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House GOP to reject stopgap payroll tax cut

WASHINGTON (AP) — With the Senate adjourned for the holidays, House Republicans are moving to shelve a bipartisan two-month extension of the Social Security payroll tax cut that cleared the Senate over the weekend and are demanding instead that their fellow lawmakers return to the Capitol for negotiations.
 
After a spate of bipartisanship last week, the combatants are back in full-throated warfare over President Barack Obama's payroll tax initiative and other expiring measures, including jobless benefits for almost 1.8 million people who will lose them next month if Congress doesn't act.
 
The Senate's short-term, lowest-common-denominator approach would renew a 2 percentage point cut in the Social Security payroll tax, plus jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed, and would prevent a huge cut in Medicare payments to doctors.
 
"With millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet, it would be unconscionable for Speaker (John) Boehner to block a bipartisan agreement that would protect middle-class families from the thousand-dollar tax increase looming on January 1st," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who negotiated the two-month extension with Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. The 2 percentage point tax cut provides about a $1,000 annual tax cut for a typical earner making about $50,000 a year.

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True to their solemn vow to abide by the demands of Grover Norquist (a lobbyist holding no elected office, and the most powerful man in government), the Republicans have threatened filibuster every bill the Democrats have put forth to help reduce the deficit that includes letting the Bush era tax cuts expire for just millionaires. So against raising taxes of any kind are they, that they are willing to shut down the government if any one dare whisper such a suggestion as closing corporate tax loopholes. This is because their first priority (besides making Obama a one term president) is to not raise taxes.
 
So why then have the House Republicans decided to play Scrooge this holiday season and not even let the bill passed by the Democratically controlled Senate which would extend the payroll tax cuts for another two months even come up for a vote? Could it be that they know that if the bill isn't passed, the economic recovery will have stalled, making their first priority (the afore mentioned one term Obama presidency) more likely? But isn't it hypocritical for a party that vows to not raise taxes? If this bill isn't passed, middle class families making $50,000 would have to pay an additional tax of $1,000 a year. Maybe their sentiment just needs an asterisk. They are the party that stands firm against tax increases (*for the wealthy.)  See? Now it all makes sense. After all, somebody has to sacrifice. You can bet your bottom dollar (and that may be all your left with) that if there were a bill that would prevent the raising of capitol gains tax, estate tax or any tax that would put an imperceivable dent in the coffers of their rich benefactors, they would vote it through faster than a corporate jet.
 
I've heard both John Boehner and Eric Cantor (he's the guy who in high school reminded the teacher she forgot to assign homework and whom jocks used to shove in his locker) cry (in Boehner's case, literally) "CLASS WARFARE" when the possibility of a .05% increase in taxes on millionaires would come up. It seems to me in "the war on class", they don't have any. If the Grand Old Party doesn't let this extension pass, your New Year is going to be about a grand less happy.
 
#corpocracy  #Cantor  #Boehner

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Gingrich Is Gaining Favor, New Poll Shows

DES MOINES — Newt Gingrich enters the final four weeks of campaigning before the Iowa caucuses with as the Republican frontrunner, beating Mitt Romney by a 15% margin, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll.Gingrich is rated more favorably than any of the other six remaining candidates in the race among voters who say they are likely to attend the Republican caucuses in Iowa. He would be supported enthusiastically as his party’s presidential nominee by more voters than any of his rivals.

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Searching for the Great White Hope to beat Obama in 2012, Republican voters have gone through a whole Disney-like list of cartoon characters. They went crazy for Sarah Palin (Hottie), Donald Trump (Trumpy), Michele Bachman (Crazy), Rick Perry (Dopey) and Herman Cain (Sexy). After suffering multiple disillusionments about those untested candidates, Republican voters who have been desperately looking for an alternative to Romney are now turning to someone who's jaded past they are already familiar (and apparently comfortable) with. They are willing to overlook the fact that Newt is ethically challenged and suffers from acute hypocrisy.

My brother sent me this speech of Newt's on YouTube, certain that after viewing it I would finally see the light and be converted to the wonderfulness that is Newt. I agree that Newt's the smartest character running for the Republican nomination (which would hardly qualify him for Mensa.) He's also the only one skilled enough to give Obama a challenging debate. I'll even admit that Newt makes a good point about the wrongness of Fannie May and Freddie Mac. Unfortunately, he lacks credibility on the issue considering received $1.6 million from them.

It's not the only time he's been a wee bit hypocritical. Let's not forget that he sanctimoniously led the charge of impeachment against Clinton for having sex with an intern, even though he himself was having an affair with a House of Representatives staffer. Not too surprising considering that he had previously had divorced his wife who was suffering from cancer for a chick he was fooling around with. So much for family values.

In the same speech he admonishes those who were against a cross being put up in the Mojave Desert for being fanatical fascists, meanwhile he was whole heartedly against a Mosque being built in Manhattan.

He's a hell of a guy, that Newt, if you forget those little bouts of hypocrisy and the fact that before he retired from Congress in shame, he was charged with 84 ethics violations, including violating federal tax law and lying to the House Ethics Panel. After all he's done, the man should be in the Big House, not the White House.

#Corpocracy #OWS #Newt

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California Campus Police Pepper-Spray Students

The University of California at Davis has placed two police officers on administrative leave after video of them pepper-spraying non-violent protesters at point-blank range sparked outrage at school officials. Friday's incident has led to calls for the resignation of UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi, who announced the action in a written statement Sunday. Katehi said she shares the "outrage" of students and was "deeply saddened" by the use of the chemical irritant by campus police.

"I am deeply saddened that this happened on our campus, and as chancellor, I take full responsibility for the incident," she said. "However, I pledge to take the actions needed to ensure that this does not happen again."

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Call me a bleeding heart liberal, but as far as I'm concerned, using pepper spray like weed killer on peaceful protesters should be considered use of excessive force. Officer John Pike, who can be seen on YouTube casually spraying the non-violent Davis students with vast amounts of pain inducing chemicals is not the only one who should be held accountable for his heinous actions. Considering that he and his fellow officers have been equipped with Kosco amounts of spray when the were sent implies that they were probably given permission to use it by their "superiors". I heard a police spokeswoman saying that the protesters were sprayed for their own safety. As Sarah Palin says, "Thanks, but no thanks."

While the horrifying video image of the cop spraying the Davis kids rivals the tape of the Rodney King beating or the protests of 1989 in Tiananmen Square, itis by no means the only example of police brutality against OWS protesters captured on film. Here are a just few more examples.

We are supposed to be the land of the free not, Communist China. I can understand authorities not wanting people camping out, using public parks as their rent free living space, but in this country we are supposed to have a right to assemble in peaceful protester without being tortured by the officers who are supposed to protect us. The authorities use all kinds of excuses to keep the protesters out of the parks like unsanitary conditions. Isn’t it nicer and more American to install a few porta-potties than beat the shit out of peaceful citizens? Oh, and next time, hold the pepper.

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The sexual harassmentcontroversy surrounding presidential hopeful Herman Cain does not appear to be hurting him much. According to CNN, Cain's chief of staff reported that Friends of Cain, the Cain campaign organization, received $400,000 in donations on Monday, calling it a "clear vote of confidence" for the Republican candidate.

To add emphasis, a poll from Quinnipiac revealed Cain has increased his lead over former front-runner Mitt Romneyin the nomination race.

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The double standards of the Republican Leaders (and followers) are dumfoundingly beyond logic. The same people who demanded that Weiner step down from his congressional post are supporting Horny Herman's bid for President of the United States.

Let's take an objective view of the two. Weiner twitted some inappropriate but impressive pictures of himself in his tighty- whities to a woman from his cell phone. For that, he was forced by Republicans and Democrats alike to retire from congress in shame. When your behavior doesn't come up to congressional moral standards, it's like Charlie Sheen telling you your lifestyle is out of control. The bar for acceptable sexual misconduct has been set and I can accept that. Now comes along Herman Cain, a man running for the highest office in the land, who just happens to have forgotten about having settled a couple of sexual harassment suits. So far, there are four accusers to date. To be clear, the definition of sexual harassment is: intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors.[1] Sexual harassment is a form of illegal employment discrimination in many countries, and is a form of abuse (sexual and psychological) and bullying.

Personally, I consider that an even more serious offense that sexting. Instead of demanding he drop out of the race, Republicans  rewarded him with more money and higher poll numbers. Thank you for your support. That well known champion of African Americans , Rush Limbaugh, even accused the "liberal" media of racism for suggesting Cain drop out.

In this great country of ours a man is considered innocent until proven guilty, or if he's rich enough to settle out of court (unless he's a Democrat.)

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18 Arrested in Wisconsin Assembly for Using Cameras; Guns Still Allowed

Eighteen people were arrested Tuesday for using cameras in the Wisconsin Assembly gallery. Concerned citizens had gone to the capitol to protest a series of arrests in recent weeks of individuals who carried signs or took photos or video in defiance of an Assembly ban. The event coincided with the implementation of Wisconsin's new concealed carry law, which allows residents to carry a concealed firearm -- including inside the Assembly gallery.
 
On the agenda in Tuesday's session was a bill to institute the Castle Doctrine, a "shoot first, ask questions later" bill that gives a person immunity from civil and criminal liability if they shoot another in self defense in their home, work, or vehicle.

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Ok, this one is so ridiculous, even Charlton Heston would have to think twice before defending it. You can shoot anyone in Wisconsin without consequence ... just not with a camera. Texas move over, there's a new kid in town taking over your title as the craziest frickin’ state in the nation. Why does Governor Walker think cameras are more dangerous than guns. Could it be because they can record what's going on in the State Assembly? Which begs the question, 'What's going on in the State Assembly that's more crazy than allowing people to kill each other?'
 
Maybe Governor Walker is just an old fashioned type of guy. He wants to return to simpler times. I thought Walker's issuance of the union-busting law to strip state employees the right to collective bargaining was regressive. But now it's the wild, wild west in Wisconsin. Which of course explains why there would be no cameras.
 
Now wait just a cotton pickin' minute there Gov. If there's not anything in the constitution given' folks the right to bear cameras, you can be darn tootin' it's only because there weren't invented yet when they done wrote it.