over this role from the Federal government. It represents a deplorable ignorance of the situation in inner cities and for minority populations, and these sorts of positions have been ongoing among right wingers since back to 1863. The right wing position is one of states rights, and local governmental control. This would leave the disadvantaged without a national protection or voice, at the mercy of ten thousand local entities, and without any real guarantee of civil rights protections. It is a position which should have been abandoned for many decades but which, sadly, many Republican candidates now hold. I find it an incredibly reactionary, and dangerous position for a congressional candidate to hold in this day and age.

My county, Wayne County, Ohio, is the heart of Ohio’s 16th Congressional district. I have marched in campaign parades for John Boccieri so I am hardly a nonpartisan in these matters. But Wayne County is 62 percent Republican, and I fear for John Boccieri’s re-election campaign, what with all the Renacci signs I see in the yards, and with the prevailing anti-incumbent mood around here and around the nation. John Boccieri finally, reluctantly supported the health care reform bill, and now he is paying a political price for that as it is not popular around here. Please consider visiting John Boccieri’s campaign website and donating or volunteering. Thanks.~ Evans Liberal Politics owner Paul Evans

Read Clyburn Slams GOP Candidate Who Said Civil Rights Issues Should Be Left To Local Governments, The Huffington Post, September 10, 2010, by Amanda Terkel.

Visit the John Boccieri for Congress campaign website, and sign up!

Christine O’Donnell News:


Christine O’Donnell gives me a reason to smile every morning when I wake up at 4 a.m. to put up the news. ~ Evans Liberal Politics owner Paul Evans.

Del. Senate candidate O’Donnell: ‘I’m not a witch’, The Associated Press on The Raw Story, October 5, 2010, by AP, photo of Christine O’Donnell is © AP courtesy of The Raw Story:

photo of the witch, Delaware U.S. Senate Tea Party candidate Christine O'Donnell

Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell is trying to assure Delaware voters: “I’m not a witch.”

The Republican tea-party-backed candidate in her first TV ad since winning the primary pokes fun at comments she made during a 1999 taping of a late-night talk show that she dabbled in witchcraft when she was a teenager.

In the 30-second ad that starts airing Tuesday, O’Donnell smiles at the camera and speaks over a soft piano soundtrack. “I’m nothing you’ve heard. I’m you.”

UPDATE: See Leno tells Christine O’Donnell sex joke (with video), Salon, October 6, 2010, by Tracy Clark-Flory.

See O’Donnell once claimed to have ‘classified’ info on Chinese plot to ‘take over America’, The Raw Story, October 4, 2010, by Stephen C. Webster.

See Christine O’Donnell Opts Out of Being Hare Krishna, ABC News, October 2, 2010, by Ryan Creed:

In a 1999 television appearance, Delaware Republican Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell admitted to dabbling in several religions — including witchcraft and Buddhism — but said she skipped being a Hare Krishna because she couldn’t give up meat.

See 2nd school suggests Christine O’Donnell fudged record, Yahoo News, The Upshot, September 29, 2010, by Rachel Rose Hartman.

Watch Christine O’Donnell: ‘I Love Meatballs’, ABC News video, Bill Maher with Politically Incorrect: 23 seconds.

mocking cartoon image of Christine O'Donnell as a confused witch

UPDATE: See Roundup: The Christine O’Donnell witch doll, Salon, October 5, 2010, by Tracy Clark-Flory.

Also See Educating Christine O’Donnell: LinkedIn-Gate, Lawsuits And Late Degrees Color Senate Hopeful’s Resume, Talking Points Memo DC, September 30, 2010, by Christina Bellantoni.

Don’t think O’Donnell is all that off the wall? Watch Christine O’Donnell’s 90′s MTV Anti-Masturbation Campaign, Rachel Maddow on TPMTV, September 14, 2010 – 1:38.

Still not feeling happy yet today? O.K., watch Christine O’Donnell on Hitler, God, Jews & Lies, Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher on the Young Turks, September 15, 2010 – 2:34.

Comment by Evans Liberal Politics owner Paul Evans: Christine O’Donnell is a moron with the mind of a fifth grader who maybe is a viable candidate for dogcatcher. The RNC is wise if it refrains from spending money on this campaign, as has been reported. See Christine O’Donnell down 15 points in new poll, Politico, September 21, 2010, by Kasie Hunt. My dear, I’m afraid you have served us cold tea… Don’t expect this campaign race to heat up very much, either. The other race that’s fun to watch is the California governor’s race where old Jerry Brown can’t seem to have much chance to blow it against the Republican, Meg Whitman. See Meg Whitman’s meltdown, Salon, October 4, 2010, by Joan Walsh: “The GOP candidate’s hypocrisy is helping to hand the California governor’s office back to Jerry Brown.” In a campaign season that looks dismal for Democrats generally, O’Donnell and Meg Whitman are a reason to smile wryly and say, “see, it’s not all bad news!”

In summation of the evidence that O’Donnell is a lightweight fruitcake, watch Christine O’Donnell’s Greatest Hits, Talking Points Memo TV on YouTube – 3:38. Obviously Christine O’Donnell is a flaming witch who needs to be burned at the stake, right? ~ Paul Evans

Also In the News


Also of Interest: Watch and read The Debate Vid Everyone’s Talking About (CT-Sen) UPDATED, Daily Kos, October 5, 2010, by grannyhelen: In the race for Senator in Connecticut, in a debate, Blumenthal is effective in defending health care reform against Republican WWE magnate Linda McMahon, who has only "no comment" to say about possible criminal charges towards her wrestling empire.

CO – Gov: CO-Gov: Tancredo endangering Colorado GOP’s future, Daily Kos, October 5, 2010, by Joan McCarter:

Tancredo is inching up in the polls at Maes’s expense. A SUSA poll from this week has Tancredo at 34 to Maes’s 15, with Dem Hickenlooper still ahead by double digits at 46. A Rasmussen poll (grain of salt) has Hickenlooper 43, Tancredo 35 (a more than 20-point gain in two months) and Maes 16. His gains are almost entirely from Republicans jumping ship and the wackier fringe of the unaffiliated voters. Tancredo is both egotistical enough and crazy enough to take the Republican party down with him. Could this race get any more interesting?

Minnesota Governor: Biden mocks GOP over federal debt, StarTribune blog Our Voices, October 5, 2010, by Bob von Sternberg:

Vice President Joe Biden mocked Republican calls for fiscal restraint and criticism of the current level of federal debt, pointing out the last federal surplus occured during the Clinton administration.

“Mark [Dayton] knows how to balance a budget, the way he did as [state] auditor. Mark’s opponents are drinking the same KoolAid as the Republican national leadership … This election is a choice. The choice is very stark, between telling the truth or continuing with a Ponzi scheme.”

He repeated his broadest critique of the GOP: “Give me a break — I’ve had it up to here.”

“Look folks, we’ ve seen this movie before and we know how it ends. Minnesota can’t afford it. America can’t afford it….If we lose, we’ll see a rerun of that movie.”

Wrapping up, he quietly implored them, “do for us what you did two years ago.”

See Polling and Political Wrap-Up, 10/4/10, Daily Kos, October 4, 2010, Updated, by Steve Singiser.

No Surprise: Shock:GOP and its allies cook their ads with foreign money (with poll), Daily Kos, October 5, 2010, by karpaty lviv.

Well, well: Watchdog Groups Ask I.R.S. to Investigate Crossroads GPS, The New York Times Politics, The Caucus, October 5, 2010, by Michael Luo: "Campaign finance watchdog organizations say Crossroads GPS, a (right wing, Rovian) nonprofit group, is violating federal tax laws."

Bad News: Disillusioned Hispanics May Skip Midterms, Poll Suggests, The New York Times, October 5, 2010, by Marc Lacey.

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Outside groups’ spending on midterm elections dwarfs 2006 totals

Evans Liberal Politics
October 5, 2010

 

Outside groups’ spending on midterm elections
dwarfs 2006 totals


Outside groups’ spending on midterm elections dwarfs 2006 totals, The Raw Story, October 4, 2010, by Stephen C. Webster, used with permission, quoted verbatim — Evans Liberal Politics is proud to partner with The Raw Story to bring you cutting edge news and political reporting:

A controversial Supreme Court decision that allowed political ad buyers to remain anonymous has encouraged a torrential downpour of private dollars this election season: so much that the sum is now five times greater than funds spent amid the 2006 election season.According to The Washington Post, this year interest groups have spent over $80 million on the elections, up from just $16 million in 2006, when Democrats ended 12 years of Republican rule.

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Over half of the total spent so far comes from anonymous donors, the Post reported, which are permitted if the group they donate to is registered as a nonprofit. Nameless donors were given much greater leeway to spend on elections after the nation’s highest court reversed a long-standing campaign finance rule that required groups to disclose who was purchasing political advertising.President Obama and many Democrats charge that the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission threatens American democracy as it allows money to flow from virtually any sector, potentially opening the door to wealthy foreigners who wish to influence US elections.

Republicans, who’ve long argued that money is a form of speech, were quick to embrace the toppling of the rules. Former Bush political strategist Karl Rove joined with former RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie to form what’s been called a “shadow RNC” that operates outside of the Republican party but supports Republican candidates.

Those groups, American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, joined with other wealthy conservatives to form a coalition of independent Republicans, looking to exert as influence on the elections as possible. Many of the RNC’s donors have left the official party and followed Rove and Gillespie, leaving the RNC significantly less relevant since Republicans elected Michael Steele as chairman.

Tim Dickenson, writing for Rolling Stone, called Rove’s runaround nothing less than a “coup of the Republican party”.

In a request for an advisory opinion [PDF link] filed with the Federal Election Commission, an attorney for Protect Our Elections cites reporting by RAW STORY, Rolling Stone and The Huffington Post to build a case alleging that Rove and his groups have effectively replaced the official RNC as the party’s center of gravity. The watchdog group proposed the Crossroads groups should be subject to the same rules as the RNC, meaning they would not be allowed unlimited donations.

A second request for review [PDF link], filed with the Department of Justice, urges officials protect the 2010 elections from wealthy individuals and groups who seek to win “by hook or crook.”

They further insist that the DOJ “[launch] a specific criminal investigation into American Crossroads/American Crossroads GPS for its coup d’etat of the RNC for the purpose of controlling the United States Government.”

Of course, it’s not just conservatives that have marshaled their forces for 2010: non-affiliated Democrats and labor unions are joining the independent money bandwagon, but not nearly as fast as Republicans.

“[Based] on budget and spending projections from many big groups on both sides it’s expected that GOP-allied entities are likely to outspend their Democratic foes by a three to two margin and perhaps even two to one,” explained reporter Peter Stone, writing for the Center for Public Integrity.

“For now, unions say they expect to be outspent heavily on the ad wars — and in fact they already have been, according to the Campaign Media Analysis Group,” he added. “A CMAG analysis says GOP-allied independent groups spent $18.1 million on Senate ads from Aug. 1 to Sept. 20, while their Democratic counterparts spent $2.6 million in the same period. On House races, GOP groups spent $6.7 million compared to $2.3 million doled out by Democratic groups.”

See Polling and Political Wrap-Up, 10/4/10, Daily Kos, October 4, 2010, Updated, by Steve Singiser.

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Five Ways the Democrats Can Avoid a Catastrophe and Pull Off the Mother of All Upsets

Evans Liberal Politics
October 4, 2010

 

Five Ways the Democrats Can Avoid
a Catastrophe and Pull Off the Mother of All Upsets


Five Ways the Democrats Can Avoid a Catastrophe and Pull Off the Mother of All Upsets, Michael Moore.com, October 1, 2010, by Michael Moore, quoted verbatim:

Today’s OpenMike blog

The election is one month from tomorrow and, yes, it looks hopeless. November 2nd — the day the Dems are expected to crash and burn.

Sadly, it’s a situation the Democrats have brought upon themselves — even though the majority of them didn’t create the mess we’re in. But they’ve had over a year and a half to start getting the job done to fix it. Instead, they’ve run scared ever since they took power. To many, the shellacking they’re about to receive is one they deserve.

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But if you’re of a mindset that believes a return to 2001-2008 would be sheer insanity, then you probably agree we’ve got no choice but to save the Democrats from themselves.

Memo To: President Obama and the Democratic Party Leadership

From: Michael Moore

Subject: 5 Things Dems Can Do to Turn It Around by November 2nd

1. Immediate Wall-to-Wall TV Ads, Internet Videos, and Appearances Hammering Who the Hell Put Us in the Misery We’re In.
We Americans have very short attention spans (Quick: Who Won the Oscar for Best Picture last year? The World Series? Exactly.). People need to be reminded over and over that it was the REPUBLICANS who concocted and led the unnecessary invasion of two countries, putting us in our longest war ever, wars that will eventually cost us over $3 trillion. Bush and Co. also caused the biggest collapse of our economy since the Great Depression. I don’t know a single person in Hollywood who wouldn’t shoot and produce those spots for you for FREE. Dems: Do not pull a single punch on this. Quit being a bunch of wusses and let the bastards have it! The public will be astonished that you’ve found your courage and your spine. We expect you to be Muhammad Ali, not Ally McBeal.

2. Indict the Criminals.
Announce that the Justice Department will seek indictments against both those who caused the economic collapse and those who became war profiteers. Call it for what it is: organized crime. Use the RICO statutes. Use the basic laws that make fraud of any kind a crime. Get in the face of those who stole the billions, make them pay for it — and the people will love you. We want Dirty Harry, not Dirty Dancing.

3. Announce a Moratorium on All Family Home Foreclosures.
Last month (August) there were more home foreclosures than in any month in U.S. history. Worse than any month in the worst year ever, 2009. The bleeding hasn’t stopped — it’s only gotten worse. And now, this week, two of the largest crime organizations who are throwing hundreds of thousands of people out of their homes (GMAC and JPMorgan Chase) have been forced to momentarily stop doing this. It turns out, they don’t really have the paperwork to prove they actually own these houses! It’s madness. So if you do one thing for the middle class this week, do this. It will take an hour of your time to draw up the decree and issue it. We’d rather watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” than “Poltergeist.”

4. Announce a New 21st Century WPA.
“Who’s hiring? THE GOVERNMENT IS HIRING!” Put together a simple plan to hire enough people to repair our roads, fix up our aging schools, and rebuild our infrastructure. Fund this by taxing the richest 1% who have more financial wealth than 95% of Americans combined! Unemployment will drop to 5%. Can you pass it? Well, you sure can’t unless you try! And as you’re trying, announce that you will force the Republican senators (who until now simply have had to say they “intended” to filibuster in order to kill a bill) to have to actually filibuster! Make them stand on the floor of the Senate and read from the phone book 24/7. They won’t last a day. And America will see them for who they really are.

5. Declare That No Democrat Will Accept ANY Wall Street Money in the Next Election Cycle.
Pick a day in the coming week. Have all your fellow Democrats in Congress stand in front of the Capitol (with President Obama) and pledge that if America allows you to retain control of Congress, none of you will take a penny from Wall Street for the 2012 election. Instead, promise to accept donations of only $2, $5 and $10. You will also pledge not to take a job as a lobbyist or lawyer for ANY corporation for ten years after you leave Congress. The message will be a powerful one to the average American fed up with corrupt political hacks. Act like Honest Abe, not Fast Freddie — and see what happens.

And here are two bonus suggestions: Use what sense of humor you have and go after these candidates and their agenda with all the hilarious ridicule they deserve. And quit complaining about “the base” not doing enough to help you. You want help? Do something this week to earn it. I’ve offered five suggestions. I’m sure the rest of “the base” has a few more.

UPDATE [Friday, October 1st, 8:52 PM]: The crime syndicate continues to crumble. Today we learned that Bank of America is joining JPMorgan Chase and GMAC in suspending foreclosures in 23 states after a BoA executive admitted she signed up to 8,000 documents — in one month — without even reading them. And on top of that, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has halted ALL foreclosures by ALL banks for 60 days in what the Washington Post calls “the most radical action taken by a state on issue of document irregularities.” As Rep. Marcy Kaptur said in ‘Capitalism: A Love Story,’ “Don’t leave your home. Because you know what? When those companies say they have your mortgage, unless you have a lawyer that can put his or her finger on that mortgage, you don’t have that mortgage, and you are going to find they can’t find the paper up there on Wall Street. So I say to the American people, you be squatters in your own homes. Don’t you leave.” President Obama: Now do what Blumenthal has done.

Also posted on AlterNet.

Recommended: Bank Of America Joins JPMorgan In Suspending Foreclosures, Business Insider on Michael Moore.com, October 1, 2010, by Gus Lubin.

See Recession rips at US marriages, expands income gap, The Associated Press on Michael Moore.com, September 28, 2010, by Hope Yen.

See GOP groups overwhelm Dems with political ads, The Associate Press on Michael Moore.com, September 28, 2010, by Jim Kuhnhenn and Liz Sidoti.

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Pelosi ATTACKS: Republicans Want an American Oligarchy. FIRED UP!

Evans Liberal Politics
October 2, 2010

 

Pelosi ATTACKS: Republicans
Want an American Oligarchy. FIRED UP!


Pelosi ATTACKS: Republicans Want an American Oligarchy. FIRED UP!, Daily Kos, October 2, 2010 by MinistryOfTruth, used with permission, quoted verbatim:

But Republicans don’t want tax cuts for the middle class, Pelosi said, “unless we worship at the shrine of those [making] over $250,000…They want to turn [America] into a plutocracy or an oligarchy. And I just will not give them more grist for the grinder when they have a 100-million-dollar grinder.”

politicsdaily.com

Bold text added by the diarist

Today the enthusiasm on the left is growing by leaps and bounds. Polls are moving towards the Dems. Voters who are NOT Glenn Beck fans (and yes, Glenn Beck, we SURROUND you and your little cult of personality and hate) are figuring out that GOP/teaparty candidates are CRAZY and have NOTHING to offer working class Americans. The GOP peaked too early and WE have the momentum. Now, lets SEIZE that momentum.

Crossposted at The Progressive Electorate.com

In an article titled Why Nancy Pelosi Thinks She Can Hold the House, the Speaker doesn’t sound afraid of the George Bush party at all. In fact, she sounds CONFIDENT.

But regarding the “Oligarchy” comment, this isn’t Bernie Sanders, this is the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and she GETS IT. Nancy Pelosi is NOT afraid of the Big Bad Xenophobic Tea Party wolf. Nancy sounds CONFIDENT and she is FIGHTING BACK. And you should too!

So lets get FIRED UP!

Goal Thermometer

If you can, use our ActBlue link to support Nancy Pelosi’s majority and some great house candidates!

Or donate to your own candidates and tell us who they are and why they are worth supporting!

The momentum is ON OUR SIDE! The Conservative teapublican movement is the George Bush GOP if you shaved it’s butt and taught it to call you a Nazi while it walked backwards. But I got news for you, NO ONE WHO WASN’T ALREADY A LOST CAUSE/FOX VIEWER IS BUYING IT. We will win.

And YES, the GOP wants you to worship the $250,000+ a year income crowd. The GOP WANTS a Citizens United corporate funded Oligarchy of the rich. The GOP LOVES the in come inequality gap; the better to eat you with. Pelosi knows this and is calling it out. She isn’t cowering. She isn’t afraid. She is FIGHTING BACK!

And I, for one, will gladly join her!

So, who is coming with me?

You can follow the author on Twitter @JesseLaGreca. Email MinistryOfTruth here. FULL DISCLOSURE: Jesse LaGreca is a paid employee of PeanutButterPAC, a progressive PAC founded right at DailyKos.com.

See Why Nancy Pelosi Thinks She Can Hold the House, Politics Daily, October 1, 2010, by Melinda Hennenberger.

Recommended: A warning to progressives: How bad can it get?, Daily Kos, October 2, 2010, by shmuelman.

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The Super Rich Get Richer, Everyone Else Gets Poorer, and the Democrats Punt

Evans Liberal Politics
September 25, 2010

 

The Super Rich Get Richer,
Everyone Else Gets Poorer,
and the Democrats Punt

 

The Super Rich Get Richer, Everyone Else Gets Poorer, and the Democrats Punt, Robert Reich.org, September 24, 2010, by Robert Reich, used with permission, quoted verbatim:

The super-rich got even wealthier this year, and yet most of them are paying even fewer taxes to support the eduction, job training, and job creation of the rest of us. According to Forbes magazine’s annual survey, just released, the combined net worth of the 400 richest Americans climbed 8% this year, to $1.37 trillion. Wealth rose for 217 members of the list, while 85 saw a decline.

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For example, Charles and David Koch, the energy magnates who are pouring vast sums of money into Republican coffers and sponsoring tea partiers all over America, each gained $5.5 billion of wealth over the past year. Each is now worth $21.5 billion.

Wall Street continued to dominate the list; 109 of the richest 400 are in finance or investments.

From another survey we learn that the 25 top hedge-fund managers got an average of $1 billion each, but paid an average of 17 percent in taxes (because so much of their income is considered capital gains, taxed at 15 percent thanks to the Bush tax cuts).

The rest of America got poorer, of course. The number in poverty rose to a post-war high. The median wage continues to deteriorate. And some 20 million Americans don’t have work.

Only twice before in American history has so much been held by so few, and the gap between them and the great majority been a chasm — the late 1920s, and the era of the robber barons in the 1880s.

And yet the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, which conferred almost all their benefits on the rich, continue.

textbookx.com (Akademos, Inc.)

Democrats have decided to delay voting on whether to extend them for the top 2 percent of Americans or for the bottom 98 percent until after the mid-term elections.

Democrats have thereby given up a defining issue that could have enabled them to show the big story of the last three decades — the accumulation of almost all the gain from economic growth at the top — and to make a start at reversing it.

When will they ever learn?

Watch Rachel Maddow- Dems miss opportunity in Obama tax cuts, MSNBC video on YouTube — 3:15.

Now On Sale: Aftershock: The Next Economy and America’s Future [hardcover], by Robert Reich, pay only $12.96 (save 48 percent on Amazon.com).

here. Reich’s newest book, Aftershock: The Next Economy and America’s Future is going to be released September 21, and is available for Pre-ordering at this link (Amazon.com). The above article is from Reich’s new blog, and can be viewed here.

Robert Reich’s commentaries are available for listening to at Publicradio.com. Thanks to Professor Reich for permission to publish his articles on an ongoing basis.

We Now Have a Google Translation Button at the bottom of every post and page: just choose your language. ~ Paul Evans

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“Political Suicide:” No tax cut vote before election: Democrat (Reuters) – Updated

Evans Liberal Politics
September 24, 2010

 

“Political Suicide:” No tax cut vote
before election: Democrat (Reuters) – Updated


UPDATE 4-No tax cut vote before U.S. election-Democrat, Reuters, September 24, 2010, by Kim Dixon and Susan Cornwell, excerpt quoted verbatim:

Reid blames Republican opposition to tax vote

  • House’s Hoyer only pledges vote by years’ end
  • Republicans could cause delays; calendar tight
  • Some Democrats fear impact on re-election chances

WASHINGTON, Sept 23 (Reuters) – The Senate will not vote on renewing Bush-era tax cuts before the Nov. 2 elections, a spokesman for the Majority leader said on Thursday, as Democrats face internal divisions and potential Republican obstacles.

a figure of the Grim Reaper complete with scythe stands on a calendar with the date of April 15th marked as Tax Day

“Democrats believe we must permanently extend tax cuts for the middle-class before they expire at the end of the year, and we will,” Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Reid said in an email. “Unfortunately, to this point we have received no cooperation from Republicans to do so.”

The Senate will come back after its recess for the November elections to address the issue, he said. The Senate had been expected to take the lead on the issue, though House leaders were still discussing whether to take their own vote, according to aides.

Democrats faced a potential Republican filibuster of their plan plus unease among some Democratic lawmakers who worry that voting on extending tax cuts enacted under former President George Bush could hurt re-election chances. Democrats are expected to lose seats, and perhaps even control of at least one chamber of Congress.

The tax cut debate has captured Americans’ attention during a fierce congressional election season focused on the sluggish economy and massive deficit.

President Barack Obama and most of his fellow Democrats want low tax rates extended only for the first $200,000 of a person’s income, or the first $250,000 of household income, saying the country cannot afford the cuts for higher earners.

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Republicans want the lower rates renewed for all Americans, regardless of income, and say higher tax rates would hurt small businesses and job creation just as the economy is recovering from its worst recession since the 1930s.

“We are so tightly wound up in this campaign that it’s impossible to see a bipartisan answer to the challenge we face. That’s the reality, before the election,” Richard Durbin, the Senate’s assistant majority leader, said earlier.

The lower tax rates for virtually every taxpayer expire at the end of this year.

Senator Charles Grassley, the senior Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said putting off a vote was irresponsible and reckless.

Continue reading this article, here.

See Senate Democrats give up push for pre-election tax cut vote, CNN Politics, September 23, 2010, by Dana Bash and Brianna Keilar.

See Dems put off votes to extend Bush tax cuts until after elections, The Hill, September 23, 2010, by Alexander Bolton and Russell Berman, excerpt quoted verbatim:

A rift between centrist and liberal Democrats in both chambers of Congress has derailed plans for House and Senate votes on extending tax cuts before the election.

Senior Senate Democrats said they plan to leave Washington by the end of next week without voting on an extension of the George W. Bush-era tax rates, which are set to expire at the end of the year.

More News on Democrats Plans to Abandon the Tax Cut Fight


Senate Democrats Delay a Vote on Bush Tax Cuts

(Summaries by Campaign for America’s Future)

Senate Democrats Delay a Vote on Bush Tax Cuts, The New York Times, September 23, 2010, by David M. Herszenhorn:

“Democrats said they would still fight to end the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans when they return for a lame-duck session. But the delay increases the likelihood of a compromise with Republicans who have insisted that the lower rates continue for everyone…”

Axelrod To TPM: It’s The GOP’s Fault Dems Punted On Tax Cuts Vote, Talking Points Memo, September 23, 2010, by Christina Bellantoni:

“Our goal is to get these tax cuts passed. If we can’t get it done before the election we’re going to insist on it after … The Republican Party is holding hostage tax cuts for the middle class.”

Senate Maj. Whip Dick Durbin addresses arguments that the tax cut fight should be had on the Senate floor. W. Post quotes:

“The reality is we are not going to pass what needs to be passed to change this either in the Senate or in the House before the election … if you bring it up and don’t pass it, does that [politically] help you or hurt you? If you don’t bring it up, does that help you or hurt you? You can argue it round, you can argue it square. But the reality is nothing’s going to happen before the election.”

Paul Krugman argues Dems are missing a political opportunity: (NY Times):

“…given a chance to really put the GOP on the spot – the chance to force a vote on extending only the middle-class tax cuts, forcing Republicans to vote no in order to save their beloved tax cuts for the rich – Democrats will … punt. I guess the Blue Dogs really want to be in the minority.”

Democrats Decide On Political Suicide, The New Republic, September 23, 2010, by Jonathan Chait:

“Moderate Democrats worry that passing a tax cut for income under $250,000 would be portrayed as a tax hike, because it allows rates to rise on income over $250,000. As I’ve noted several times, that could be solved by holding a separate vote. But the moderate Democrats’ solution is not to hold a vote on any tax cuts.”

Watch Keith Olbermann: Bush Tax Cuts – A Decider For The Midterms?, MSNBC video on YouTube — 8:40.

UPDATE: See Tax cuts: Pelosi says vote possible before election, Daily Kos, September 24, 2010, by Jed Lewison, excerpt quoted verbatim:

If you’re a Democrat facing a challenge this November, you’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t — at least as far as the GOP is concerned. There’s no scenario under which they won’t go on the attack. At least by having the vote now, you’ve either got something to fire back in their face — that they are holding the middle-class tax cuts hostage — or, even better, you’ve passed the tax cuts out of the House and put the Senate on the spot. Either way, if you’re a Democrat, you win — even if you favor extending tax cuts for the wealthy, because you’ll still have a chance to accomplish that goal when Congress returns after the election. But at least for now, you’ve done your job when it comes to extending middle-class tax cuts.

UPDATE: See AP analysis: Could GOP be playing into Democrats’ hands?, September 23, 2010, by The Associated Press.

UPDATE: Amazingly Great! – See Stewart on GOP pledge: ‘Same sh*t we’ve heard before’, The Raw Story, September 24, 2010, by Eric W. Dolan (with Daily Show video).

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National Political Campaign News Headlines and Commentary

Evans Liberal Politics
September 23, 2010

 

National Political Campaign News
Headlines and Commentary


All Your Election 2010 Political News,
Democrats Versus Republicans Edition


Evans Liberal Politics, September 23, 2010, compiled and with commentary by Paul Evans:

“Pledge to America”: The New Republican Agenda


“Pledge to America”: The New Republican Agenda, CBS News, Political Hotsheet, September 22, 2010, by Jill Jackson, quoted verbatim:

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House Republicans, led by John Boehner, plan to unveil their “Pledge to America” (today, Thursday) at a hardware store in Sterling, Virginia. An advanced copy obtained by CBS News reveals few surprises, but gives voters a basic idea of what Republicans will do if they take over the House next year. It is also a clear pledge to the Tea Party with its focus on Constitutional principles and government spending. “With this document, we pledge to dedicate ourselves to the task of reconnecting our highest aspirations to the permanent truths of our founding by keeping faith with the values our nation was founded on, the principles we stand for, and the priorities of our people” the members say in the opening. “This is our Pledge to America.”

Pledge to America: Full Text

The GOP plan is to stop the Bush tax cuts from expiring for all Americans, not just the middle class as many Democrats would like. Republicans would allow small businesses to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percent of their income. And they would repeal and replace health care with “common-sense solutions focused on lowering costs and protecting American jobs.”

The Pledge also promises to reform the way Congress works by requiring each bill to have Constitutional citations and by giving members at least three days to read legislation before it comes to the floor for a vote.

On defense, they promise to fully fund the troops, missile defense and to enforce sanctions in Iran.

Critical Contests: Interactive Map with CBS News 2010 Election Race Ratings

House Democrats were already busy Wednesday afternoon working up a fact sheet to pan the Republican pledge. In a draft version of the fact sheet, Democrats question the GOP’s small business credibility given that Republicans are expected to return from the event to DC tomorrow to vote against a small business lending fund with tax breaks.

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“Ironically, the party that’s voted against small business tax cuts enacted into law by this Congress is actually holding their press event at a small business just outside Washington–and then racing back presumably to vote against the Small Business Jobs Act–crucial to get small businesses hiring and $300 billion in private sector credit flowing,” said Nadeam Elshami, a spokesperson for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The Democrats’ draft also says that the GOP plan will “blow a $700 billion hole in the deficit to give tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires” and “take away patients’ rights” by repealing the health care bill.

The Republican plan would take spending back to 2008 pre-TARP and stimulus spending levels and would put in place strict budget caps. But it’s unclear how much money would actually be saved given the funding promises in the GOP pledge on extending and adding tax cuts, repealing but replacing health care, and increasing defense spending.

Jill Jackson is a CBS News senior political producer. You can read more of her posts in Hotsheet here. You can also follow her on Twitter.

Articles in the News about the “Pledge to America:”


See GOP’s New ‘Pledge to America’: A Pathetic, Destructive Sham, AlterNet, September 23, 2010, by Steve Benen.

UPDATE: See Downhill With the G.O.P., The New York Times, Conscience of a Liberal, September 23, 2010, by Paul Krugman (on the Pledge to America), excerpt quoted verbatim:

Once upon a time, a Latin American political party promised to help motorists save money on gasoline. How? By building highways that ran only downhill.

I’ve always liked that story, but the truth is that the party received hardly any votes. And that means that the joke is really on us. For these days one of America’s two great political parties routinely makes equally nonsensical promises. Never mind the war on terror, the party’s main concern seems to be the war on arithmetic. And this party has a better than even chance of retaking at least one house of Congress this November.

Banana republic, here we come.

See The GOP’s bad idea, The Washington Post, Opinion, September 23, 2010, by Ezra Klein.

See House Republicans Draft Campaign Manifesto, Reuters on The New York Times, September 23, 2010, by Reuters.

Watch Republicans Pledge to Take On Obama, CBS News video on YouTube, September 23, 2010 — 4:13.

See GOP leaders pledge to cut government, taxes, CNN Politics, September 23, 2010, by CNN Wire Staff, with video of Boehner unveiling the “Pledge to America.”

Recommended: Republicans Offer Their Agenda for Midterm Election, The New York Times, September 23, 2010, by Michael D. Shear and David M. Herszenhorn.

Popular from yesterday: Republican ‘Pledge To America’ Centers On Spending Freeze, Tax Cuts, The Huffington Post, September 22, 2010, by Julie Hirschfeld Davis.

textbookx.com (Akademos, Inc.)

In Related Political Campaign News:


G.O.P. Cites Tax Cuts and Health Care as Main Focus, The New York Times, September 23, 2010, by David M. Herszenhorn: photo is © AP and is from Politico, more on the Pledge to America.

AP photo of Boehner, Cantor and Pence, arch Republicans

With control of the House, the Republicans said they would seek to immediately cancel any unspent money from last year’s $787 billion economic stimulus program, to freeze the size of the “nonsecurity” federal work force, and to quickly cut $100 billion in discretionary spending. But the blueprint, with echoes of the 1994 Contract With America, does not specify how the spending reductions would be carried out.

Comment by Evans Liberal Politics owner Paul Evans: Of course, this HAS been going on since 1994, in fact, since before Reagan took office in 1980. The Republicans have no new ideas. Just cut taxes (for everyone, so long as the rich fat cats get theirs), slash social programs (discretionary spending), push defense and security spending, and limit the size of government. Same old, same old. Voters, do you really want to go back to the Bush years? Do you want to see a Congress attempting to enact budgets and blueprints with the stamp of Newt Gingrich on them? It’s your choice!

Not all conservatives are in love with the Pledge to America:

See RedState’s Erick Erickson Eviscerates GOP’s “Pledge To America”, Daily Kos, September 22, 2010, by StuHunter:

Tonight, CNN contributor Erick Erickson of RedState, The Republican’s answer to the Daily Kos and its founder Markos Moulitsas just tore apart and ripped into shreds the House GOP’s new plan to be unveiled tomorrow… “Pledge To America.” This is the GOP’s pathetic attempt to recapture Newt Gingrich’s 1994 “Contract With America” which failed miserably and has been aptly renamed “Contract On America.”

See Perhaps the Most Ridiculous Thing to Come Out of Washington Since George McClellan, Red State, September 22, 2010, by Erick Erickson: Erickson gives the Pledge an A+ on rhetoric and a C- on ideas, so it’s not like he absolutely hates it.

See ‘Pledge’ promises fight, gridlock, Politico, September 23, 2010, by Richard E. Cohen, Jake Sherman and Jonathan Allen.

The Ongoing Political Battle:


Health Care Shaping Up as a Central Front in Campaign 2010
(But Is It an Issue Democrats Want to Campaign on?)


See In Effort to Reconnect, Obama Heads Into Backyard, The New York Times, September 22, 2010, by Sheryl Gay Stolberg, photo © The New York Times, excerpt quoted verbatim:

photo of President Obama on the campaign trail trying to connect with voters in Falls Church, Virginia

FALLS CHURCH, Va. — President Obama is trying to reconnect with the American people, and he is using that most American of settings, the backyard, to do it.

Mr. Obama emerged from the back door of Paul and Frances Brayshaw’s tidy white brick house here on Wednesday and trotted down some steps onto their patio under a bright noonday sun with a hearty “Hey, everybody! Hello, hello, hello! Good to see you.” About two dozen guests awaited him in lawn chairs for what was supposed to be a casual conversation on health care and, more broadly, the American economy.

It was Mr. Obama’s third such “backyard conversation” in recent weeks, and there are more in store. Another three backyard drop-ins are planned for next week, when Mr. Obama travels to New Mexico, Wisconsin and Iowa, and there will be more throughout the campaign season — part of what his aides describe as a concerted push to get him out of the White House to mingle with everyday Americans and hear their concerns.

Commentary by Evans Liberal Politics owner Paul Evans: Since Republicans have made repeal of health care reform a top priority on their campaign agenda, the Obama administration has been attempting to counterattack by connecting with voters and educating them about the benefits of the new health care law. In my opinion, I’m not sure how wise this is and I hope the White House knows what it’s doing here. Last time I checked public opinion it was running rather strongly against the health care reform bill, six months after passage. Rasmussen, which can be counted on the add 5 to 10 points to the right wing positions in their polling (IMHO), has 61 percent of Americans in favor of repealing the health care law. Even Gallop has Americans disapproving of the health care reform law, with 39 percent approving and 56 percent disapproval (September 13, 2010 results). Even accounting for a polling bias by Rasmussen, as the normally unbiased Gallop results show, this sort of public disapproval makes health care reform a difficult thing for Democrats to campaign on. It’s been six months (today) since health care reform passed, and even with benefits of the law just now starting to kick in, at this point Americans have pretty much made up their minds – against the health care reform bill.

Still don’t know what’s in the health care reform bill which passed six months ago? The Kaiser Family Foundation has an excellent Summary of New Health Reform Law and a good Health Reform Implementation Timeline (PDF’s).

By the way, the Pew Research Center is reporting (to liberals) disappointing polling numbers on the public’s position on entitlements in general. This is an issue liberals had hoped would favor Democrats, but that’s not what the polling numbers are saying: According to Pew, “58% favor a proposal that would allow workers under age 55 to invest a portion of their Social Security taxes in personal retirement accounts that would rise and fall with the markets,” while only 28 percent of Americans are against any privatization of Social Security. People, how can you be so dumb?

See For Many, Health Care Relief Begins Today, The New York Times, September 22, 2010, by Kevin Sack, excerpt quoted verbatim:

Sometimes lost in the partisan clamor about the new health care law is the profound relief it is expected to bring to hundreds of thousands of Americans who have been stricken first by disease and then by a Darwinian insurance system.

On Thursday, the six-month anniversary of the signing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PDF), a number of its most central consumer protections take effect, just in time for the midterm elections.

Starting now, insurance companies will no longer be permitted to exclude children because of pre-existing health conditions, which the White House said could enable 72,000 uninsured to gain coverage. Insurers also will be prohibited from imposing lifetime limits on benefits.

The law will now forbid insurers to drop sick and costly customers after discovering technical mistakes on applications. It requires that they offer coverage to children under 26 on their parents’ policies.

It establishes a menu of preventive procedures, like colonoscopies, mammograms and immunizations, that must be covered without co-payments. And it allows consumers who join a new plan to keep their own doctors and to appeal insurance company reimbursement decisions to a third party.

Some of the Republican Madness:


Think the Republicans are being anything like fair about the issues?

See Republicans Balk at Obama Business Tax Breaks They’ve Backed, Business Week, September 21, 2010, by Catherine Dodge: “Business tax breaks for R&D and capital investments are two proposals Republicans backed in the past, but don’t like as part of Obama’s plan to spur growth.” PROOF that so long as the Repugs can use the economy as an issue to campaign on, they will NOT be for any measures which might improve the economy. Period.

Lies and more lies: See PolitiFact’s The Truth-O-Meter report card on Michele Bachmann, PolitiFact, September 21, 2010, by Lois Jackson: here is a good quote from the article about earlier reports here on Bachman: she “had never earned anything higher than a False” on the “Truth-O-Meter.” You were expecting?

And it’s getting ugly out there. See Ill. man arrested, accused of threatening Obama, AP News hosted on Google, September 22, 2010, by AP, about a man arrested claiming he had an explosive device after threatening the President.

For fun, watch Witless: The True Story of Christine O’Donnell & the Tea Party Women, YouTube video — 1:09.

IMPORTANT: Bill Clinton offers formula for Barack Obama success, Politico, September 23, 2010, by John F. Harris and James Hohman, excerpt quoted verbatim:

NEW YORK —- Bill Clinton said Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats have not been “vigorous enough” in pushing back against Republican distortions, warning that to prevent a midterm debacle, his party must urgently rally around a national message designed to halt the flight of independent voters into the arms of the GOP.

In a POLITICO interview Wednesday, the former president said Democrats must find a better way to frame their case to fiscally conservative swing voters, who abandoned the GOP in 2006 and 2008 but this year have not heard a sustained rebuttal to the Republican argument that President Obama stands for growing deficits and European-style big government.

See Senate Forecast: Republican Takeover Chances Improved, but Democrats Are Building Pacific Firewall, FiveThirtyEight on The New York Times, September 22, 2010, by Nate Silver.

Commentary by Paul Evans: We’ve seen that campaigning on health care or even entitlements is a labor fraught with danger for the Democratic Party. Here’s one idea that might be a little more fruitful. See Obama Aides Weigh Bid to Tie the G.O.P. to the Tea Party, The New York Times, September 19, 2010, by Jackie Calmes and Michael D. Shear. That sounds like an idea: make the whole campaign about the Tea Party, (correctly) tie the whole G.O.P to the Tea Party, and then bore in on their whacky far right Tea Party positions. I wouldn’t so much try to refute Republican ideas a la Bill Clinton’s ideas, above…. I’d smear the bloody cr*p out of them about their Tea Party identity. We’ve seen in 2000 and 2004 that swift boating and smear attacks work all too well with the American voter. Well, I’d swift boat the GOP about their Tea Party identity and allegiances. Sounds a whole lot more promising than trying to campaign on issues which, by and large, the public has weighted in the balance and found wanting. DNC, are you listening?

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Senate Approves Stimulus Aid to Small Businesses

Evans Liberal Politics
September 17, 2010

 

Senate Approves Stimulus Aid to Small Businesses

 

Senate approves small-business stimulus, © The L.A. Times, September 17, 2010, by Lisa Mascaro, Tribune Washington Bureau, quoted verbatim:

The measure, which goes to the House, would create a $30-billion lending fund and provide $12 billion in tax breaks. It was a tough election-year victory for President Obama.

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Reporting from Washington — Overcoming months of gridlock, the Senate approved a small-business bill Thursday that hands President Obama an election-year victory but shows just how difficult it has become for lawmakers to agree on the best way to boost the sluggish economy and create jobs.

The measure passed by a 61-38 vote, with just two Republicans crossing party lines to support the bill. It would create a $30-billion small-business lending fund and provide $12 billion in tax breaks to help companies invest and hire. The bill now heads to the House, which is expected to pass it swiftly.

Yet a months-long impasse over the bill to aid small businesses, which have been hard hit during the economic downturn and are championed by both parties as engines of the recovery, highlights the partisan divisions before the fall midterm elections.

“It tells you the depth of the gridlock and dysfunction that unfortunately has gripped the Congress,” said Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.). “Hopefully, some of that will abate after the election.”

Congressional action on the legislation has been watched closely in Southern California, where small businesses are a backbone of the regional economy and were particularly pounded by the slump.

The bill enjoyed bipartisan support at the outset, but the addition of the $30-billion lending fund to give credit-starved firms access to capital created insurmountable partisan divisions.

Republicans quickly opposed the lending fund as a “mini-TARP” — reminding voters of the unpopular Troubled Asset Relief Program that was the cornerstone of the 2008 federal bank bailout.

Republicans filibustered in July, demanding the chance to offer more amendments, including some unrelated to the legislation. Democrats shelved the bill as the debate dragged on and other legislation took priority.

Those expected to champion the bill from the business community — the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Businesses — instead focused on using the legislation as a vehicle to overturn an onerous business reporting requirement in the new healthcare law.

“All of a sudden it became a partisan exercise again,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R- Utah). “It’s amazing to me how difficult it is to work together around here, even when we want to. It’s almost like an arrogance of power: ‘We’re going to teach those Republicans.’ ”

Republican Sens. George LeMieux of Florida and George Voinovich of Ohio, neither of whom are seeking reelection, joined 57 Democrats and two independents to pass the measure.

The House passed a version of the bill this year, and at one point over the summer, frustrated House lawmakers walked across the Capitol to stage a quiet sit-in at the Senate chamber to protest the delays on this and other job bills.

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“While I am grateful for this progress, it should not have taken this long to pass this bill,” Obama said on the eve of Senate action. He has promised to quickly sign the legislation.

The $12 billion in tax breaks are intended to encourage investment, entrepreneurship and hiring.

Businesses would also be able to write off more of their costs of buying equipment or making shop improvements. Those who are self-employed could deduct healthcare costs from the self-employment tax. The bill would also continue to waive Small Business Administration loan fees, which had been cut as part of the 2009 recovery package.

The $15-billion cost of the bill is offset by closing tax loopholes and increasing tax reporting requirements and penalties.

Democrats estimate the legislation could create 500,000 jobs

Amendments earlier in the week sought to lift a much-criticized healthcare-tax-reporting requirement that both Democrats and Republicans agree needs to be fixed. But the amendments failed as senators could not agree on a way to recoup the $17 billion in revenue that would be lost by doing away with the provision.

Republicans also made two procedural moves Thursday to attach tax credits for research and development and biodiesel development, but both were rejected.

Email lmascaro@tribune.com.

Times staff writer James Oliphant in Washington contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2010, Los Angeles Times

See Senate approves small business aid, The Washington Post, September 17, 2010, by Brady Dennis.

See Democrats Use Power of Majority to Pursue Agenda, The New York Times, September 16, 2010, by David M. Herszenhorn, excerpt quoted verbatim:

WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday approved a multi-billion dollar package of tax breaks and government-backed loans for small businesses, as Democrats sought to use the muscle of their majorities to pursue a Congressional agenda that would make their case for retaining control in the House and Senate this fall.

After surmounting months of Republican opposition to approve the small-business measure and send it to the House, Democrats — over sharp Republican objections — set up a floor showdown for next week over a Pentagon policy bill that also touches on the politically charged issues of immigration and gay men, lesbians and bisexuals in the military.

The Pentagon bill would not only allow the repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, but would also include legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who arrive in the United States before age 16, reside here for five years, earn a high school degree and complete two years of college or military service.

The immigration language is being added at the behest of the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, who is eager to mobilize Hispanic voters for his re-election campaign in Nevada, and it reflects a broader Democratic effort to secure support from Hispanic Americans nationwide by promising a comprehensive immigration bill in the future.

Related and of Interest to Liberals:


See List Of Democrats Who Support Tax Cuts For Rich, Daily Kos, September 17, 2010, by Verbalpaintball: sadly, there are 31 names of Congressmen here.

See Dem Pollster To Dems: Seize Tax Cuts Debate — You Could Win!, Talking Points Memo DC, September 16, 2010, by Christina Bellantoni.

See The Tax-Cut Racket, The New York Times, September 16, 2010, by Paul Krugman.

See Unions Find Members Slow to Rally Behind Democrats, The New York Times, September 17, 2010, by Steven Greenhouse.

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