Obama to blink first on Social Security (Politico)

Tell the President: Stand Up to the Hostage-Takers! Defend Social Security and Medicare.
Republican hostage-takers got President Obama to go along with their Tax Cuts for the wealthy by threatening to raise taxes on the Middle Class and blocking even modest stimulus funds for our struggling economy. Now the Republicans have identified their next hostage: They're going to threaten to destroy the international financial stability of the United States by refusing to raise the Debt ceiling. What are they demanding for ransom? They want President Obama to slash Social Security and Med...

Roger Hickey: Tell the President: Stand Up to the Hostage-Takers! Defend Social Security and Medicare.
Republican hostage-takers got President Obama to go along with their Tax Cuts for the wealthy by threatening to raise taxes on the Middle Class and blocking even modest stimulus funds for our struggling economy. Now the Republicans have identified their next hostage: They're going to threaten to destroy the international financial stability of the United States by refusing to raise the Debt ceiling. What are they demanding for ransom? They want President Obama to slash Social Security and Med...

Tell the President: Stand Up to the Hostage-Takers! Defend Social Security and Medicare.
Republican hostage-takers got President Obama to go along with their Tax Cuts for the wealthy by threatening to raise taxes on the Middle Class and blocking even modest stimulus funds for our struggling economy. Now the Republicans have identified their next hostage: They're going to threaten to destroy the international financial stability of the United States by refusing to raise the Debt ceiling. What are they demanding for ransom? They want President Obama to slash Social Security and Med...

Tax Cut Deal Heads to White House
Politico reports: A tax-cut Compromise between President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans - a harbinger of a new era of divided government in Washington - cleared the House around midnight Thursday, sending the $858 billion bill to the president’s desk. The bill, which passed 277 to 148, provides a two-year extension for all Tax Cuts that were due to expire Dec. 31 - including for families earning more than $250,000 a year — and extends Unemployment I

US Congress passes Obama tax deal
The US House of Representatives has passed a Compromise tax bill averting a New Year rise in income taxes for millions of Americans. The deal forged by the White House and Republicans also extends benefit payments for some of the longer-term unemployed for 13 months. The Senate passed the bill on Wednesday but its chances of passing the lower chamber had been seen as less certain. Some Democrats have been angry about Tax Breaks for wealthy Americans. However, President Barack Obama had said that...

Bill preventing big tax hikes heads to Obama
WASHINGTON — A massive Bipartisan tax package preventing a big New Year’s Day tax hike for millions of Americans is on its way to President Barack Obama for his signature. The measure would extend Tax Cuts for families at every income level, renew jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed and enact a new one-year cut in Social Security taxes that would benefit nearly every worker who earns a wage. In a remarkable show of Bipartisanship, the House gave final approval to the measur...

House passes tax package
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., right, speaks to reporters Thursday before the House was to vote on the tax package. (Brendan Smialowski, Getty Images) Sen. Udall votes 'no' on extending Tax Cuts WASHINGTON — Acting with uncommon speed, Congress sent President Barack Obama sweeping, Bipartisan Legislation late Thursday to avoid a Jan. 1 spike in income taxes for millions and renew jobless benefits for Victims of the worst Recession in 80 years. The measure also will cut Social Se...

House Roll Call: Bill to extend tax cuts
The 277-148 roll call Friday by which the House passed a bill to avoid a Jan. 1 spike in income taxes, renew jobless benefits and cut Social Security taxes. A "yes" vote is a vote to pass the measure. Voting yes were 139 Democrats and 138 Republicans. Voting no were 112 Democrats and 36 Republicans. X denotes those not voting. There is 1 vacancy in the 435-member House. House sends Obama bill to avoid Jan. 1 tax hikes...

All bets off: Online poker bill dealt possible death blow
View results Sun archives Legalizing online poker looks like a long shot (12-9-2010) Harry Reid rushes effort to legalize Internet poker (12-7-2010) Harry Reid pushes bill to allow for Online Gambling (12-3-2010) Nevada gaming companies see potential flush online (8-2-2010) Online gambling is illegal, but betting sites’ logos often in Nevada casinos (7-13-2010) Online poker law in effect, but players still manage to bet (7-11-2010) Question evolving from legalization debate: How to ...

What Obama Should Do Next
President Obama has an opportunity on his hands. Now that he's cut a grand tax-cut bargain with Republicans, the time is ripe—from both a policy and a political standpoint—to shift toward a comprehensive program of fiscal stabilization and Economic Growth, integrated into a narrative of American success in the twenty-first century. He should do so during next year's State of the Union address, which, if used correctly, may well be the pivotal Speech of the Obama presidency. This is ...

House passes Obama's huge tax-cut bill
(12-17) 04:00 PST Washington - -- Enraging the liberal wing of his party, President Obama won the biggest Bipartisan victory of his presidency Thursday as the House passed his $858 billion, two-year Compromise with Republicans that temporarily extends all the Bush-era Tax Cuts and Unemployment Insurance. Furious Democrats - who in one of their last acts in the House majority found themselves extending the policies of former President George W. Bush - delayed passage until late in the evening, ...

House passes Obama's huge tax-cut bill
(12-17) 04:00 PST Washington - -- Enraging the liberal wing of his party, President Obama won the biggest Bipartisan victory of his presidency Thursday as the House passed his $858 billion, two-year Compromise with Republicans that temporarily extends all the Bush-era Tax Cuts and Unemployment Insurance. Furious Democrats - who in one of their last acts in the House majority found themselves extending the policies of former President George W. Bush - delayed passage until late in the evening, ...

House passes president's tax-cut compromise
(12-16) 04:00 PST Washington - -- Enraging the liberal wing of his party, President Obama won the biggest Bipartisan victory of his presidency Thursday as the House passed his $858 billion, two-year Compromise with Republicans that temporarily extends all the Bush-era Tax Cuts and Unemployment Insurance. Furious Democrats - who in one of their last acts in the House majority found themselves extending the policies of former President George W. Bush - delayed passage until late in the evening, ...

Enter the Tea Party Era
Republican leaders in Congress, blindsided by Grassroots fury over the Tax Cut deal they made with President Obama, are now scrambling to show their allegiance to the anti-federal, anti-debt movement. The GOP brass, led by Senate Party Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), did so tonight by eagerly backing the successful efforts of Tea Party favorites to block debate on a $1.1 Trillion “omnibus” spending bill that would fund the entire Federal Government until next October — but wh...

House Passes Obama's Tax Cut Plan
The House passed President Obama's tax plan late Thursday night by a vote of 277 to 148, less than 24 hours after the Senate cleared the bill, 81-19. The vast majority of votes against the plan came from Democrats, who were disappointed with Obama's concessions to Republicans. To recap: The Legislation extends the Bush Income Tax cuts for two years, avoiding an increase at all income levels that would otherwise occur on January 1. It also provides a thirteen month extension of Unemployment benef...

Yet Another Study Shows That The More You Watch Fox, The Dumber You Are
Think Progress discussed the amount of misinformation encountered in the 2010 election. World Public Opinion found that those who who have greater exposure to the news were generally better informed-unless they watch Fox. Once again we have evidence that the more you watch Fox the dumber you are. Numerous falsehoods were believed by those who watch Fox: There were however a number of cases where greater exposure to a news source increased misinformation on a specific issue. Those who wat...

Tax-cut deal wins final OK
WASHINGTON — The House passed an $858 billion package of extended Tax Cuts and stimulus spending late last night, saving at least hundreds of dollars for nearly all Americans and heralding the first broad Bipartisan Compromise of the Obama presidency. The 277-to-148 vote was a political victory for President Obama, who made the case for Compromise over complaints from the base of the Democratic Party. Some longtime Obama backers fought the president’s deal late into the night, conte...

Tax cuts pass --recapping a hectic day on Capitol Hill
A big win for President Obama as the Controversial Tax Cut agreement he brokered with GOP leaders passed the final hurdles in Congress last night and is poised to become law --the most significant tax bill in nearly a decade.    The measure, which breezed through the Senate, faced stiff opposition from Liberal Democrats in the House opposed to extending tax cuts for the Richest two percent of Americans. But their last-minute campaign to amend the agreement failed by a midnight vote of ...

House approval sends sweeping tax deal to Obama
WASHINGTON — Acting with uncommon speed, Congress gave final passage Thursday night to sweeping, Bipartisan Legislation to avoid a Jan. 1 spike in income taxes for millions and renew jobless benefits for Victims of the worst Recession in 80 years. The measure also will cut Social Security taxes for nearly every wage-earner and pump billions of dollars into the still-sluggish economy. The Legislation was the result of a reach across party lines by President Barack Obama and top Republican...

Bill Preventing Tax Hikes Heads to Obama
(WASHINGTON) — A massive Bipartisan tax package preventing a big New Year's Day tax hike for millions of Americans is on its way to President Barack Obama for his signature. The measure would extend Tax Cuts for families at every income level, renew jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed and enact a new one-year cut in Social Security taxes that would benefit nearly every worker who earns a wage. In a remarkable show of Bipartisanship, the House gave final approval to the measure...

Bill Preventing Big Tax Hikes Heads to Obama
Friday, December 17, 2010 By Stephen Ohlemacher, Associated Press House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California heads into a Democratic Caucus meeting on Capitol Hill on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., is at left and Rep. Bob Etheridge, D-N.C., is at center. (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg) Washington (AP) - A massive Bipartisan tax package preventing a big New Year's Day tax hike for millions of Americans is on its way to President Barack Obama for his signature. The measure would ...

Congress approves tax-cut, jobless-benefits legislation
WASHINGTON — Acting with uncommon speed, Congress sent President Barack Obama sweeping, Bipartisan Legislation late Thursday to avoid a Jan. 1 spike in income taxes for millions and renew jobless benefits for Victims of the worst Recession in 80 years. The measure also will cut Social Security taxes for nearly every wage-earner and pump billions of dollars into the still-sluggish economy. The 277-148 vote came less than 24 hours after the Senate cleared the bill, 81-19. The Legislation w...

Dems' rant can't stop House from passing tax cut bill
After withstanding a last-minute rebellion from Liberal Democrats, the House last night passed the Compromise Tax Cut bill. The 277-148 vote came just 24 hours after the Senate approved the $858 billion piece of Legislation, capping a rare show of unity among Democrats and Republicans. President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law today. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), who spearheaded the liberal effort to derail the bill, said he "simply could not vote for such a flawed bill." "I do not...

The Early Word: Lame-Duck Lumbers On
From Today’s Times: - The Obama adminstration says it will look to beef up attacks on Insurgents in Tribal Areas of Pakistan, The Times’s Helene Cooper and David Sanger report, in response to a major weakness found in the review of the War in Afghanistan. - As the House worked on the tax-cut Compromise, The Times’s David Herszenhorn reports, Senate Democrats called off their efforts to pass a more long-term measure to fund the Federal Government. - The tax-cut pac...

House passes $858 billion tax cut, stimulus bill
Search our databases WASHINGTON — A reluctant House of Representatives late Thursday voted 277-148 to approve sweeping tax Legislation aimed at boosting the nation’s struggling economy. The vote, just before the stroke of midnight, follows overwhelming Senate approval Wednesday and sends the historic $858 billion measure to President Barack Obama for his signature. The bill will prevent taxes from rising as scheduled on virtually all Americans on Jan. 1, extend jobless benefits for the lon...