Ready, Fire, Aim

HuffPost TV: Howard Fineman On The Tax-Cut Revolt Among House Dems (VIDEO)
HuffPost's Howard Fineman appeared on MSNBC's "Countdown" Thursday night to discuss the revolt among House Democrats against the White House over President Barack Obama's tax-cut Compromise with Republicans. "They're angry. They feel ignored, which they were," Fineman told host Keith Olbermann. "I just think the White House has been focused for the last two years primarily on the Senate ... and they took their eye off the ball, in the case of the House." WATCH: Visit msnbc.com for breaking ne...

House Democrats vow to block tax measure
The Senate opened debate late Thursday on a reworked tax package that would add incentives for Renewable Energy, which many Democrats have demanded, but leave intact the core elements of a deal negotiated by the White House and Republicans, including a revived inheritance tax that has outraged liberal lawmakers. This Story House Democrats vow to block tax measure Tax fight puts Schumer at odds with Obama Max Baucus, the Democrats' dud Poll: What's the greatest benefit for Obama's in supportin...

Tax fight puts Schumer at odds with Obama
President Obama is getting along better than ever with Capitol Hill Republicans. But his relationship with Democratic Sen. Charles E. Schumer has hit a rough patch. This Story House Democrats vow to block tax measure Tax fight puts Schumer at odds with Obama Max Baucus, the Democrats' dud Poll: What's the greatest benefit for Obama's in supporting the extension of Bush Tax Cuts? Graphic: What the tax extension means for you Summers Says Economy Worse Off Without Tax Compromise View All Items ...

John Thune: Better Tax Cut Deal For Republicans 'Not Likely To Happen' (VIDEO)
South Dakota Senator and potential Presidential Candidate John Thune suggested Wednesday that his fellow conservative heavyweights Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Sarah Palin shouldn't expect to be able to craft better Tax Cut bargain for the GOP considering the current Makeup of Congress and the White House. DeMint and Palin have both announced their opposition to the current deal as drawn out by Obama this week, because they believe the minimal increases to the death tax and the two-year extens...

House Democrats defy Obama, refuse to take up tax cut bill
Defying President Obama, House Democrats voted Thursday not to bring up the tax package that he negotiated with Republicans in its current form. "This message today is very simple: That in the form that it was negotiated, it is not acceptable to the House Democratic Caucus. It's as simple as that," said Democratic Congressman Chris Van Hollen. "We will continue to try and work with the White House and our Republican colleagues to try and make sure we do something right for The Economy and right ...

Democrat Lawmaker Says " f--- the president As Anger Spills Over in House Democrat Caucus Meeting
Profanity, Anger Spill Over in House Democratic Caucus Meeting By Anna Palmer Roll Call Staff The frustration with President Barack Obama over his Tax Cut Compromise was palpable and even profane at Thursday’s House Democratic Caucus meeting. One unidentified lawmaker went so far as to mutter “f--- the president” while Rep. Shelley Berkley was defending the package the president negotiated with Republicans. Berkley confirmed the incident, although she declined to name the specific lawma

Dems play fiscal chicken
The behavior of Liberal Democrats in the U.S. House is, well, nothing short of astonishing. Yesterday they were in full-throated revolt against the Tax Cut Compromise crafted by a Democratic president. Barack Obama, whose political survival instincts seem to be intact, agreed to a two-year extension of all the Bush era tax cuts, a reasonable extension of the Estate Tax that exempts estates under the $5 million mark, getting in return a 13-month extension on Unemployment Benefits and a cut i...

Senate reworks tax bill; House defies president
WASHINGTON — The Senate opened debate late Thursday on a reworked tax package that would add incentives for Renewable Energy, which many Democrats have demanded, but leave intact the core elements of a deal negotiated by the Obama Administration and Republicans. As the Senate steamed toward a Monday vote on the package, House Democrats were in open revolt. Amid chants of "Just say no," they agreed overwhelmingly during a private meeting Thursday to block the measure from going to the Hou...

Rep. Gary Ackerman: Tax Cut Deal Is GOP's 'Wet Dream Act'
© Huffington Post Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-New York) used a crude play on words Wednesday, when he described what he saw as Obama's gift to the GOP in the recent Tax Cut deal as the "Republican Wet DREAM Act" -- apparently no relation to the actual Dream Act. "Members of the Democratic Caucus are saying 'why should we take this vote, we're gonna get blamed for adding to the Deficit,'" Ackerman told MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan in his analysis of the potential political consequences of passing Obam...

Items added to tax cut bill to draw support
WASHINGTON — As Democrats in Congress battled in public over a proposal to extend Bush-era Income Tax cuts, a group of Democratic lawmakers are pushing to make subtle changes to help sweeten the pot. The agreement worked out between President Obama and Republican lawmakers would extend the expiring cuts for all Taxpayers for two years, continue jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed and cut Social Security Payroll taxes next year. Many Democrats have balked at the Compromise, particu...

Further to The Sullivan File
Ah, Andrew. Sullivan is at it again. I don’t often write about Andrew Sullivan, in part because the two parts of his work I dislike the most—his propensity for “man on a horse” hero-worship and his difficulties with science and numbers—are both dealt with more than capably by others, including front pagers here. On the affirmative side, I keep quiet about him in part because he’s been right on some big things, at times when a lot of others weren’t̵...

Charles Krauthammer - Swindle of the year
Barack Obama won the great tax-cut showdown of 2010 - and House Democrats don't have a clue that he did. In the deal struck this week, the president negotiated the biggest stimulus in American history, larger than his $814 billion 2009 stimulus package. It will pump a Trillion borrowed Chinese dollars into the U.S. economy over the next two years - which just happen to be the two years of the run-up to the next Presidential Election. This is a defeat? This Story Swindle of the year Democrats ...

Guest Post: The Blame Game: The White House vs. House Democrats
Today's guest post comes from none other than Big Brother All-My-Tee himself, Rippa, who blogs at The Intersection of Madness & Reality. Rippa's known around the blogosphere for stirring up a good debate so drop your 2 cents in the comments below as we discuss the latest debacle between the White House and the Democrats: So now everyone has taken lead from Obama's recent Press Conference chastisement of his fellow republi... oops, I mean democrats, Liberals, and or Progressives alike. Yes, w...

Howard Fineman Tells Olbermann: Angry Democrats Not Only Said F the President, But Also No F-ing Way, He F-ed It Up
According to Howard Fineman, appearing on MSNBC’s “Countdown,” that was not the sole F-word expressed in disgust for the President at this contentious gathering . Keith Olbermann, HOST: In Nancy Pelosi’s last month as Speaker, and the last month of Democrat control of the House of Representatives, Democrats stood up against Republicans and against the President. Our fifth story tonight, after a rowdy, dramatic, closed door meeting of House Democrats in almost total unison on this i

Let the tax cuts go and you actually stick it to the top for real.
By: Daniel Becker (DOLB) On Countdown (12/9/10), Keith had on Thomas Buffenbarger, president of the International Machinist Union. It was a chance for an “I told you so moment”in that Mr. Buffenbarger noted while campaigning for Secretary Clinton that President Obama would not be a fighter. Go watch the episode. I made my position on of Obama clear after the 60 Minutes interview. Mr. Buffenbarger's comments only reinforces my position as to understanding President Obama as does Oba...

House Democratic Caucus Agrees: No Vote on Obama-GOP Tax Deal
Get alerts when there is a new article that might interest you. Defying President Obama, House Democrats voted Thursday not to bring up the tax package that he negotiated with Republicans in its current form. "This message today is very simple: That in the form that it was negotiated, it is not acceptable to the House Democratic Caucus. It's as simple as that," said Democratic Congressman Chris Van Hollen. "We will continue to try and work with the White House and our Republican colleagues to tr...

House Dems bribed to silence on tax bill?
Allahpundit calls House Democrats “a gang of cheap losers” for folding like this, and it’s hard to disagree: apparently, all that Rhetoric about Tax Cuts for the rich can easily be trumped with an additional Ethanol subsidy.  To which I say, drink deep: because in a world where Al Cubslayer Gore is talking about ending that kind of pork, the odds that it’s going to get renewed by the House next year is dropping precipitously. Also, out of curiosity: is there anything t...

Senate on collision course with House?
Fox News has learned that the Senate is likely to take up the tax Compromise deal on Thursday afternoon, this according to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky, and that no substantive changes are expected to the framework he and House GOP Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, negotiated with the White House. McConnell further predicted Senate passage of the measure, a sentiment conveyed to Fox by a number of Senate Democratic aides close to the negotiations. This puts the chamber on a collision ...

House Dems Hoping To Include Zadroga Act In Tax Cut Bill
The US Senate failed to pass a measure that would allow debate to begin on the 9/11 Health Care and Compensation Act. The bill, which has already passed in the House, would provide $7 billion in aid to First Responders and their families. However there are efforts to resurrect the Legislation and include it in the Controversial Tax Cut bill. Rep. Carolyn Maloney was among the members of Congresses disappointed with the outcome of Thursday’s vote. She’s actually one of the sponsors o...

Rep. Barney Frank On House Democrats' Rejection Of Obama's Tax Compromise
Labels: Barack Obama, Barney Frank, Democrats, U.S. House New! Share this on Facebook: Share ...

House Democrats block GOP-Obama tax deal. Is it dead?
Many Democrats are angry with the GOP-Obama tax deal. They want to hold out for more GOP concessions. But the expectation is that the Tax Cuts will still pass, probably with some changes....

Berkley a lonely voice on tax cut bill
WASHINGTON -- When House Democrats met behind closed doors on Thursday and took a voice vote on President Barack Obama's tax deal, it was decidedly lopsided against the agreement. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said one person voted to support Obama, "and I was the vote." ...

Paul Krugman: Obamas Hostage Deal
Obama needs to understand that "concerns about the tax deal reflect realism, not purism": Obama’s Hostage Deal, by Paul Krugman, Commentary, NY Times: I’ve spent the past couple of days trying to make my peace with the Obama-McConnell tax-cut deal. President Obama did, after all, extract more concessions than most of us expected. Yet I remain deeply uneasy... Obama has bought the release of some hostages only by providing the G.O.P. with new hostages. About the deal: Republicans ...

The Obama-George H.W. Bush Comparison
In today’s New York Times, Jon Meacham, who is writing a biography of former president George H.W. Bush, points out the historical parallels between Obama’s economic negotiations today and the ones that were going on in 1990: It was in 1990 that Mr. Bush broke one of the most celebrated promises in modern American politics —“Read my lips: no new taxes,” as he put it in 1988 — in order to control federal spending. In the same way that Mr. Obama struck his dea...

Renewable energy industry banking on more grants
WASHINGTON—Officials in the wind industry say that a hard-fought extension of a cash grant program for Renewable Energy will be a lifeline for domestic producers, saving tens of thousands of jobs. "Factories across the country will restart production lines, recall workers and avoid layoffs that would have followed the loss of this key incentive for Wind Energy, which with consistent policies like this one can generate 20 percent of America's electricity within 20 years," Denise Bode, CEO ...