Rep. Andrews challenges Republicans on health reform repeal's impact on the deficit

Your World Host Cant Stand To Admit GOP Hypocrisy On Health Care Reform And The Deficit
Your World’s guest host, Brian Sullivan, was so wedded to defending the Republicans, that he twisted himself into a Pretzel - before finally agreeing that his Democratic guest had his facts correct - trying to rebut Rep. Rob Andrews’ charge that it’s hypocritical for Republicans to Repeal Health Care reform while claiming to be Deficit hawks. Andrews said about the Republicans, "I thought I heard the number one thing these guys ran on was reducing the Deficit an...

RNC Candidate Priebuss Law Firm Says Health Reform Is Constitutional, Touts Benefits Of Reform
On January 14, 168 standing members of the Republican National Committee (RNC) will hold an election to select the next national chairman of the party. Current RNC Chairman Michael Steele is running for a Second Term against a number of challengers, including Saul Anuzis, Ann Wagner, Maria Cino, Gentry Collins, and Reince Priebus. Priebus, the current state chairman of the Wisconsin GOP, is positioning himself as the true conservative alternative to Steele. His announcement video contained mi...

Republicans Take Cue from Pinocchio on Health Care Reform
Republicans have never let facts stand in the way of their attacks on Health Care reform. Who can forget the whopper lie that the new Health Care reform law would hasten your grandmother’s earthly exit? Or the one about heart patients waiting in long lines for their ration of cardiac medicine? The latest lie about the Affordable Care Act comes as conservative groups and House Republicans gear up for a campaign to Repeal the law by claiming polls show the majority of  America

Poll: Most Americans Support Health Law Or Want To Make It More Progressive
One of the major rallying cries of the Republican Party and the wider Conservative Movement has been to Repeal the recently passed Health Care law. To justify this demand, these Conservatives claim that Americans want the law to be repealed and that they think it goes too far in expanding the government and would prefer a Free Market approach to Health Care (which has no history of working anywhere at anytime). Last week, FreedomWorks president Matt Kibbe made this claim in on op-ed published...

New GOP majorities could repeal fresh legislation
(12-29) 04:00 PST Madison, Wis. -- Tougher rules for payday lenders and revamped gun measures are among the laws set to take effect around the country on Jan. 1. But some of them may not be on the books for long. In January, the statutes will kick in just as freshly elected governors and legislators arrive for work. And if new GOP majorities succeed in getting Legislation repealed, the result may be sudden U-turns on issues that were only recently debated. Before the November election, Democr...

Francine Hardaway: Both Health Care and Real Estate Face Further Reforms in 2011
Health Care and Real Estate, two important areas of interest to me and to the US economy, are due for some changes in 2011. I have no better crystal ball than anyone else, but here are some of the things I expect: Health Care reform will have to be re-reformed. No, I don't think the Republicans will actually Repeal it all. If they do, they're dumber than I thought, because they would then get caught in the same quicksand the Democrats have been in for the past two years. There will, however, b...

Congress, The Military, Corporations: The Collusive Alliance That Fuels America's Wars
As the bleeding continues to sap the economic strength of America and the future grows ever bleaker, we are hearing the voices of "Fiscal Responsibility" putting forth their negative messages of how to address and solve our problems. Just listen to this latest example of this type of thinking on what should be done to solve our fiscal problems. Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, generally referred to as "Dr. No", the spending hawk, warned recently that America would experience "apocalyptic pain" ...

New Year's Resolutions For The 112th Congress
It's almost 2011. In some ways, the "hope," "change," and "yes we can" shenanigans of the 2008 Presidential Election seem like they were born just yesterday. But the actions of a President who has added more to our National Debt than George Washington through Ronald Reagan combined have been in progress for far too long. It's time for a new team of fiscally responsible leaders to enter the scene and start cleaning up the mess. In the spirit of a rapidly approaching 2011, here are a few New Year...

Responding To TP Report, Huckabee Group Fires Scam Artist Who Defrauded Foreclosure Victims
On Tuesday, ThinkProgress reported that former Governor and current Fox News personality Mike Huckabee has been starring in a new health reform ad campaign run by a political consulting firm owned by a notorious scam artist. The firm Huckabee’s group had hired is 949 Media Group, a company run by Derek Oberholtzer — a notorious scam artist who ripped off Foreclosure Victims. Before going into political work, Oberholtzer ran a company that promised aid to people facing foreclosure. ...

Vice President "Bite Me" Takes Credit For Bush Tax Cuts He Wants To Repeal In Two Years
Vice President "Bite Me," aka Joe "Plugs" Biden, wrote a message the other day and wants my address so that Barack Hussein Obama can send me a thank you note, via his DNC Astroturf organization, "Organizing For America" (aka Astroturfing for Obama). Text below: There's more whoppers in this e-mail than you'd find in a Burger King. Friend -- I've been in Washington for almost 40 years. I've seen a lot of Congresses come and go. But I can't remember a group of lawmakers who accomplished more than...

No Child Left Behind: Will It Be Reauthorized in the 112th Congress?
So far this century, a number of new laws have been enacted that have been heavily criticized. Among others are the Patriot Act, the Medicare bill that provides a paid prescription benefit, TARP, and Obama Care. My pet legislative peeve for today is the No Child Left Behind Act. For some of the Legislation that was mentioned earlier nothing can be done. No Congress would ever Repeal the Paid Prescription benefit. Enough of our representatives and senators fear the wrath of the elderly, who care...

Civil Rights 2010. A Year in Review
The year 2010 has been an active one as it pertains to Civil Rights.  Some have gained rights while others have seen their civil rights limited.  Below are some of the most important developments during the past year. Same Sex Marriage.  Same sex marriage is now legal in five (5) states.  In 2010, the City Council of District of Columbia voted to legalize same sex marriage. A number of states, Including Maryland and New York now recognize same sex unions from states...

Did DADT Pave The Way for Gays to Serve Openly?
Steve Benen has a fine item ridiculing the “shower issue” when it comes to DADT Repeal implementation. He's right of course; the people pushing this stuff are dead-enders, and this fight is over (most likely explanation: there's still money to be made by doing one more round of scare stories/Fundraising pitches; the fight is over, but that doesn't mean easily-duped Donors know that, and the people who make a living parting them from their money aren't going to tell them). Anyway, B...

Dr. Dionne's couch
Too often, the White House has been caught whining about its progressive critics. The president's aides act as if whatever Obama happens to decide is the only sensible and realistic thing to do. For the left to ask Obama to be bolder in testing the limits of the possible means it is doing its job of pushing the president to do more, and to do it faster. Conservatives have mastered this approach. Why can't liberals do the same? But too often Progressives have spent more time complaining about wh...

What you pay for Medicare won't cover your costs
You paid your Medicare taxes all those years and want your money's worth: full benefits after you retire. Nearly three out of five people say in a recent Associated Press-GfK poll that they paid into the system so they deserve their full benefits — no cuts. But a newly updated financial analysis shows that what people paid into the system doesn't come close to covering the full value of the medical care they can expect to receive as Retirees. Consider an average-wage, two-earner couple tog...

Judge H. Lee Sarokin: Mitch McConnell Not Exactly Patrick Henry - Which Does Not Bode Well for the New Year
Last month was not exactly a Patrick Henry moment for Mitch McConnell and the Republican Party when, in essence, he said: "I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me Tax Breaks for the very rich or death to all other worthy Legislation".* In order to pursue this goal, the Republicans were willing to place politics over principle, winning over governing and protecting the rich over everything else True, benefits resulted from the Compromise and remarkable achievements have f...

House rule would let GOP set 2011 spending
Published: Dec. 30, 2010 at 1:55 PM A new House rule would give incoming Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., (L) the power to set spending ceilings without a floor vote. Pictures with Rep. Judd Gregg, R-N.H. (UPI Photo/Roger L. Wollenberg) WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- House Democrats expressed anger at a proposed rule allowing the House Budget Committee chairman to set spending ceilings unilaterally. The proposed new powers would allow incoming Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to deter...

Time to privatize Fannie and Freddie? How about a compromise?
The CBO weighs in on the idea of a private-public hybrid Compromise for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac....

The top 10 political stories of 2010 (Part 2 of 2)
After an eventful 2009 which featured the inauguration of the first African-American President, 2010 seemed doomed to be a disappointment.  In fact, 2010 may have been even more newsworthy than 2009.  In addition to what was quite possibly the worst Environmental Disaster in American history, 2010 witnessed a monumental political shift and the passage of landmark Legislation in a number of areas.   Below one can find the top 10 stories of 2010, #5 through #1.  Stories #1...

Tea Party, Health Reform, Dream Act Good for Democrats in 2010
When my editor suggested I write about the best things to happen to Democrats in 2010, the first answer that came to mind was: It ends in just a few days. It's mordant, but it's true. Consider the midterm "shellacking," the BP Oil Spill, and President Obama's problematic poll numbers. But while Democrats will be happy to see the end of 2010, a longer view will show that the year was kinder to the president and his party than it now seems. Here are my picks of the seven best things fo...

AP-GfK Poll: Baby boomers worried about Medicare (AP)
WASHINGTON – Anxious to receive their Medicare benefits after years of paying taxes into the system, Baby Boomers say they're willing to sacrifice to preserve the scope and level of coverage. The first boomers will be old enough to qualify for Medicare Jan. 1, and a new Associated Press-GfK poll finds them worried about the future of the giant Health Care program that has helped their parents and grandparents live longer, healthier lives in Retirement. By a ratio of 2-to-1, Baby Boomers ...

AP-GfK Poll: Baby boomers worried about Medicare
Realtor Lynn Barlow poses for a portrait in her home in Canton, Ga., in this photo taken Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010. Barlow believes she and her husband, who have paid into the Medicare program their whole working lives, and are entitled to collect benefits. At the same time, she's willing to make some sacrifices to preserve the level of services. Anxious to receive their Medicare benefits after years of paying taxes into the system, Baby Boomers say they're willing to sacrifice to preserve the sco...

AP-GfK Poll: Baby boomers worried about Medicare
WASHINGTON—Anxious to receive their Medicare benefits after years of paying taxes into the system, Baby Boomers say they're willing to sacrifice to preserve the scope and level of coverage. The first boomers will be old enough to qualify for Medicare Jan. 1, and a new Associated Press-GfK poll finds them worried about the future of the giant Health Care program that has helped their parents and grandparents live longer, healthier lives in Retirement. By a ratio of 2-to-1, Baby Boomers say...

Many baby boomers fear outliving Medicare
WASHINGTON — The first Baby Boomers will be old enough to qualify for Medicare Jan. 1, and many fear the program’s obituary will be written before their own. A new Associated Press-GfK poll finds that by a ratio of 2-to-1, Baby Boomers believe they won’t be able to rely on the giant Health Insurance plan throughout their Retirement. The boomers took a running dive into adolescence and went on to redefine work and family, but getting old is making them nervous. In the poll, 43 ...

Baby boomers worry about medicare
The first boomers will be old enough to qualify for Medicare Jan. 1, and a new Associated Press-GfK poll finds them worried about the future of the giant Health Care program that has helped their parents and grandparents live longer, healthier lives in Retirement. By a ratio of 2-to-1, Baby Boomers say they fear they won’t be able to rely on Medicare throughout their own Retirement. Yet the poll found that boomers, and Americans of all ages, are willing to accept trade-offs if that helps k...