TPMDC Morning Roundup
NYT: White House Making Plans To Reveal Bank Information
The New York Times reports that the Obama Administration is drawing up plans to publicly reveal key information from the stress tests for the 19 biggest banks in the country. All are expected to pass the tests, but some would do so better than others. After initial reluctance to make this move, it has been decided that doing so will better help prevent the kind of market uncertainty that would send investors fleeing.
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will be delivering a speech at 11:55 a.m. ET from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, recognizing Tax Day by discussing his efforts to make a fairer tax code and provide more tax relief for working families. Obama will meet for lunch with Vice President Biden at 12:30 p.m. ET, and at 4 p.m. ET he will meet with U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk.
Biden's Day Ahead
Vice President Biden is having a closed-press meeting this morning with the SEIU Executive Council. He will then meet with Haitian Prime Minister Michèle Pierre-Louis. And after he has lunch with Obama, Biden will meet with former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
WaPo: Obama May Face World Of Blame At Summit of the Americas
The Washington Post reports that as President Obama prepares to meet with Latin American leaders at the Summit of the Americas, he will be facing a tough crowd of leaders who roundly blame the United States for the economic crisis. "The temptation to run against Washington will be very powerful," said Inter-American Development Bank President Luis Alberto Moreno.
Napolitano To Name "Border Czar"
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will reportedly name former federal prosecutor Alan Bersin to be the new "Border Czar," with the job of overseeing issues related to drug-cartel violence and illegal immigration along the Mexican border. In his new job, Bersin will work with officials from other countries and from the states along the border.
Paterson To Roll Out Gay Marriage Bill Today
Gov. David Paterson (D-NY) will reportedly announce today his proposal to legalize gay marriage in New York. If this were to pass -- which is not a guarantee, given the thin Democratic majority in the state Senate -- New York would become the largest state to currently have gay marriage, after California had it briefly but outlawed it through Proposition 8 last year.
Blago Signs Up For Reality Show
NBC has announced that they've signed up former Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-IL) to appear on their upcoming reality show, I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, essentially a celebrity version of Survivor in the Costa Rican jungle. As the New York Times points out, though, Blago would likely need some special permission to leave the country and appear on the show, now that he's under indictment.
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
Gay marriage is such red meat for Republicans. How will this play in New York generally, I wonder? Glad this came up after the NY-20 election.
April 15, 2009 9:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
On Tax Day, there really are TWO Sides of the GOP Teabags
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=6890
April 15, 2009 9:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
Newt Gingrich wants our tea bags! This video is too funny...
April 15, 2009 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good heavens, Blagojevich is The Thing That Wouldn't Leave. Go away, already!
April 15, 2009 9:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe if we're lucky, no one will "get him out of there"...
April 15, 2009 1:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
'...discussing his efforts to make a fairer tax code and provide more tax relief for working families..."
very funny
how can you provide more tax relief to those 30% of americans who are not paying any taxes at all?
These people have no right to call themselves taxpayers, because they aren't.
And they should have no say about how government is spending taxpayer money, because they are not participating in financing the government.
April 15, 2009 9:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, working people don't pay any taxes. That would be an interesting point if it weren't so flatly, demonstrable wrong. Perhaps you need to go back under the bridge and get another cup of coffee before you start the day's trolling, you're just embarrassing yourself with this nonsense.
April 15, 2009 9:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm a working person too, bruno.
No representation without taxation.
April 15, 2009 9:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
"No representation without taxation."
Hey! Let's bring back that whole only landowners can vote thing. In fact, let's go back to the original way it was where in order to cast a vote in the new democracy, one had to be white (except in a few Northern states), male (except in New Jersey, where women voted until 1807), and a landowner (nearly everywhere).
I'm sure that would appeal much more to your sensibilities.
April 15, 2009 9:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
No, just straightforward and fair participation in both electing and financing the government is fine, thank you.
April 15, 2009 9:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
You could probably make more money selling these red herrings.
April 15, 2009 9:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
the problem is he's the one who keeps buying these red herrings from the hucksters who make their livings selling them to all the gullible right-wing marks. on the right, you're either the confidence man or the mark. laloo is clearly the mark.
April 15, 2009 10:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
typically thoughtful rebuttal, overflowing with facts and figures.
April 15, 2009 10:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
So, lalo...
My brother, who's been laid off, shouldn't be allowed to vote?
My grandmother, who's retired, shouldn't be allowed to vote?
My son, who hasn't found a job yet, shouldn't be allowed to vote?
The vet who was injured in the war, who can't work, shouldn't be allowed to vote?
Pfft. Don't know why I waste my time, really.
April 15, 2009 10:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
Vote? I'm not talking about a right to vote. What are you smoking?
April 15, 2009 10:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
Vote? I'm not talking about a right to vote. What are you smoking?
April 15, 2009 10:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
So you're saying that the only taxes Americans pay are payroll taxes? That would be great, but definitely not true.
April 15, 2009 9:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Payroll tax is not an income tax, it's a tax on having a job.
So I doubt it's going to be in the Obama message about his heroic "efforts" to make tax code fairer and provide more tax relief to "working" families.
April 15, 2009 9:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Let's go to what you actually wrote:
how can you provide more tax relief to those 30% of americans who are not paying any taxes at all?
Can you cite a source for this? No, you can't. Because it's incorrect! So, now you're left to speculate about what you think Obama is going to talk about today.
Please. Better trolls.
April 15, 2009 10:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
He can't come up with facts, because facts have a well-known liberal bias.
April 15, 2009 10:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
"..there will be 47 million tax returns with zero income tax liability in 2009 under current law. That's one-third of all tax returns, and those 47 million tax returns represent 96 million individuals..."
That's written in Sept 2008. And guess if that number is going up or down...
April 15, 2009 10:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
I know someone who earns over 100k a year and has no tax liability. That figure means nothing.
April 15, 2009 10:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
That's most likely completely untrue or you're friends with law breaking tax-evaders who ignore AMT.
April 15, 2009 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/23631.html
April 15, 2009 10:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
A reasonably bright 12 year-old realizes:
"any taxes at all" != "zero income tax liability"
in other words, EPIC FAIL!
April 15, 2009 10:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Adult nit-picker, ignoring the obvious.
April 15, 2009 10:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
So, let's review. You made a factually incorrect statement. When challenged, you cite an authority which, rather than supporting the original statement, actually says something very different. When this is pointed out, you blame the person pointing this out for "nitpicking".
Stay classy, Lalo!
April 15, 2009 11:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
what's factually incorrect, professor?
this outcome?:
"there will be 47 million tax returns with zero income tax liability in 2009 under current law. That's one-third of all tax returns, and those 47 million tax returns represent 96 million individuals"
or the terminology difference between no income tax and zero tax liability?
April 15, 2009 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
For the last time:
"any taxes at all", which is what you originally wrote, is not "no income tax" nor is it "zero tax liability". Not even close. If you fail to see that, there's no help for you. If you are playing being that obtuse, well, bully for you. In either case, I'm done.
April 15, 2009 11:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's clear I wasn't talking about sales tax, payroll tax or anything other than income tax - or you're just not paying attention.
You just have nothing to say on the main issue, so you nit-pick to the end.
April 15, 2009 11:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Even if folks "only" pay sales tax or payroll tax, they still have the same right to governmental representation -- just as much as the "legal" businessperson sheltering funds in an offshore tax shelter.
April 15, 2009 11:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Folks do not pay payroll tax. It's a tax on employment paid by business. What they withold from the pay check is pay-as-you-go income tax.
Sales tax is levied by the state. New Hampshire has no sales tax, as well as two or three others.
April 15, 2009 11:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
That's entirely incorrect. Half of SS and Medicare is paid by the employer; half is paid by the employee.
April 15, 2009 12:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
So, when you write something, you know, factually incorrect, it should be clear to me that you really meant something else. Because it was clear to you what you meant when you wrote it. Got it. And pointing out the, you know, factual inaccuracy is, you know, nit-picking.
And ignoring the main issue. Which was what again? Oh yeah, that people who pay no taxes (perhaps you meant income taxes, who the heck knows?)
"should have no say about how government is spending taxpayer money, because they are not participating in financing the government."
Except all of us in the reality-based community know that they really do participate in financing the government, because they pay payroll taxes, which finance government.
All that is aide from your point of "representation without taxation". I have no problem with that, as a matter of fact. In my world, students, the unemployed and retired people who earn nothing deserve every bit as much role in determining spending of tax money as I do, as a high tax paying citizen.
April 15, 2009 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Payroll tax is income tax. You are either a moron or a liar - which is it?
April 15, 2009 12:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Isn't Today the dealine for releasing some more torture memos?
April 15, 2009 9:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Tomorrow.
April 15, 2009 10:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Napolitano To Name "Border Czar"
Offer the job to O'Reilly...just for laughs. It's not like he would take the $10 million per year paycut, and by rejecting the offer, he'll lack the requisite standing to offer any criticism of border security.
April 15, 2009 9:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
I might get reported for this, but what the hell. I figure it's the only thing a right-winger might understand.
Lalo, you really are one dumb a$$.
April 15, 2009 10:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
No, it's not the only thing a right-winger might understand. it's the only thing you're capable of saying.
And don't worry, I won't report you, I don't care for your name-calling.
April 15, 2009 10:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Come on guys. Don't feed the troll.
April 15, 2009 10:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Just so you understand, troll, there's one hell of a lot we don't much like about you. So we're going to insult you, call you names, and generally give you grief whenever we feel like it.
Got it? Good.
April 15, 2009 1:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sure, old fart, i got it.
April 15, 2009 1:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
So - in answer to my question above: Are you a liar or a moron?
April 15, 2009 2:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lalo is definitely not a moron. IMO he can only be called a liar if being obtuse is lying.
April 15, 2009 2:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
thank god we finally have someone to keep an eye on GOP talking points dressed up as centrist conventional wisdom.
Oh, wait, I thought you said Broder czar. Never mind.
April 15, 2009 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
LOL!
April 15, 2009 11:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Lalo gets the Troll gold star award today for successfully hijacking the thread.
DNFTT! is it that hard?
April 15, 2009 4:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not so sure that this is the way to go in all cases of trolling. There may be a case to be made that rebutting trolls gives reasonable voters information that cuts through the right wing noise machine.
Here, any swing voters confused about all this teabagging noise on tax day heard Schrodinger's Cat clearly rebut Lalo's BS that "Folks do not pay payroll tax. It's a tax on employment paid by business." line. Clear thinking readers now know that despite what dittoheads claim, "That's entirely incorrect. Half of SS and Medicare is paid by the employer; half is paid by the employee."
April 15, 2009 4:22 PM | Reply | Permalink