via New Jersey Area News Group Things were so bad for Speaker John Boehner Thursday night, support for his Plan B tax bill so diminished, the limits of his power with his own party laid bare, that he stood in front of the House Republican Conference and recited the Serenity Prayer. “God grant me the … Continue reading
via Gail Collins, The New York Times I am shocked to report that Congress, the beating heart of American democracy, is unpopular. Not unpopular like a shy kid in junior high. Unpopular like the Ebola virus, or zombies. Held in near-universal contempt, like TV shows about hoarders with dead cats in their kitchens. Or people … Continue reading
via Josh Wretlind, Examiner In a surprise move today, Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA) announced that he will stop all action on SOPA, effectively killing the bill. This move was most likely due to several things. One of those things is that SOPA and PIPA met huge online protest against the bills. Another reason would be … Continue reading
via Arthur Delaney, The Huffington Post Since Republicans proposed drug testing the unemployed last week, both Republican and Democratic leaders in Washington have been quiet on the controversial proposal. Spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) have repeatedly referred questions on specific parts of a broader Republican jobs … Continue reading
via Robert Creamer, Alternet The Occupy Wall Street movement really frightens the Right Wing. It is not frightening to the Right because of Congressman Eric Cantor’s feigned fear of “the mob” that is “occupying our cities.” It is not frightening because anyone is really worried that Glenn Beck is correct when he predicts that the … Continue reading
via Don Hazen and Colin Greer, Alternet Author and public intellectual Colin Greer tells us how we got where we are today. It’s not a pretty picture, but hope is on the way. At this moment, there are growing protests on Wall Street in Manhattan, in Boston at the Bank of America, and in cities around … Continue reading
via Josh Lederman, The Hill House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) threatened Friday to withhold funding from the Justice Department unless it agrees to defend a ban on government-recognized same-sex marriages. “We’re going to take the money away from the Justice Department, who’s supposed to enforce it, and we’ll use it to enforce the law,” Boehner … Continue reading
President Barack Obama’s job-creation package effectively fell to pieces on Monday as a top Republican lawmaker said the House of Representatives will only pass portions of the $447 billion measure. As Obama continued to press lawmakers for a vote on his signature legislation, Representative Eric Cantor, the No. 2 House Republican, said that was not … Continue reading
The surprise defeat in the House Wednesday of a special funding measure to keep the federal government functioning past Sept. 30 was a sharp rebuke of the GOP leadership that controls the chamber and a testament to the fragility of the majority itself. The rejection of the measure resurrected the specter of a government shutdown … Continue reading
When the Obama administration wanted to be certain that Congress would not block $50 million in new aid to thePalestinian Authority last month, it turned to a singularly influential lobbyist: Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Representative Kay Granger has urged the Palestinians to resolve issues in direct talks. At the request of the American Embassy and Secretary of … Continue reading
House Republican leaders came out against nearly all the major proposals in President Obama’s $447 billion job-creation plan Friday, including his middle-class tax cuts and his approach to federal spending on transportation and school construction. In a memo to all House Republicans, the GOP leaders said cutting payroll taxes through 2012 would lead to a … Continue reading