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U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner, R-Ohio.
Here we go again: Boehner and House Republicans walk away from payroll tax cut compromise… Boehner’s move either represents a miscommunication with McConnell and Senate GOP leaders, or a reversal… Two weeks to go until Iowa, and the race looks like it did on Friday -- with Gingrich getting hammered over the airwaves in Iowa and with Romney picking up more endorsements… Gingrich vs. the federal judiciary… Perry vs. a teenage girl on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”… Bachmann vs. Paul on Muslims… And Kim Jong Il dies.
Read Monday's original First Thoughts: Here we go again
*** Here we go again: Just when it appeared that Democrats and Republican leaders had reached an uncomfortable deal to extend the payroll tax for two months after an overwhelming 89-10 vote in the Senate, House Speaker John Boehner -- clearly facing a revolt from his conservative members -- walked away. “Well, it's pretty clear that I and our members oppose the Senate bill,” Boehner said on “Meet the Press” yesterday. “It's only for two months. You know, the president said we shouldn't go on vacation until we get our work done.” Here is how Roll Call casts the weekend drama: “[T]he House GOP rejected en masse an agreement that had the blessing of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and most Senate Republicans. The Kentucky Republican seemed to think that the two-month extension he forged with Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) that overwhelmingly passed the Senate on Saturday would ultimately pass the House. But Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), who had regularly communicated with McConnell as the deal was crafted, ultimately walked away.”
Video: One on one with Speaker Boehner
*** Either miscommunication or a reversal: Boehner’s decision over the weekend not to support the bipartisan two-month extension represents either a miscommunication with McConnell (who appeared to be under the impression that the House would pass whatever reasonable deal McConnell, Kyl, et al would come up with) or a full reversal for the House speaker. As Roll Call notes, “Some Republicans said Boehner seemed to indicate on the conference call with members that he could support the deal, a claim his office denied.” No matter what happened, it’s highly unlikely that senators would have left Washington, DC -- as they did EN MASSE on Saturday -- if they thought there was any chance the House was going to balk on the measure. One big reason why many House Republicans oppose the two-month extension: It allows the White House and congressional Democrats to continue to push for the popular payroll tax cut after the New Year. Remember, they have been getting hammered on this back home, and look at the most recent NBC/WSJ poll about which party does a better job at protecting the middle class. Politically, for as much heat as the House GOP is taking on this walk away, perhaps they are right: They can’t afford, politically, to have this issue hanging over their head on Groundhog Day.
House Republicans are pushing back hard against a Senate-approved bill that would extend the payroll tax holiday and jobless benefits for two months. NBC's Chuck Todd reports.
*** Two weeks to go: With two weeks to go until the Iowa caucuses, the GOP presidential race looks a lot like how it looked at the end of last week -- with Gingrich getting hammered over the airwaves and with Romney picking up more endorsements. In fact, just look at the expected TV ad spending in Iowa for THIS WEEK: Restore Our Future PAC (pro-Romney) $713,000, Rick Perry $456,000, Mitt Romney, $258,000, Make Us Great Again (pro-Perry) $186,000, Red White and Blue Fund (pro-Santorum) $100,000, Ron Paul $63,000, and Newt Gingrich $21,000. That’s right, folks: The pro-Romney super PAC is outspending the Gingrich campaign by 34 to 1. And yes, that isn’t a ONE DAY Gingrich ad buy, that’s his total spending on the books for THE WEEK. Meanwhile, over the weekend, Romney won the Des Moines Register’s endorsement and ’96 GOP nominee Bob Dole. And today, he picks up the endorsement from Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk, NBC’s Garrett Haake confirms.
*** Gingrich vs. the judiciary: Also over the weekend, Gingrich continued his tough rhetoric toward the federal judiciary. “In a half-hour phone call with reporters Saturday, Gingrich said that, as president, he would abolish whole courts to be rid of judges whose decisions he feels are out of step with the country,” the Washington Post writes. “During an appearance on CBS’s ‘Face the Nation,’ Gingrich suggested the president could send federal law enforcement authorities to arrest judges who make controversial rulings in order to compel them to justify their decisions before congressional hearings.” No matter how incendiary that rhetoric may appear, don’t underestimate how much this issue could resonate with conservative voters, especially in Iowa where social conservatives have been livid at the Iowa Supreme Court.
*** Perry vs. teenage girl on DADT: Here are some other campaign dispatches over the weekend that you shouldn’t miss from the largest and most complete political site on the web, NBCPolitics.com: On Sunday night, NBC’s Carrie Dann reports, Rick Perry was approached by a teenage girl, who questioned him about his recent Iowa ad taking aim at gays serving openly in the military. "I'm just wondering why you're so opposed to gays serving openly in the military and you want to deny their freedom when they're fighting and dying for your right to run for president?" asked 14-year-old Rebecka Green, who was accompanied to the Decorah town hall by her father, Todd. Perry, who has faced scattered protests on the issue throughout his bus tour in Iowa, told the young woman that he believed President Barack Obama was pressured to change a functional "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy by a progressive voting bloc. “‘Don't Ask Don't Tell’ was working," Perry said, later adding: "This president was forced by his base to change that policy."
*** Bachmann vs. Paul: Per NBC’s Jamie Novogrod, a feud inside the GOP presidential field provoked Michele Bachmann to defend her hard line on Iran on Saturday, while insisting that she doesn't "hate Muslims." Bachmann repeated variations on that phrase in at least three cities during her 99 county bus tour of Iowa. "I don't hate Muslims. I love the American people. And as president of the United States, my goal will be to keep America safe, free, and sovereign," Bachmann told reporters Saturday morning in Estherville. Novogrod notes that Bachmann’s unusually personal self-defense was the latest element in a back-and-forth with Ron Paul, who criticized Bachmann on national television Friday night. Appearing on NBC's "Tonight Show," Paul said Bachmann "doesn’t like" Muslims. "She hates Muslims," Paul added. "She wants to go get 'em."
*** Santorum dismisses Des Moines Register endorsement: NBC’s Anthony Terrell notes that Rick Santorum made three campaign stops across Iowa yesterday -- in Council Bluffs, Red Oak, and Atlantic. In Council Bluffs, Santorum addressed the Des Moines Register’s endorsement of Mitt Romney, saying, “He’s the establishment candidate and its’ a paper that is a fairly liberal paper, and I would expect them to endorse someone who’s the most moderate person in the field.”
*** On the 2012 trail: It’s a VERY busy day on the campaign trail: Bachmann, Gingrich, Perry, and Santorum make multiple stops in Iowa… Huntsman and Anita Perry stump in New Hampshire… And Jackie Gingrich Cushman travels throughout South Carolina as she campaigns for her father.
*** Kim Jong Il dies: The other major news is last night’s death of North Korea dictator Kim Jong Il. The White House says that President Obama called South Korea President Lee at midnight ET, reaffirming “the United States' strong commitment to the stability of the Korean Peninsula and the security of our close ally, the Republic of Korea. The two leaders agreed to stay in close touch as the situation develops and agreed they would direct their national security teams to continue close coordination.” Kim Jong Un succeeds his father.
Countdown to Iowa caucuses: 15 days
Countdown to New Hampshire primary: 22 days
Countdown to South Carolina primary: 33 days
Countdown to Florida primary: 43 days
Countdown to Nevada caucuses: 47 days
Countdown to Super Tuesday: 78 days
Countdown to Election Day: 325 days
Leave a Comment:
One question to the repuklins who think the temporary tax cuts for billionaires should be EXTENDED because it creates jobs... JOBS??? Jobs where?? Tax CUTS On Wealthy have NEVER resulted in stimulating Job Growth in US.. EVER!!! I consider myself fiscally conservative, but there is no way I can support tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans at the expense of the rest of AMERICANS and OUR Children and Childrens Children for US Debt incurred to support these tax cuts.. What the hell is wrong with US are we really that dumb????
In fact policies that make the middle class strong are what improve the economy for everyone including the rich. In other words, "trickle down" tax cuts that make the rich richer only makes the rich richer. When the 95 percentile have disposable income then there is demand, and when there is demand companies hire. Simple economics 101 -- not superstitious supply-side voodoo economics.
TruePatriot you points are difficult to dispute. Over the past 20 years America "stimulated' the Global economy with over $7.5 Trillion in trade deficits while we wiped out entire domestic market sectors. We outsourced the destruction of the environment to China among other nations while ignoring our own strategic energy needs among many infra-structure concerns. Someday the litany of "Free Trade" preached by liberal academics such as Paul Krugman will be remembered as the obituary of the Middle Class.
"Are we really that dumb"...
Appears that the voters who fell for the GOP/Teaparty crap are, only hope enough of them have wised up to vote the Teapartiers out of office but I really doubt it because all they listen to are the "FOX News" group bought and paid for by the GOP.
THEY ARE ALL JOKERS !!!!!!!
I used to be Republican many years ago until I caught on to their MANIFESTO when Reagan was Elected !
The picture started to change then and it is coming to full BLOOM NOW !
How MAFIOSO and DESPICABLE CONGRESS has become. OUR COUNTRY CAN NOT BE RUN LIKE the RUSSIAN
POLITBURO. But that is exactly how 50 + years has twisted our CONSTITUTION.
Truly a SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS. I want to VOMIT on the REPUKELINS & @!$%# BAGGERS !!!
I give NO RESPECT to the currant PARTIES of INJUSTICE in our HOUSE.
They are all in it for THEMSELVES ONLY. PERIOD!
Listening to the REPUKELINS CAMPAIGN RHETORIC'S Tells it all.
Who do they think they are is my BIG QUESTION ? ANSWER DICTATORS !!!!
Newt, the historian and constitutional scholar, might want do do a quick re-read of Article III of the Constitution -- the part that gives to Congress the right to create federal courts inferior to the Supreme Court, and by implication, the right to abolish the federal courts it created. This power is not given to the President.
That same Article provides that a federal judges will hold office "during good behavior," which does NOT mean "for as long as the President agrees with that judge's decisions."
This is called judicial independence. It is one way--and the best way--to assure that we will be a nation "governed by law and not by men." If we give this up, all else is lost.
I'm still trying to figure out whether "mr. brilliant" is deliberately sabotoging his front runner status with this anti-American scheme to dismantle the judiciary and upend the constitution, or whether he's just taken another one of his serious leaves of sanity. Either way, the man has lost it.
Well I agree with both of you gentlemen!!! I bet if the President came up with a bill to cut corporate tax rates to 28% they would have no problem getting 242 Republican votes from the house then would they??!!
Yes, they would. If the President came up with a cure for cancer and a plan to end world hunger, the Republicans would oppose them. I suspect, too, that if the President was a Republican, he would face the same opposition from the Democrats.
Not to be rude but "Where is outrage from progressives" this is one more help the Rich stimulus gimmick?
The IRS tax tables prove, less than 33% of Americans filers will receive as much as $1,000. The Top 10% will net the maximum or about $2,000. Sure, I can save my tax holiday for a year and buy a new big screen tv.
But the majority will not receive enough to buy a cup of coffee a day.
the payroll tax is applied to all working families. The average household in this country makes 55k a year so this amounts to a $1100 reduction in the payroll tax per year and is in their pockets being spent every week.
With the multiplier effect this does stimulate the economy because it gets spent 52 weeks a year and not a one time purchase.
Since this is a "payroll" tax break how would those on Social Security be affected? They are no longer on the payroll and are taxed on income and no longer subject to SS tax's as long as they are not gainfully imployed.
Many of them are in the lower income bracket so if anyone could use the tax break, they could.
I think everyone can agree that the proposal that passed the Senate was temporary and would not have addressed other various issues BUT, beyond that; it have would provided hope for millions of Americans at a time when hope is rare! There is nothing wrong with further negotiations early next year but for now, the House could have passed it so everyone would have a nice X-mas! I don't keep American holidays but I do understand how important they are especially for the children.
This current Congress seems to want to beat the very life out of the American spirit. They are so consumed by their frustration that a black man now occupies the oval office that it is getting in the way of all other rational judgment! History shows us that trends are like tides, they do eventually come in. Inevitably, blacks would have ascended to the throne of power in this nation if no other reason than the fact that they too have much invested in America. We helped to build schools that we were not allowed to attend. We built buses that we were not allowed to ride on; at least, not up front, and we fought in wars when we were not welcome on either side! But now, it is time for a black president and it is time for them to move over AND to share the wealth. The House and the Tea Party simply can't see it that way so the war on Pres Obama continues with U.S. citizens as hostages, particularly, the middle-class.
The GOP hopes that by NOT allowing the measure to pass in the House, this will cause Pres Obama and the Democrats to look bad come 2012. The RePUBS are betting the whole wad on the hope that you will forget this and all the other times they opposed the president, they hope you will forget how uncooperative they were AND, they hope that you are as STUPID as they believe. "Watch my hand!" Pay no attention to what I am doing with my other hand, hee hee hee!" What do I hope? I hope you fool them but good!!!
Happy Kwanzaa...