TPMDC Dick Durbin
Payroll Tax Cut
Dems: GOP Bet On Bad Economy Creating Payroll Tax Cut Gridlock
Democrats are emboldened enough by their political turn of fortune that party leaders are laying payroll tax cut contretemps at the feet of Republicans rooting for further economic strife.
"[W]e've seen improvement: The unemployment rate's going down; people are getting back to work; there's a more confident air in America," Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) told reporters Tuesday at a leadership briefing with reporters on Capitol Hill. "Let's make no mistake: There's some Republicans that don't think that really works with their strategy of defeating President Obama. These are some of the same voices that are opposing any bipartisan agreement to extend the payroll tax cuts."
Other top Democrats say the same.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Dick Durbin, Economy, Erick Erickson, Harry Reid, Payroll Tax Cut, Steny Hoyer
Payroll Tax Cut
House GOP Passes Payroll Tax Cut Bill Obama Has Threatened To Veto
Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)
Despite loud warnings from Senate Democrats and a veto threat from President Obama because of poison pills within the text, House Republicans Tuesday passed legislation to renew a 2 percent payroll tax holiday and extended unemployment benefits of one more year.
The bill passed 234 - 193, with 10 Democrats joining with the Republicans and 14 Republicans pitching in with the Dems.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Dick Durbin, Doc fix, Harry Reid, John Boehner, Medicare, Mitch McConnell, Payroll Tax Cut, Steny Hoyer, Tax Cuts, Taxes, Unemployment
Occupy Wall Street
Dems Press Eric Holder To Investigate Banks For Colluding Over ATM Fees
Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT)
If you're a member of Congress trying to rein in Wall Street, now's your moment, and Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) is seizing it.
Welch helped lead the effort in 2010 to limit the "swipe fees" banks can charge retailers for each debit card transaction -- fees retailers passed on to consumers. Those rules went into effect earlier this year and, as if to serve as recruiters for the anti-Wall Street protests spreading across the country, Bank of America and other financial firms decided to recoup the lost profits by imposing an ATM fee on their customers -- a penalty of sorts for having automated access to your own money.
In a functioning market this practice might have ended before it began, as disgruntled customers took their business to firms that didn't attempt to bilk their customers.
That's not happening. So Welch wants Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate these banks for collusive behavior.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Attorney General, Department of Justice, Dick Durbin, Eric Holder, Financial Reform, Justice Department, Occupy Wall Street, Peter Welch, Wall Street
Jobs
Reid Casts Doubt On Unanimous Dem Support For Obama Jobs Bill
Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)
At a Wednesday Capitol press conference, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) again couldn't confidently predict that President Obama's jobs bill has the support of the entire Democratic caucus -- even after leadership tweaked some of its controversial measures to broaden party support for the plan.
"I don't know what 'unanimity' means," Reid told reporters. "We'll get most all the Democrats."
Unanimity, of course, means all Democrats -- which will be important. If one or two Democrats defect from the bill, Republicans can (and will) say that the opposition to the plan is bipartisan.
There's a chance that he could unite the party, particularly after replacing Obama's proposed tax measures with a simpler five percent surtax on millionaires to pay for the jobs programs.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: American Jobs Act, Ben Nelson, Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Harry Reid, Jay Rockefeller, Jobs, Joe Lieberman, Joe Manchin, Russ Feingold, Stimulus, Tax Cuts, Taxes, Tom Harkin
Government Shutdown
Cave Or Escalate? Harry Reid Faces Tough Choice In Government Shutdown Fight
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will have to choose quickly between caving to House Republicans and fighting back. At stake are relief funds for victims of natural disasters across the country and potentially a government shutdown.
In the wee hours of Friday morning, House Republicans passed divisive legislation that would avoid a government shutdown at the end of September. But it includes a provision that erects a new, controversial standard: emergency disaster relief funds must be offset by cutting federal programs the House minority likes.
Democrats are prepared to cut a deal on the amount of disaster aid Congress should provide FEMA. But they're dead set against the concept of offsetting, and the particular offset the GOP chose: a hybrid vehicle manufacturing incentive that's proven to create jobs.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Dick Durbin, Eric Cantor, FEMA, Government Shutdown, Harry Reid
2012
Dem Senator Says Economy 'Strong' Same Day DSCC Attacks GOPer Over Similar Quote
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
The second highest ranking Democrat in the Senate, Dick Durbin (D-IL) told a local TV station on Wednesday that the economy is "strong" despite the S&P downgrade. While largely in line with the White House's views on the downgrade, his comments came the same day that Democrats attacked Sen. Dick Lugar (R-IN) over a near identical quote.
"I still think the fundamentals of the U.S. economy are sound," Durbin told FOX Chicago News. "I don't care what S&P says."
In a press release yesterday, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee condemned Lugar as "out of touch" for telling a local TV station: "The American economy is still strong, that we're making progress although it's very slow in terms of job creation, and that we still have a dollar that is the world currency and we are still selling bonds to everybody all over the world despite the S&P downgrade."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2012, 2012 elections, DSCC, Dick Durbin, Dick Lugar
Dick Durbin
Durbin: Defense Cuts Should Stay On The Table In Debt Ceiling Deal
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) told reporters on Sunday afternoon that military cuts should be on the table as part of a deal to reduce spending and raise the debt ceiling.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Debt, Debt Ceiling, Debt ceiling, Defense Spending, Dick Durbin
Debt Ceiling
Dems And GOP Seek Way Out Of Public Showdown On Debt Limit -- And Prepare For The Worst
In a prime time address to the nation Monday evening, President Obama urged Americans to call their members of Congress, to pull Republicans back from a dangerous ledge, and bring them on board with new Democratic legislation that would cut spending significantly and avoid a catastrophic debt default. But the dynamic on Capitol Hill is already taking shape, and what Obama said is not likely to dislodge party leaders from their current strategies.
Discussions with senior Congressional aides, and Democratic and Republican Senators suggests leaders of both parties are hoping to avoid a public showdown between the House and Senate as the country careens toward default.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Debt, Debt Ceiling, Default, Deficit, Dick Durbin, Harry Reid, John Boehner, John Cornyn, Jon Kyl, Rob Portman
Debt Ceiling
Obama Presses Skeptical Dem Leaders On Big Deal With Boehner
A Congressional aide briefed on ongoing negotiations between House Speaker John Boehner and President Obama says the two principals may be nearing a "grand bargain" to raise the debt limit which would contain large, set-in-stone spending cuts but only the possibility of future revenue increases.
"All cuts," the aide said. "Maybe revenues some time in the future."
[TPM SLIDESHOW: Debt Ceiling Negotiations At The White House]
The status of negotiations has Democratic aides on both sides of the Capitol nervous and unhappy. And the notion that the impasse over the debt limit may be nearing an end is sparking denials from both the White House and Boehner's office -- in part, perhaps, because neither side has buy-in from their parties on a consensus plan.
A White House spokesman called the claims from aides "not credible" -- the result of having a "third-hand version of the facts."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Debt, Debt Ceiling, Default, Deficit, Dick Durbin, Harry Reid, John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi, Spending, Steny Hoyer, Tax Cuts, Taxes
Debt Ceiling
Dems Signal 'Grand Bargain' On Debt Ceiling Still Possible
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), President Obama, and Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)
Democrats are being maddeningly tight-lipped about a leadership meeting with President Obama at the White House Wednesday afternoon. But a couple of key tells, and conversations with sources, suggest they believe -- or want reporters to believe -- that a "Grand Bargain" on deficit reduction and raising the debt limit, crafted by the White House and congressional negotiators, is still possible in the next couple weeks.
First, in remarks that have largely been walked back, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama would consider a temporary extension of his borrowing authority. The caveat: this is only true if a deal's been cut, the votes are there, but the legislative process (bill writing, budget scoring, voting) would drag us past August 2.
Second, a House Dem aide offered the following readout of the White House meeting. "House Democrats continue to support the President's "grand bargain" proposal that will not balance the budget on the backs of seniors through cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Debt, Debt Ceiling, Default, Dick Durbin, Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell
Debt Ceiling
'It Didn't Add Up!' -- Durbin Paints Gloomy Picture Of Fight Over Debt Limit
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
The second-highest ranking Democrat in the Senate, and one of eight members of Congress working with President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden to craft a high-stakes deal to raise the national borrowing limit, painted a gloomy picture of the current state of negotiations.
In a brief interview in the Senate press gallery shortly after he returned from a tense and unproductive White House meeting with Republicans on Monday, a visibly frustrated Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) explained why a deal to raise the debt ceiling remains so far off.
"It was frank and candid -- that's what they say when people are on edge," Durbin said. "So we have a long way to go."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Debt, Debt Ceiling, Default, Deficit, Dick Durbin, Eric Cantor, John Boehner, Medicare, Spending, Taxes, tcot
DREAM Act
Senate Democrats Renew Push For DREAM Act
Seeking to breathe new life into its prospects, on Tuesday Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) chaired the first-ever Senate hearing on the DREAM Act. The bill, which was initially proposed in different form in 2001, would grant citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants who "have maintained good moral character since entering the U.S.," and who either attend college or serve in the U.S. armed forces.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: DREAM Act, Dick Durbin, Immigration
Democrats
Democrats Explicitly Call Out GOP For Sabotaging The Economic Recovery
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL)
They've made it explicit. Democrats are accusing Republicans of trying to sabotage the recovery -- or at least stall it -- by blocking all short-term measures to boost the economy, even ones they previously supported.
In a Capitol press conference Wednesday, the Senate's top Democrats argued that Republicans don't want to pass measures like a temporary payroll tax holiday for employers because they'll improve President Obama's re-election chances.
"Our Republican colleagues in the House and Senate are driven by putting one man out of work: President Obama," said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL).
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Chuck Schumer, Democrats, Dick Durbin, Economy, Harry Reid, Jeb Hensarling, John Boehner, Lamar Alexander, Paul Ryan, Republicans, Stimulus, Tax Breaks, Tax Cuts, Taxes
Sunday Shows
TPMDC Sunday Roundup
Mitchell: 'The President Didn't Say That Israel Has To Go Back To The '67 Lines'
Appearing on This Week, former Middle East envoy George Mitchell said that President Obama's proposals for the Israel-Palestine conflict did not entail a major shift in U.S. policy. "The president didn't say that Israel has to go back to the '67 lines. He said with agreed swaps," said Mitchell. "Swaps means an exchange of land intended to accommodate major Israeli population centers to be incorporated into Israel and Israel's security needs. Agreed means through negotiations. Both parties must agree."
Jordanian King: 'My Instincts Tell Me Not To Expect Much'
Also appearing on This Week, King Abdullah II or Jordan was pessimistic about the Israel-Palestine peace process. "My instincts tell me not to expect much over the next couple of months, unfortunately," said King Abdullah." "I just have a feeling that we're going to be living with the status quo for 2011."
Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Dick Durbin, Gang of Six, George Mitchell, Israel, Israel/Palestine, John Sununu, King Abdullah of Jordan, Medicare, Newt Gingrich, Paul Ryan, Pres '12, Roundup, Sunday Shows
Gang of Six
Source: Coburn Ditching Gang Of Six Over Plan To Cut Medicare
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK)
Not since David Lee Roth left Van Halen has a defection augured so poorly for team success. On Tuesday, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) told reporters he was stepping away from the Gang of Six negotiations -- a bipartisan working group of senators putting together a plan to reduce the deficit and debt -- over their inability to agree on entitlement spending cuts.
After a bit of confusion over Coburn's status in these talks, his spokesman John Hart confirmed the departure in a statement, "He has decided to take a break from the talks."
A source with knowledge of the negotiations says Coburn ultimately broke ranks after members of the group rejected his proposal to introduce a global cap on Medicare spending that would have cut $150 billion from current beneficiaries.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Debt, Debt Ceiling, Deficit, Dick Durbin, Gang of Six, Harry Reid, Joe Biden, Kent Conrad, Mark Warner, Medicare, Mike Crapo, Mitch McConnell, Saxby Chambliss, Spending, Tom Coburn
Sunday Shows
TPMDC Sunday Roundup
Nikki Haley: 'We Do Not Want A Massachusetts Health Care Plan In South Carolina'
Appearing on This Week, Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) said that Mitt Romney would continue to have to deal with the issue of health care reform. "I will tell you we do not want a Massachusetts health care plan in South Carolina. I think that he will have to continue to deal with that issue. I think he's going to have to talk about how that was not good for the country. That wouldn't be a good thing that we'd want to mandate on all of our states. And I think he'll have to respond to what his thought process was. But I think that we are looking for a leader that's willing to, one, make courageous stands, take strong policy decisions, but two, also admit when a mistake was made."
Boehner: 'Medicare, Medicaid - Everything Should Be On The Table, Except Raising Taxes'
Appearing on Face The Nation, Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) reiterated his objection to any tax increases in order to deal with the deficit, which President Obama has said would have to be part of a solution. "The people he's talking about taxing are the very people that we expect to reinvest in our economy and to create jobs," said Boehner. He also added: "Medicare, Medicaid - everything should be on the table, except raising taxes."
Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Budget, Dick Durbin, Health Care, John Boehner, Medicare, Mitt Romney, Nikki Haley, Paul Ryan, Pres '12, Roundup, Social Security, Sunday Shows, WI-SEN, Wisconsin
Social Security
Parsing The Game Of Six: Will They Try To Cut Social Security Benefits?
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
The bipartisan group of six senators privately drafting a debt and deficit reduction plan have been unusually tight-lipped about their negotiations. That's probably necessary internally if the group's goal is to come to an agreement. But it's led to intense speculation about what's on the table, what shape their policy options are taking, and whether progressives will get a raw deal.
Of the six -- Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mark Warner (D-VA), Kent Conrad (D-ND), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Tom Coburn (R-OK), and Mike Crapo (R-ID) -- only Durbin could be fairly described as a progressive. So the race is on to figure out where his bright lines are, and to what, if any, extent he's willing to walk away if the final agreement completely undermines progressive interests. But while his public statements in recent weeks don't lay out exactly what those bright lines are, he's tipped his hand in two important ways.
One big tell was his official public response to the House Republican budget, which doesn't meaningfully touch Social Security but basically obliterates Medicare and Medicaid, while not raising any new revenue, and lowering taxes on wealthy Americans.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Dick Durbin, Kent Conrad, Mark Warner, Medicaid, Medicare, Mike Crapo, Saxby Chambliss, Social Security, Tax Breaks, Tax Cuts, Taxes, Tom Coburn, Treasury, White House
Budget
'Gang of Six' Under New Scrutiny Ahead of President Obama's Speech
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Members of the "Gang of Six," the bipartisan group of senators who have spent the last few months hammering out a comprehensive budget plan based on the Simpson-Bowles commission, are under new scrutiny after reports that President Obama might endorse the deficit panel's findings in his speech tomorrow.
Many commentators on the left have expressed serious concerns such a move would be politically disastrous and undermine Democratic morale heading into battle against a far-reaching House GOP budget proposal that would privatize and drastically cut Medicare. Asked about the issue, Democratic members of the 'Gang of Six' were sensitive to any suggestions that their proposal -- or Obama's -- could be confused with Paul Ryan's "draconian" plan.
"Anything that [Obama] would propose would be dramatically different from the really draconian proposals of Mr. Ryan," Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), chair of the Senate Budget Committee, told reporters. "Mr. Ryan, the first thing he does is cut taxes by well over a trillion dollars for the wealthiest among us, so he digs the hole deeper which means his cuts have to be far more draconian."
Asked by a reporter whether wading into Medicare cuts could divide Democrats, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) also pushed back against comparison to Ryan.
"I can say with certainty there will be a clear difference between Paul Ryan and Barack Obama on Medicare," he said.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Budget, Debt Commission, Dick Durbin, Kent Conrad
Jeb Hensarling
GOP Rep: Congress Deserves To Be 'Tarred And Feathered'
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) doesn't think Congress' last-minute budget deal is enough.
Congress probably deserves "medals" for approving one of the "largest year-to-year cut in the federal budget," Hensarling said Sunday on CNN's State of the Union. "Relative to the size of the problem, it is not even a rounding error. In that case, we probably all deserve to be tarred and feathered."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Budget, CNN, Debt Ceiling, Dick Durbin, Jeb Hensarling
Roundup
TPMDC Sunday Roundup
Ryan: Budget Deal 'Really Still A Drop In The Bucket'
Appearing on Meet The Press, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) said of the budget deal: "Well, we're here because the Democrats didn't pass a budget last year. I mean, for the first time since 1974, the House didn't even bother to try passing a budget last year. So that's why we're here. Now, I feel like we had a pretty good outcome. We represented one-third of the negotiators, but we got two-thirds of the spending cuts we were asking for. This is really still a drop in the bucket. We want to move from talking about saving billions of dollars to going on to saving trillions of dollars."
Plouffe: Ryan Plan 'Not Going To Become Law'
Appearing on Meet The Press, White House senior adviser David Plouffe was asked whether Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-WI) budget plan was dead on arrival. "It may pass the House. It's not going to become law," said Plouffe. "I--and I don't think the American people are going to sign up for something that puts most of the burden on the middle class, people trying to go to college, on senior citizens, while not just asking nothing of the wealthy, giving them at least a $200,000 tax cut. So that's a choice you're making."
Topics: Budget, Chuck Schumer, David Plouffe, Dick Durbin, Eric Cantor, Government Shutdown, Jeb Hensarling, Jeff Sessions, Paul Ryan, Roundup, Sunday Shows
John Boehner
Reid: I'm Beginning To Doubt Whether Boehner Wants To Avoid A Government Shutdown
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) with Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Charles Schumer (D-NY)
Asked at a Capitol press conference this afternoon if he's starting to doubt whether House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) wants to avoid a government shutdown, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) didn't mince words.
"Yes, I am," he said.
You can look at that sentiment a couple of ways. Ironically, Reid's statement gives Boehner credibility with his base, which makes it easier for him to strike a deal. But it's also about passing the buck to the other party, as the clock ticks toward a government shutdown.
Topics: Abortion, Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, EPA, Environment, Government Shutdown, Harry Reid, John Boehner, Spending
Roundup
TPMDC Sunday Roundup
Reid: 'Wait And See' On Arming Libyan Rebels
Appearing on Face The Nation, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said that the United States should hold off on arming the Libyan rebels for now. "I spoke to the president yesterday about this, President Obama, and I think at this stage we really don't know who the leaders of this rebel group is," said Reid. He also added: "We have others, as [Defense] Secretary Gates has said, that can do it more easily than we can. So I think at this stage let's just wait and see."
Graham: 'I'm Ready To Look At Arming Them'
Appearing on Face The Nation, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was more positive on arming the Libyan rebels. "I'm ready to look at arming them to help themselves," said Graham. "We need American air power back into the site. We need to take the fight to Tripoli. Go after his inner circle. That's the way to end this war decisively and quickly. The strategy we have is going to lead to a stalemate. It needs to change. Help the rebels, take the fight to Tripoli. Get this thing over with. Qaddafi must go."
Topics: Budget, Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Harry Reid, James Jones, Jeff Sessions, Libya, Muammar Qaddafi, Paul Ryan, Roundup, Sunday Shows
Social Security
Senate Democrats Rally Against Social Security Cuts
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)
With Republicans pledging to address entitlement spending this year, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) led a rally in the Capitol on Monday to protest any cuts to Social Security.
While Republican budget cuts currently under negotiation would not touch benefits, Reid warned that a proposed $1.7 billion cut to the Social Security Administration would "really hurt Social Security" by reducing the program's ability to quickly process claims.
"They cut the money to allow Social Security to be funded properly so they can administer the programs they need," Reid said.
Attendees chanted "Raise the cap!" in response to a call by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) to fund the program by expanding taxes to higher incomes rather than lowering benefits or raising the retirement age.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 112th Congress, Al Franken, Dick Durbin, Harry Reid, Paul Ryan, Social Security, Tom Harkin
John Boehner
Boehner To Obama: Please Provide Clear Answers on Libya
Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) is demanding detailed answers from President Obama on the scope and objective of U.S. military action in Libya and his plans for removing Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi from power if he does not voluntarily step down in the next few days.
In a letter (read it here) to the White House sent Wednesday afternoon, Boehner asks Obama to outline the "scope, objective and purpose of the mission in Libya and how it will be achieved."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 'Obama's Wars', Barack Obama, Carl Levin, Dick Durbin, House Republicans, House of Representatives, Jack Bauer, Jack Reed, John Boehner, Libya, Muammar Qaddafi, Senate Armed Services Committee, no-fly zone, pentagon
Libya
Senior Senate Dems Defend Obama's Decisions on Libya
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Three senior Senate Demorats are coming to President Obama's defense on his decision to seek international support before directing air strikes against Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi.
Sen. Dick Durbin (IL), the assistant majority leader, Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (MI) and Sen. Jack Reed (RI), a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, gave the President a collective pat on the back for his diplomatic and military decisions on Libya in the last week in the face of harsh criticism from both sides of the aisle that Obama's handling of the Libyan crisis was too little too late and did not seek congressional approval for the military action.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 'Obama's Wars', Barack Obama, Carl Levin, Dick Durbin, George H. W. Bush, Harry Reid, Jack Reed, Libya, Muammar Qaddafi, Senate Armed Services Committee, United Nations, declaration of war, pentagon
James O'Keefe
Sen. Durbin Takes On James O'Keefe
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
NPR may be in a defensive crouch, but at least one Democratic lawmaker is publicly pushing back against James O'Keefe's war on public broadcasting: Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL).
Durbin took to the Senate floor on Monday to mount a defense of NPR and PBS and attack O'Keefe's credibility. Noting that previous O'Keefe tapes have been found to be misleadingly edited, including his footage of ACORN in which he posed as a pimp, Durbin said that the same tactics were being used to go after NPR. He cited a widely circulated analysis by Glenn Beck's website, The Blaze, as evidence.
"Mr. O'Keefe appears to be engaged in creative editing again, and this time his target is National Public Radio," he said. "That's not just my opinion. The website of none other than Fox News' own Glenn Beck -- that's right, Glenn Beck -- compares the edited and unedited versions of Mr. O'Keefe's latest video and concludes that the edited version appears to be deceptively edited in order to portray statements by one of the secretely recorded NPR execs out of context."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Dick Durbin, James O'Keefe
Sunday Shows
The Sunday Show Line-Ups
Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)
Here are the line-ups for the Sunday talk shows this weekend:
• ABC, This Week: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
• CBS, Face The Nation: Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).
• CNN, State Of The Union: Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
• Fox News Sunday: Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI), Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO).
• NBC, Meet The Press: Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Chris Van Hollen, Claire McCaskill, Dick Durbin, Donald Rumsfeld, Hillary Clinton, Lindsey Graham, Paul Ryan, Scott Walker, Sunday Shows, Susan Rice, Tom Coburn, Wisconsin , Wisconsin Protests, Wisconsin State Legislature
Government Shutdown
Back Channel Negotiations Could Forestall A Government Shutdown
President Barack Obama meets with Republican and Democratic leaders
Now that President Obama has threatened to veto the House's spending legislation, things will really heat up.
As House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D_MD) reminded reporters yesterday, President Clinton drew some bright lines himself during the budget fight in late 1995 -- and we all know how that one ended. And House Republicans are set to add a bunch of riders to the spending package, which will make it even more toxic to Democrats.
One way out of this for House Republicans would be to set up back-channel negotiations with Senate leadership and the White House and basically take the ball out of the hands of rank-and-file conservatives who want to undermine the administration in unacceptable ways.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Democrats, Dick Durbin, Government Shutdown, Harry Reid, House of Representatives, John Cornyn, Mitch McConnell, Republicans, Senate, Spending
Health Care
Reid: Health Care Repeal Vote Imminent
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL)
The Senate could vote on health care repeal as early as today.
On Tuesday Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced a repeal measure as an amendment to a pending FAA bill, and Democratic leaders have decided to allow it to go forward. However, they won't, at this time, force Republicans to vote to repeal key, popular parts of the legislation.
"We want to get this out of their system quickly," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at a press conference with his top deputies Tuesday afternoon, who said the vote could come up "sometime today," depending on how long the floor debate drags on. Aides suggest the vote's more likely to come Wednesday.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Harry Reid, Health Care, Mitch McConnell, Repealing health care
Roundup
TPMDC Sunday Roundup
McCain: Obama Has 'Learned A Lot'
Appearing on Face The Nation, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) offered some rare compliments to the man who defeated him in 2008, President Obama, saying that Obama had "learned a lot in the last two years" and since the November elections. "He is a very intelligent man. I think he's doing a lot of right things. This emphasis on cutting spending that we'll be talking about...was something that obviously was not talked about in the last two years," said McCain. "I think there's common ground because I think the president realized, as a result of the November elections, that the American people have a different set of priorities."
McConnell: 2012 Election 'Is Not Right Now'
Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell backed away form his past statements that his top priority was to make sure President Obama would be defeated in 2012. "Well, the election is not right now," said McConnell. "And the question is what are we going to do between now and '12? Sure, I'd like a Republican president in January of 2013, but the real question for the American people right now is not the election in '12, but what are we going to do now? And I'm hoping the president's pivot to the center will be more than just rhetoric and we can actually do some important things for the country in the short term. The election will take care of itself over a period of two years."
Topics: 2012 elections, Barack Obama, Budget, CT-SEN, Debt Ceiling, Deficit, Dick Durbin, Eric Cantor, Health Care, Joe Lieberman, John McCain, Kent Conrad, Mitch McConnell, Pres '12, Roundup, Senate '12, Sunday Shows
Sunday Shows
The Sunday Show Line-Ups
Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)
Here are the line-ups for the Sunday talk shows this weekend:
• ABC, This Week: Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX).
• CBS, Face The Nation: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
• CNN, State Of The Union: Former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
• Fox News Sunday: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL).
• NBC, Meet The Press: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), Assistant House Minority Leader James Clyburn (D-SC), former George W. Bush adviser Karen Hughes, former Bill Clinton Chief of Staff John Podesta.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Chuck Schumer, Colin Powell, Dick Durbin, Eric Cantor, James Clyburn, Joe Lieberman, John McCain, John Podesta, Karen Hughes, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Kent Conrad, Mitch McConnell, Sunday Shows
Lamar Alexander
Alexander: Unlike Tea Partiers, Shooter Read Marx, Hitler, And Burned U.S. Flag
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
On CNN Sunday morning, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) sought to deflect blame for yesterday's attack in Arizona away from the Tea Party.
Twice, unsolicited, Alexander highlighted facts about the culprit that clash with tea party norms.
"What we know about this individual, for example, is that he was reading Karl Marx, and reading Hitler, and burning the American flag," Alexander said. "That's not the profile of a typical tea party member if that's the inference that's being made."
[TPM SLIDESHOW: Across the Nation, Vigils Held for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords]
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Adolf Hitler, Dick Durbin, Gabrielle Giffords, Lamar Alexander, Sarah Palin, Tea Party
Harry Reid
After Spending Bill Implodes, Reid Schedules Vote on DADT Repeal
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)
On Thursday night, Senate Republicans killed must-pass legislation to fund the government, and forced Democrats to accept GOP spending demands to avert a federal shutdown. The development infuriated Democratic members and led to unusually angry, churlish exchanges on the Senate floor. But as a consolation prize for defeated Democrats, they'll have a real shot at finally repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell on Sunday evening.
After long deliberations with Republican principals Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced on the Senate floor that nine GOP members had reneged on their pledges to vote for the omnibus spending bill, which reflected months of bipartisan negotiations, and included earmarks benefiting both parties.
That left Reid several votes shy of the 60 he'd need to overcome a filibuster and essentially vaporized a year's worth of work by the Appropriations Committee.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Appropriations, Daniel Inouye, Dick Durbin, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Harry Reid, John McCain, Mark Kirk, Mitch McConnell, Omnibus, Spending
Sunday Shows
The Sunday Show Line-Ups
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner
Here are the line-ups for the Sunday talk shows this weekend:
• ABC, This Week: Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Israeli Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni.
• CBS, Face The Nation: Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, former DNC Chairman Howard Dean, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).
• CNN, State Of The Union: Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA).
• Fox News Sunday: Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.
• NBC, Meet The Press: New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I).
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Chris Van Hollen, Dick Durbin, Elijah Cummings, Howard Dean, Israel, Israel/Palestine, Jerrold Nadler, Jim McDermott, Mike Bloomberg, Paul Ryan, Salam Fayyad, Stephen Breyer, Sunday Shows, Timothy Geithner, Tzipi Livni
Roundup
TPMDC Sunday Roundup
Rangel: 'They Knew' I Didn't Deserve Censure
Appearing on State of the Union, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) said that his censure this past week was the product of a political environment in which members of Congress were afraid of appearing "easy on anybody in Washington." Rangel added: "I can understand that feeling back home, but I tell you, individually, whether it's Republicans or Democrats, they knew what I had done did not reach the level of a censure."
Durbin: 'Unconscionable' To Cut Top Taxes And Not Extend Unemployment
Appearing on Face The Nation, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) said that any tax-cut deal would also have to include an extension of unemployment benefits: "The notion that we would give tax cuts to those making over a million dollars a year, which is the Republican position, and then turn our backs on 2 million Americans who will lose unemployment benefits before Christmas ... is unconscionable."
Topics: Bush Tax Cuts, Charlie Rangel, Dick Durbin, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Jeb Hensarling, Kent Conrad, Orrin Hatch, Roundup, Sunday Shows, Tax Cuts, Taxes, Wes Clark
Fiscal Commission
FAIL: Fiscal Commission Adjourns Without Holding Official Vote
The 18-Member Commission on Fiscal Responsibility, Sept. 29th, 2010
After weeks of tumultuous negotiations, the White House's fiscal commission adjourned today without agreement on a controversial plan to reduce deficits by slashing spending and lowering income tax rates.
Recognizing that they'd fail to meet the 14-vote threshold for passage, the 18-member commission ultimately did not take a final vote. However, members announced their positions ahead of today's final meeting, and in the end a majority -- according to Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), 11 in total -- claimed to support the proposal.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Alan Simpson, Andy Stern, Dave Camp, Dick Durbin, Erskine Bowles, Fiscal Commission, Fiscal Resonsibility, Jan Schakowsky, Kent Conrad, Max Baucus, Paul Ryan, Tom Coburn, White House, Xavier Becerra
Roundup
TPMDC Sunday Roundup
Hillary Clinton On Pat-Downs: 'Not If I Could Avoid It'
Appearing on Face The Nation, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was asked whether she would want to submit to the current airport security pat-downs. "Not if I could avoid it. No, I mean, who would?" said Clinton. She also added: "Clearly, as Secretary Napolitano has said, we're doing this because the terrorists keep getting more creative about what they do to hide explosives. You know, crazy things like underwear."
Hillary Clinton: Senate Should Ratify START
Also during her appearance on Face The Nation, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on the Senate to ratify the START arms control treaty with Russia. "Now at the end of the day, the Senators have to decide. But I would hope that this treaty would be treated as others -- whether it was a Democratic or Republican president -- saw their treaties in arms control with the Russians treated," said Clinton. She also added: "This is beyond politics."
Topics: Bush Tax Cuts, Dick Durbin, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Jon Kyl, Lindsey Graham, Roundup, START treaty, Sunday Shows, Taxes, Warren Buffett
Harry Reid
If Harry Reid Loses, Who Will Win The Democratic Leadership Race?
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) at a press conference in April 2010.
If Nate Silver is to be believed (and he usually is) Democrats are just about as likely to keep control of the Senate as Harry Reid is to lose his election.
That would leave Democrats to choose a new Majority Leader -- and two of Washington's most famous roommates poised for a political fight over the top job in the Senate.
Majority Whip Dick Durbin and Conference Chair Chuck Schumer spent a fair amount of the 111th Congress privately -- but nakedly -- wooing their fellow Democrats, hoping to secure the votes they'd need to ascend to Majority Leader if Reid loses.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2010 elections, Chuck Schumer, Claire McCaskill, Dick Durbin, Harry Reid, Nate Silver
Tax Cuts
Durbin: GOP Tax Cut Stubbornness Could Cripple Obama's Fiscal Commission
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
One of the more progressive members of President Obama's fiscal commission acknowledged last night that the panel may find itself gridlocked if Republicans refuse to budge and agree to propose increasing tax revenue.
In a brief interview in the Senate press gallery, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin summed it up this way: "Any honest appraisal of our job and how we do it requires raising tax revenue, and reducing spending. If you don't do those two things, you can't reach your goal."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Debt, Debt Commission, Dick Durbin, Fiscal Commission, Fiscal Resonsibility, Tax Cuts
2010 elections
TPMDC Morning Roundup
GOP To Try To Block Spending On Health Care And Financial Reform
The Hill reports: "Republicans will try to block money requested by the Obama administration to implement Democrats' signature Wall Street and healthcare reforms in a stopgap spending measure expected to clear Congress next week. The GOP is seizing on the administration's funding request as an opportunity to send a message to voters that it wants to reduce government spending and provide a check on President Obama."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:30 a.m. ET, and meet at 10 a.m. ET with senior advisers. At 10:35 a.m. ET, he will visit a meeting of insurance commissioners. At 11:45 a.m. ET, he will hold a backyard discussion on health care reform at a private residence in Falls Church, Virginia. He will depart form the White House at 2:45 p.m. ET, and depart from Andrews Air Force Base at 3 p.m. ET, arriving at 3:55 p.m. ET in New York City. He will deliver remarks at 4:45 p.m. ET, at the Millennium Development Goals Conference. He will deliver remarks at a 6:35 p.m. ET DSCC/DCCC fundraiser, and also deliver remarks at a 7:30 p.m. ET DSCC/DCCC dinner.
Topics: 2010 elections, Barack Obama, Dick Durbin, Fundraising, Health Care, Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, Roundup
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