TPMDC IRS
Priorities USA
Watchdogs Target New Democratic Super PACs
President Barack Obama
That didn't take long.
Just hours after the launch Friday of two new Democratic Super Pacs designed to keep President Obama in the White House and counter deep-pocketed GOP groups who helped Republicans win control of the House in 2010, a prominent watchdog group announced plans to file a complaint against them with the IRS.
The two new groups, Priorities USA and Priorities USA Action, were formed by former Obama White House aides Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney to take advantage of the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling last year and will collect unlimited funds -- with the goal of $100 million -- from corporations and unions. Only one of the two groups will disclose their donors to the Federal Election Commission.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: American Crossroads, Campaign Legal Center, Chris Van Hollen, Citizens United, Democracy 21, FEC, IRS, Priorities USA
Barack Obama
White House Prepares For the Worst, Outlines Shutdown Plans
President Barack Obama
While President Obama and Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) remain optimistic that Republicans and Democrats can strike a budget deal and avert a looming government shutdown by Friday's deadline, the White House's Office of Management and Budget is planning for the worst.
"From a good housekeeping perspective, we're cognizant that it's Wednesday and the deadline is Friday and so we need to take appropriate steps should appropriations lapse," a senior administration official told reporters on a conference call Wednesday.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Government Shutdown, Harry Reid, House Republicans, IRS, John Boehner, Medicare, Office of Management and Budget, Social Security
Spending
GOP Previews Specific Spending Cuts
Ahead of the GOP's official Thursday release of federal spending legislation, the House Appropriations Committee has unveiled a list of 70 specific cuts that package will include -- not a comprehensive list, but, according to a committee spokesperson, illustrative of the sorts of cuts that it will contain.
They are copied below the fold. Already interest groups that will be impacted by the cuts are lining up in opposition. According to today's sneak peak, the GOP will propose nixing the entire Title X family planning program (already the subject of some controversy among party leaders), and will slash $1.3 billion from Community Health Centers relative to President Obama's request. Compare that to the entire Internal Revenue Service, which would lose $593 million -- less than half that amount.
"The new anti-choice House leadership now wants to take away birth control and cancer screenings from millions of American women and men," said Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL/Pro-hoice America. "While these politicians attack abortion coverage from every angle, they now want to deny funding for birth control, even though that's the best way to prevent unintended pregnancy. Americans will not stand for this blatant hypocrisy."
You can read more about these specific cuts here. More when we learn it.
Keep in mind, the cuts listed are relative to President Obama's budget proposal, not to actual current spending.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Appropriations, Health Care, IRS, Spending
iPhone
IRS Launches iPhone App That Does Almost Nothing
The Internal Revenue Service took a bold step for a government agency and released a smartphone application. Titled IRS2Go, the app lets users check their tax return status. But IRS2Go's relatively limited functionality signals a future challenge for federal agencies releasing iPhone/Android applications: how do you give people the functionality they want while still complying with a variety of outdated rules that govern agencies' interactions with the public.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: IRS, Idea Lab, TPMTech, iPhone
DE-SEN
AP: O'Donnell's Anti-Sex Evangelism Group Hasn't Filed Tax Returns
Christine O'Donnell
Delaware Republican Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell could potentially be in some further trouble -- and it doesn't have to do with her seemingly exaggerated educational background. This time, it turns out that her non-profit group could lose its tax-exempt status, due to failing to file the required tax forms.
The Associated Press reports:
IRS documents reviewed by The Associated Press show the group -- Savior's Alliance for Lifting the Truth -- is on a list of organizations threatened with revocation of its nonprofit status next month because it has not filed returns for three consecutive years.
O'Donnell founded the group in 1996 and is listed as its current president on the financial disclosure documents she filed with the U.S. Senate this summer. The alliance is a pro-abstinence outreach group aimed at young Christians.
SALT is the very same group in which O'Donnell mounted her famous anti-masturbation campaign in the 1990s, as part of the group's overall pro-chastity mission.
[TPM SLIDESHOW: Christine O'Donnell: Anti-Masturbation Crusader. Witchcraft Dabbler. Republican Senate Nominee.]
The TPM Poll Average gives Democratic nominee Chris Coons a lead of 55.0%-39.6% over O'Donnell.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2010 elections, Chris Coons, Christine O'Donnell, DE-SEN, IRS, SALT, Senate '10
Alan Grayson
Grayson's Opponent Boasts Support From Far Right Texas Conservative
Republican congressional candidate Daniel Webster
Alan Grayson's GOP opponent Daniel Webster has a thorn in his side. Listed in his official voter guide as a top supporter is a right wing activist named David Barton, who has already come under scrutiny for addressing two white supremacist organizations.
Barton claimed in both circumstances that he was unaware of the group's white supremacist ties. But that doesn't mean he's not possessed of extreme views of his own. From 1998 to 2006, he served as vice-chair of the Texas Republican party, which is notorious for having one of the most zealously conservative platforms in the country.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Alan Grayson, Daniel Webster, David Barton, FL-08, IRS, Texas
TPM Top News
© 2011 TPM Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
