TPMDC John Kerry
Mitt Romney
CHART: How Romney's Tax Rate Stacks Up To Recent Presidential Candidates'
Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann.
When Mitt Romney tries to avoid scrutiny for his exceptionally low effective tax rate by noting that, in absolute terms, he's paying "a lot" in taxes, he won't be fooling most of his political colleagues. It takes a special kind of affluence to reduce one's tax burden so dramatically. And despite their significant wealth most recent Presidential candidates have paid significantly more in taxes as a percentage of their incomes in the year (or two) before their campaign.
The exception is John Kerry. Though Kerry himself had a modest income (for a politician) his wife, Teresa Heinz, comes from great wealth and, like Romney, made millions in investment income in 2003 -- the year she and he both released their tax returns. Together, their effective tax rate was a bit lower than Mitt and Ann Romney paid in 2010.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Bush Tax Cuts, George W. Bush, John Kerry, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Taxes
Richard Cordray
GOP Filibusters Top Consumer Protection Nominee
This post was updated at 11:55 a.m.
As they promised they would, the overwhelming majority of Republicans on Wednesday filibustered Richard Cordray, the uncontroversial former Ohio Attorney General whom President Obama tapped to be the director of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau -- an agency tasked with mitigating fraudulent and dangerous financial products.
The final vote was 53-45, with one Senator, Olympia Snowe (R-ME) voting present and one, John Kerry (D-MA) not on hand to vote. GOP Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) -- running for re-election against the CFPB's godmother Elizabeth Warren -- joined the Democrats in supporting Cordray.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Financial Reform, John Kerry, Olympia Snowe, Richard Cordray, Scott Brown, White House
Scott Brown
Massachusetts Dems Press Scott Brown To Abandon Norquist
Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA)
Massachusetts Democrats are using gridlock on the Super Committee as an opening to drive a wedge between Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) and the GOP's leading anti-tax activist Grover Norquist.
"Scott Brown talks the talk on looking for bipartisan compromise, but he doesn't walk the walk," said Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair John Walsh, in a statement provided to TPM. "For Brown, asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share has always been off the table because of his blind allegiance to the Republican Party's agenda. Abandoning Norquist's extremist pledge that protects giveways to Big Oil and other special interests would go a long way toward showing that Scott Brown is serious about taking a balanced approach that asks the wealthiest Americans to share the burden of getting our nation's fiscal house in order instead of dumping it all on senior citizens and the middle class."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Grover Norquist, John Kerry, Scott Brown, Super Committee, Tax Cuts, Taxes
Super Committee
Dems Mock Latest GOP Super Committee Offer
After multiple meetings Friday, Democrats publicly excoriated a fall-back offer by Super Committee Republicans to cut 10-year deficits by over $600 billion. And for the first time, Democratic members are publicly casting doubt on the panel's chances to meet its Wednesday deadline.
Partisan tempers flared over how Democrats and Republicans describe the offer, which includes a trivial amount of new tax revenue, but doesn't touch entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Defense Spending, John Kerry, Patty Murray, Spending, Super Committee, Taxes
Super Committee
Dems Rip GOP Super Committee Co-Chair For Negotiating In Public
'Super Committee' members Sen. Patt Murray (D-WA) and Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), September 7, 2011.
Another sign that the Super Committee's about to implode: Panel Democrats just scolded Republican co-chair Jeb Hensarling for taking his bright lines public on Tuesday, contrary to the spirit of the negotiations, which have been mostly leak-free.
"We've been really working hard not to negotiate in public and not to negotiate through you folks but to talk to each other in good faith and try to work through a compromise," said Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) after a closed door meeting.. "I think when people go public and say what they're willing and not willing to do, it isn't as helpful as sitting at a table and trying to work through these things. "
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Jeb Hensarling, John Kerry, Patty Murray, Super Committee
Super Committee
Dems, GOP Play Super Committee Hot Potato As Talks Stall Over Taxes
Members of the deficit Super Committee are still meeting, still talking, but for all intents and purposes, negotiations have stalled. The underlying difficulty remains the GOP's unwillingness to agree to raise significant new tax revenue, enough to match Democrats' willingness to cut spending on popular programs like Medicare and Social Security. But with days ticking down quickly until the panel's November 23 deadline, each party is claiming that the ball is in the other's court.
One of the most recent offers, the details of which were leaked to the press earlier this week, came from Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA). It's been characterized by Republicans as a plan that would raise $300 billion in new revenue, Republicans say, by limiting certain tax preferences. But it also would require reducing, and making permanent, Bush-era tax rates for high income earners -- a requirement Democrats oppose. Additionally, the overall revenue figure may be the product of a controversial "dynamic" model, which assumes that the tax changes will lead to economic growth.
Democrats have applauded Republicans for finally acknowledging that higher net tax revenues need to be part of the committee's overall mix. But they've also rejected the offer as not serious, and wildly dismissive of Dem demands that the panel reduce deficits nearly as much by rolling back spending on safety net programs as by requiring wealthier Americans to pay higher taxes.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Jim DeMint, John Kerry, Pat Toomey, Super Committee, Taxes
Super Committee
Super Committee Members Raked In $41M From Wall Street
Members of the deficit-reduction super committee have received a combined total of $41 million from the financial and real estate sectors during their time in Congress, according to a new report from Public Campaign and National People's Action.
The report also found that at least 27 current or former aides for members of the super committee have traveled through the revolving door between K Street and Capitol Hill and have lobbied on behalf of financial firms.
"Wall Street bought the deregulation that led to our economic collapse and the American public has paid the price," Nick Nyhart, president of Public Campaign said in a release. "The super committee should not give Wall Street and big banks another free ride because of their campaign cash."
Topics: 2012 elections, Deficit, Fred Upton, John Kerry, Max Baucus, Rob Portman, Super Committee, Wall Street
Russ Feingold
Feingold To Press Dems To Abandon Any Unbalanced Super Committee Deal
Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), June 12, 2011.
Former Sen. Russ Feingold and his new group Progressives United are petitioning the six House and Senate Democrats serving on the joint deficit Super Committee to walk away if Republicans don't budge on tax increases, and insist on cutting entitlement benefits.
"If we don't get our policy priorities, Democrats need to be ready to walk away from the deal," Feingold emailed his supporters. "You can guarantee extremists on the other side will continue to push relentlessly to give even more to corporations and put even more of the burden on the middle class. We have to fight harder than they will."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Chris Van Hollen, Debt, Debt Ceiling, Defense Spending, Deficit, Entitlement reform, Entitlements, Jim Clyburn, John Kerry, Max Baucus, Medicaid, Medicare, Patty Murray, Republicans, Russ Feingold, Social Security, Super Committee, Taxes, Xavier Becerra
Harry Reid
Reid Picks Murray, Kerry, Baucus For Super Committee -- Here's The Upshot
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has announced that Sens. John Kerry (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Max Baucus (D-MT) will serve a new deficit Super Committee. Murray will be the Democrats' top member.
"I have great faith in Senator Murray as the co-chair of the committee," Reid said in a statement. "Her years of experience on the Senate Budget and Appropriations committees have given her a depth of knowledge on budget issues, and demonstrated her ability to work across party lines. Senators Baucus and Kerry are two of the Senate's most respected and experienced legislators. Their legislative accomplishments are matched only by their records of forging strong bonds with their Republican colleagues."
Entitlement defenders were hoping for a more progressive bunch than this. But the key on the Democratic side of the new committee isn't so much whether members will agree in principle to some entitlement cuts -- most say they will -- it's whether they'll require as a concession that Republicans agree to increase tax revenues.
And through that prism, there's some reason for optimism.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: DSCC, Debt, Debt Ceiling, Deficit, Entitlement reform, Entitlements, Harry Reid, John Boehner, John Kerry, Max Baucus, Medicaid, Medicare, Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi, Patty Murray, Social Security, Taxes
John Kerry
Kerry Slams 'Tea Party Downgrade'
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)
Senator John Kerry (D-MA), appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, blamed Republicans and in particular Tea Party intransigence for the unprecedented S&P downgrade of U.S. credit from AAA to AA+.
"I believe this is without question the Tea Party downgrade," he said. "This is the Tea Party downgrade because a minority of people in the House of Representatives countered the will of even many of Republicans in the United States Senate who were prepared to do a bigger deal."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Debt Ceiling, Debt Commission, John Kerry, Tea Party
2012
Rick Perry's Lousy Grades On Par With Past Nominees
Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)
Rick Perry's newly released college transcript may not look like much, but graded on a curve he's not doing so bad.
Per the Huffington Post, which obtained Perry's college records, he scored mediocre to lousy marks in a broad array of subjects:
While he later became a student leader, he had to get out of academic probation to do so. He rarely earned anything above a C in his courses -- earning a C in U.S. History, a D in Shakespeare, and a D in the principles of economics. Perry got a C in gym.Perry also did poorly on classes within his animal science major. In fall semester 1970, he received a D in veterinary anatomy, a F in a second course on organic chemistry and a C in animal breeding. He did get an A in world military systems and "Improv. of Learning" -- his only two As while at A&M.
Taken in the broader context of presidential nominees, however, Perry looks much better. President Bush, Perry's predecessor in the Texas governors' mansion, was a famously "meh" student at Yale University and graduated with a 77 average. His highest grade was an 88 which he received in three classes. He only had one "D" however.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2012, 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Al Gore, George W. Bush, John Kerry, Rick Perry
John Kerry
Kerry Discloses Democrats' Sticking Point In Debt Talks
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senator John Kerry (D-MA)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) isn't saying why both sides aren't any closer to a debt deal after a day filled with feverish negotiations Saturday, but Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) spelled it out during a floor speech Saturday night.
The sticking point for Dems, Kerry said, involves detailed negotiations over an enforcement mechanism that would require Congress to act on entitlement and tax reform by a date certain or faces the consequences. Democrats want to ensure that such a trigger does not simply mandate severe spending cuts, but also includes tax increases -- the so-called "shared pain" Democrats have cited lately.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Debt, Debt Ceiling, Harry Reid, House Republicans, John Boehner, John Kerry, Taxes, Tea Party, Tea Party Caucus, White House
'Obama's Wars'
As Obama Mulls Afghan Drawdown, War Weariness Grows On Capitol Hill
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)
With President Obama's July deadline for withdrawing some troops in Afghanistan just weeks away, the future of the U.S. commitment to the nearly 10-year war has been a hot topic on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue in recent weeks.
Concern over the nation's budget woes have taken center stage in Washington, and with few tangible signs of progress in Afghanistan, members of Congress are increasingly expressing deep skepticism about maintaining U.S. nation-building efforts there.
The most notable aspect of Wednesday's Senate Foreign Relations hearing on the nomination of Ryan Crocker to be ambassador to Afghanistan, was the absence of voices supporting an ongoing robust U.S. presence there.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 'Obama's Wars', Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Budget, James Risch, John Kerry, Military, Robert Menendez, Ryan Crocker, State Department, Troops
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Kerry: Pakistan Boosting Cooperation With U.S.
AFP reports: "Pakistan, under renewed US pressure since the death of Osama bin Laden, is stepping up its efforts to battle extremists and help stabilize Afghanistan, senior US Senator John Kerry said Tuesday. 'Some of them are important things that are very important to us strategically, but they are not appropriate to discuss publicly,' said the Democratic lawmaker, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Kerry, newly returned from a whirlwind visit to both countries, said he had heard 'frustration' from top Pakistani officials about the US raid that killed the Al-Qaeda leader, but had made clear Washington expects more from its ally."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will depart form the White House at 8:30 a.m. ET, and depart from Andrews Air Force Base at 8:50 a.m. ET, arriving at 10 a.m. ET in New London, Connecticut. At 11:30 a.m. ET, he will deliver the commencement address at the United States Coast Guard Academy. He will depart from new London at 4:10 p.m. ET, arriving at 4:45 p.m. ET in Boston, Massachusetts. He will deliver remarks at a DNC event at 6:15 p.m. ET, and at another DNC event at 8:25 p.m. ET. He will depart from Boston at 9:55 p.m. ET, arriving at Andrews Air Force Base at 11:15 p.m. ET, and arriving back at the White House at 11:30 p.m. ET.
Topics: Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John Kerry, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Roundup, Taxes, Timothy Geithner
Pakistan
Kerry: Pakistan And U.S. Are At A Critical Crossroads
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), fresh from a trip to Pakistan aimed at repairing deeply frayed relations with the United States, said Tuesday the two nations are at a critical crossroads and cautioned against either side taking precipitous action.
Kerry spent the weekend meeting with Pakistani officials and trying to determine steps that would assuage the deep distrust between the two nations after the discovery of Osama bin Laden inside Pakistan and his subsequent killing in a covert operation by a Navy SEALs team.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Al Qaeda, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, State Department, Taliban
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Without Dem Help, GOP Must Pass Spending Bills On Its Own
The Hill reports: "House Republican leaders face a daunting task in the weeks and months ahead: passing a dozen spending bills opposed by Democrats. Clearing the bills through the lower chamber will be a test for Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and his whip team, which stumbled earlier this year."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive his daily briefing at 10:30 a.m. ET. He will meet at 11:15 a.m. ET with King Abdullah II of Jordan, and the two will deliver statements to the press at 12:05 p.m. ET. Obama will meet with Vice President Biden for lunch at 12:30 p.m. ET. Obama will host a White House reception at 2:50 p.m. ET, in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month. At 4:30 p.m. ET, Obama and Biden will meet with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Barack Obama, John Kerry, Jordan, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Pres '12, Roundup
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
GOP's Big Medicare Gamble
The Hill reports: "Republicans on Capitol Hill may be in the process of learning a hard lesson: Meddling with Medicare, whatever the nation's fiscal circumstances, just isn't popular. They are feeling the heat now because of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) controversial plan to turn Medicare into a type of voucher system. Presented as a serious attempt to fix the program's projected shortfalls, the proposal instead appears to have turned the political tide back toward the congressional Democrats, who were on the ropes after last November's midterms."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will depart from the White House at 8:45 a.m. ET, and depart from Andrews Air Force Base at 9 a.m. ET, arriving at 11 a.m. ET in Memphis, Tennessee. At 11:30 a.m. ET, he will meet with families impacted by the flooding, state and local officials, first responders and volunteers. At 1 p.m. ET, he will deliver the commencement address at Booker T. Washington High School, the winner of the 2011 Race to the Top Commencement Challenge. He will depart from Memphis at 3:25 p.m. ET, arriving at Andrews Air Force Base at 5:15 p.m. ET, and arriving back at the White House at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John Kerry, Medicare, Newt Gingrich, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Paul Ryan, Pres '12, Robert Gates, Roundup
Roundup
TPMDC Saturday Roundup
Obama Announces Plans For Increased Oil Production
In this weekend's Presidential YouTube address, President Obama announced that his administration was opening up increased oil drilling, as part of an effort to deal with high gas prices.
"Last year, America's oil production reached its highest level since 2003. But I believe that we should expand oil production in America - even as we increase safety and environmental standards," said Obama.
"To do this, I am directing the Department of Interior to conduct annual lease sales in Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve, while respecting sensitive areas, and to speed up the evaluation of oil and gas resources in the mid and south Atlantic. We plan to lease new areas in the Gulf of Mexico as well, and work to create new incentives for industry to develop their unused leases both on and offshore."
Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Barack Obama, Budget, John Kerry, Martha Roby, Medicare, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Paul Ryan, Pres '12, Roundup
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
In Campaign Appearance, Obama Highlights Bin Laden Capture
The Washington Post reports: "In his first 2012 campaign appearance in almost two weeks, President Obama added a new item to a long list of what he views as major accomplishments of his tenure: killing Osama bin Laden. 'Because of the extraordinary bravery of the men and women who wear this nation's uniform and the outstanding work of our intelligence agencies, Osama bin Laden will never again threaten the United States of America,' he said to loud applause at a fundraising event in the Moody Theatre in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday night. 'We couldn't be prouder of them.'"
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 11 a.m. ET, and meet at 12 p.m. ET with senior advisers. At 2 p.m. ET, he will participate in a CBS News Townhall Meeting on the Economy. At 4:20 p.m. ET, he will meet with the Senate Democratic Caucus. At 7:10 p.m. ET, the President and the First Lady will host a celebration of American poetry and prose.
Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Barack Obama, Health Care, Health care lawsuits, House '12, John Kerry, NRCC, Newt Gingrich, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Pres '12, Roundup
Sunday Shows
TPMDC Sunday Roundup
Donilon: Obama Ordered Bin Laden Raid Based On '50-50 Chance'
Appearing on State of the Union, National Security Adviser Tom Donilon said that President Obama ordered the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound based on "what was probably a 50-50 chance that Osama bin Laden was there." Donilon also added: "It was a circumstantial case ... But what he had 100 percent confidence in was the ability of our special forces to execute the mission."
Kerry: 'Shut Up And Move On' About Circumstances Of Bin Laden Killing
Appearing on Face The Nation, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) rebutted those who might question the decision of the Navy Seals to shoot an unarmed Osama bin Laden, rather then capture him. "They had no idea whether Osama bin Laden was lunging for a button that would blow up the entire building. There were weapons in the room. He was reaching for them. What we do know is he was not surrendering. It was the dead of night," said Kerry. He also added: "We need to shut up and move on about, you know, the realities of what happened in that building."
Topics: Barack Obama, Dick Cheney, Hussain Haqqani, John Kerry, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Roundup, Sunday Shows, Tom Donilon, Torture, Waterboarding
Osama Bin Laden
With Pakistan Under Fire Over Bin Laden Hideout, Officials Urge Patience
As elite opinion rapidly sours on Pakistani's government following the revelation that Osama bin Laden was hiding in an elaborate compound outside a major city there, key officials and regional experts are counseling patience with what they admit is a tense and difficult alliance.
While lawmakers on the relevant House and Senate committees acknowledged that bin Laden's discovery raised new questions about whether elements of Pakistan's government and military are tied to terrorism, many also warned that there are few alternative options when it comes to engaging the government. In doing so, they pushed back against growing calls from some lawmakers to review America's aid and ties to the country.
"Pakistan," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said at a press briefing Tuesday. "You can't trust them and you can't abandon them."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Jackie Speier, John Kerry, Lindsey Graham, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Peter King
John Kerry
Kerry Cautions Colleagues About Cutting Off Pakistan After Osama Bin Laden Capture
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) cautioned his fellow senators to take a deep breath before they go calling on the United States to cut off aide to Pakistan in the wake of the discovery of Osama bin Laden in the country.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: John Kerry, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan
John Boehner
Strikes In Libya Divides GOP, Puts Boehner In A Bind
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)
Freshmen House Republicans are already putting House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) in a bind over the budget, with a contingent of Tea Party-backed fiscal conservatives refusing to vote for any more continuing resolutions. Now a group of libertarian-leaning Republicans are balking at President Obama's missile strikes in Libya.
Republican Reps. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Ron Paul (R-TX) and Justin Amash (R-MI) over the weekend objected to the President's decision to use military force to contain Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, with some questioning the constitutionality of the operation and others opposing U.S military intervention in another Arab country because they aren't convinced that the U.S. has a clear national interest in the action.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Dianne Feinstein, Jason Chaffetz, John Boehner, John Kerry, John McCain, Justin Amash, Libya, Lindsey Graham, Muammar Qaddafi, Richard Lugar, Ron Paul, no-fly zone
Libya
Kerry and Lugar to Obama: Where Are You On Libya?
Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)
Congressional supporters and opponents of U.S. military intervention in Libya on Capitol Hill are calling on President Obama to clearly define U.S. interests in the Arab country as well as the type of air strikes and other options the administration is pushing in an attempt to prevent Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi from prevailing against rebel forces.
In hearings Thursday, the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, Sens. John Kerry (D-Ma) and Richard Lugar (R-IN), respectively, expressed opposite views on imposing a no-fly zone in Libya. Kerry views it as vital to the success of opposition forces; Lugar thinks it would be too costly. But both want the President to step in and use the bully pulpit to clearly articulate his views on the increasingly violent clash.
Topics: Bob Corker, John Kerry, Libya, Marco Rubio, Muammar Qaddafi, Richard Lugar, Senate, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, State Department, no-fly zone
Lindsey Graham
Graham On No-Fly Zone: At Least Be As Bold As The French
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is pouring the pressure on the Obama administration to establish a no-fly zone or deal with the historical consequences.
"One test in foreign policy - at least be as bold as the French," Graham, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a release Wednesday. "Unfortunately, when it comes to Libya we're failing that test."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Arab League, Barack Obama, Britain, France, John Kerry, John McCain, Libya, Lindsey Graham, Muammar Qaddafi, no-fly zone
Dianne Feinstein
Feinstein Slams Middle East Intelligence, Urges Caution On No-Fly Zone
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, harshly criticized the CIA and the rest of the intelligence community for failing to forecast the uprising in the Middle East and warned the White House not to intervene in Libya without international support.
"Our intelligence, and I see it all ... was woefully inadequate. [The unrest in] Tunisia was the only intelligence we got right," Feinstein told TPM Tuesday, adding that U.S. intelligence completely missed the instability in Egypt, Yemen and Bahrain.
Topics: Bahrain, CIA, CIA/DNI/Intelligence, Dianne Feinstein, John Kerry, John McCain, Leon Panetta, Libya, Lindsey Graham, Middle East, Mike Mullen, Muammar Qaddafi, Robert Gates, Senate intelligence committee, Tunisia, Yemen, no-fly zone
Libya
Pressure in Congress Mounts For No-Fly Zone In Libya
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI)
As air attacks against Libyan rebels grow more violent, calls for attacking Muammar Qaddafi's Air Force are growing in Congress.
Britain and France are drafting a UN resolution establishing a no-fly zone, which will be considered at a NATO meeting Thursday.
But some in Congress believe time is of the essence and are urging Obama to act independently.
Topics: Arab League, Carl Levin, John Kerry, John McCain, Libya, Lindsey Graham, Mike Mullen, Muammar Qaddafi, Robert Gates, no-fly zone, pentagon
Ohio protests
The 'Ohio 6' Speak: Meet The GOPers Who Voted Against Kasich's Anti-Union Bill
Gov. John Kasich (R-OH)
By the slimmest of margins on Wednesday, the state Senate in Ohio passed the budget bill endorsed by Gov. John Kasich (R) and deplored by the unions and Democrats. The bill now moves to the state House where the sizable Republican majority is expected to pass it easily.
But before it does, it's worth taking a look at the six Republicans who voted against the bill in the Senate, and the fears they raised about the bill. Ohio will be an important state nationally in 2012, and is often pointed to in the press as a bellwhether for the national political picture. And to hear the Republicans who turned on Kasich in the Senate yesterday tell it, the bill that would gut collective bargaining rights for thousands of state workers in Ohio is a step too far to the right.
"This bill is not balanced," Sen. Scott Oelslager, one of two Republicans booted from their committee seats so the bill could pass, told the AP. "There has to be a balance between labor and management in negotiations. It tips the scales in favor of management."
Topics: John Kasich, John Kerry, Ohio, Ohio protests
Net Neutrality
Key Senators Block GOP Efforts To Upend Net Neutrality
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)
Four Democratic senators are warning key leaders not to use the threat of a government shutdown to block the FCC from implementing net neutrality rules.
In a letter they're circulating to colleagues, Sens. John Kerry (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Al Franken (D-MN), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) say the Senate should not lend support to House GOP efforts to block the rules.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Al Franken, John Kerry, Maria Cantwell, Net Neutrality, Ron Wyden
Roundup
TPMDC Sunday Roundup
ElBaradei: 'The Process Is Opaque'
Appearing on Meet The Press, Egyptian opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei criticized the Egyptian government's handling of the current political crisis: "I should start by saying I have not been part of the negotiation. I have not been invited to take part in, in the negotiation or dialogue. But I've been following what is going on. I can tell you, David, that there is still a huge lack of confidence between the government and the demonstrators. There's a good deal of fear that, that the government would--will retrench and then come back, you know, again to, to--with vengeance, if you like. The process is opaque. Nobody knows who is talking to whom at this stage. The process is managed by the outgoing regime without involvement of the new opposition, if you like, or the rest of the people."
ElBaradei: Peace With Israel 'Rock Solid' But We Also Want Palestinian STate
Also during his appearance on Meet The Press, ElBaradei was asked about concerns that Egypt's peace treaty with Israel was not rock solid. "Well I think, I think everybody saying it is rock solid," said ElBaradei, "but, but, but everybody also saying that, at the same breath, that whether Egypt is a democracy, whether Egypt is a dictatorship everybody in Egypt, everybody in the Arab world will want to see an independent Palestinian state, David. I don't think anybody disagree with that. That has nothing to do with the peace treaty between Egypt and, and Israel, which is, as you said, has been concluded, and I assume that Egypt will continue to respect it, you know?"
Topics: Debt Commission, Deficit, Egypt, John Kerry, Mohamed ElBaradei, Roundup, Sunday Shows
START treaty
Dems Close In On START Ratification
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Obama
At this point it's all but certain that the Democrats will be able to ratify the new START treaty before the end of the week. Yesterday was a breakthrough, as key on-the-fence Senators announced their support or near support. But the dam fully broke this morning when Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) -- the Senate's third-ranking Republican -- broke with his leadership team, including anti-START ringleader Jon Kyl, to announce his support.
"I will vote to ratify the new START treaty," Alexander said on the Senate floor. Even after the arms reductions the treaty demands, Alexander said, the US will still have enough weapons to blow "enemies" to "kingdom come."
He joins Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) as the most recent Republican to announce their intent to support the treaty; Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) is widely expected to solidify his support for the treaty as well.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Bob Bennett, Bob Corker, Dick Lugar, George Voinovich, John Kerry, John McCain, Johnny Isakson, Judd Gregg, Lamar Alexander, Lisa Murkowski, Mark Kirk, Olympia Snowe, Richard Lugar, START treaty, Scott Brown, Susan Collins, Thad Cochran
Climate Change
Senate Democrats Drop BP-Climate Bill Until After Recess
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) with Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) in the background.
Senate Democrats announced this afternoon they will go home for a month-long recess without taking action on a scaled-back energy measure that was their best chance for any legislation addressing the issue before the midterm elections. A voted had been scheduled on the energy bill, which would create jobs and establish new thresholds for BP's financial responsibility along the Gulf Coast.
With senators citing the hottest July on record, they bashed Republicans for not joining them on a bill they said would hold BP accountable for the oil spill and which would create incentives for green jobs.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declared, "We are not giving up on energy," but pointedly said something would be accomplished by the "end of the year," not before the election. Republicans hopeful they could win back control of Congress this fall are cautioning Democrats against any major legislation during a lame-duck session.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: BP, Climate Change, Energy, Harry Reid, John Kerry, Senate Democrats
Climate Change
Dems Abandon Comprehensive Energy Legislation
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)
Light it on fire, and let its carbon pollution soar into the sky unrestricted: climate change legislation is dead.
At a press conference this afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), the Democrats' top climate and energy negotiator, acknowledged officially, and with obvious disappointment, that they lack the votes to pass legislation limiting carbon pollution, and that forthcoming energy legislation will be extremely narrow, in a bid to overcome a GOP filibuster.
"Many of us want to do a thorough comprehensive [climate and energy] bill that creates jobs, breaks our addiction to foreign oil, and curbs pollution," Reid said. "Unfortunately at this time we don't have a single Republican to work with in achieving this goal. For me it's terribly disappointing and it's also very dangerous. So the President, Senator Kerry and I and others, large numbers of my caucus will continue to reach out to Republicans and work with environmental and energy committees, communities, to garner the support we need to move forward on a much larger more comprehensive bill."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Carol Browner, Climate Change, Harry Reid, John Kerry
Immigration
Graham To Obama: Give It Up On Energy And Immigration, Already!
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
As President Obama mounts a new effort to simultaneously push two major domestic policy initiatives -- immigration reform and energy legislation -- that seem politically impossible before the fall elections, one Republican has a bit of advice: Go small.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said Tuesday that Obama should do a "smaller version" of the energy measure that he worked on with Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and John Kerry (D-MA) and return to the issue next year. (Graham bailed on that working group in April.) As for immigration, Graham thinks securing the border first is the only option for beginning a productive debate, and suggested that a post-election measure doing that will set up Congress to consider a comprehensive bill with a pathway to citizenship next year.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2010 elections, Barack Obama, Climate Change, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Immigration, John Kerry, Lindsey Graham
John Kerry
Kerry: We Don't Have 60 Votes For Climate Bill...Yet
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)
With only days to go before Majority Leader Harry Reid unveils his forthcoming energy legislation, the Senate's lead climate change negotiator acknowledged today that he's shy of the 60 votes he'd need to overcome a filibuster if it includes provisions meant to mitigate global warming.
"Are we there? No," said Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) in response to a question from TPMDC this afternoon. "We don't have the 60 votes yet. I know that. But we're close, enough to be able to fight for it, and we'll see where we wind up."
Kerry has never claimed otherwise, and has always suggested that building a 60-plus vote coalition for climate legislation would be a tough climb. But his acknowledgment comes as other key Democratic members and chairmen are trying to prevent any plan to cap and price global warming pollution from coming to the floor without 60 votes in the bag. Just today, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND), chair of the Democratic Policy Committee, publicly cast doubt on whether that's possible.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Byron Dorgan, Climate Change, Energy, Filibuster, Harry Reid, John Kerry, Lamar Alexander, Republicans
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
BP And Other Oil Companies Face Grilling In Congress
Top oil company executives will testify today at the House Energy and Commerce Committee, as they face new potential new regulations and oversight by the federal government. BP America head Lamar McKay will appear before the committee, along with executives from Exxon Mobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Royal Dutch Shell
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive a briefing at 10:15 a.m. ET with Adm. Thad Allen and local officials in Pensacola Beach, Florida, on efforts to fight the BP oil spill. He will deliver remarks at a 12:10 p.m. ET event with military personnel. He will depart from Pensacola at 1:15 p.m. ET, arriving at Andrews Air Force Base at 3:15 p.m. ET and the White House at 3:30 p.m. ET. He will address the nation from the Oval Office at 8 p.m. ET.
Topics: 2010 elections, Afghanistan, BP, Barack Obama, Gulf Coast Oil Spill, Harry Reid, Joe Lieberman, John Kerry, Mitch McConnell, NV-SEN, Roundup, T. Boone Pickens
Climate Change
Schumer: Dems To Aim Low On Climate And Energy
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
In the latest blow to the prospects of climate and energy legislation, the third ranking Democrat in the Senate suggested today that Dems will start small, instead of bringing a comprehensive bill to the floor.
Appearing on MSNBC this morning, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) confirmed that Majority Leader Harry Reid will move an energy-only bill next month, based on a template authored by Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman, and predicted that Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) will have a chance to offer their much farther-reaching climate change legislation as an amendment to the base package.
"Kerry has a proposal that has pretty broad support," Schumer said. "He's going, in my opinion, going to get a chance to offer it in the form of an amendment."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Chuck Schumer, Climate Change, Democrats, Harry Reid, Jeff Bingaman, Joe Lieberman, John Kerry
Roundup
TPMDC Sunday Roundup
Adm. Allen On Oil Spill: 'This Is A Siege Across The Entire Gulf'
Appearing on Face The Nation, Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said that the fight against the BP oil spill will last into the fall. "This will only end when we intercept the well bore, pump mud down it and put a cement plug in. It's bottom kill rather than top kill. The spill will not be contained until that happens," said Allen. "Even after that there will be oil out there for months to come. This will be well into the fall. This is a siege across the entire Gulf."
Kerry: Israel Not A Burden, But Gaza A 'Humanitarian Challenge'
Appearing on This Week, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) disagreed with a recent statement by the head of Israeli intelligence, who said that the country had turned into a burden and not an asset for the United States. "No, I don't believe that. But there are obviously tensions with respect to certain policies. We've seen that," said Kerry. "But let's begin at the very beginning of a big picture here. Israel has every right in the world to make certain that weapons are not being smuggled in after the thousands of rockets that have been fired on it from Gaza. And Israel has every right in the world, as recognized by the international community -- because it is not just Israel conducting this blockade; it is Israel and Egypt. So you begin that Israel has this right to protect itself. Now, that said, Gaza is a -- is a humanitarian challenge, and Israel understands that, I think. And this has underscored it."
Topics: 2010 elections, BP, Charlie Crist, FL-SEN, Gaza, Gulf Coast Oil Spill, Haley Barbour, Israel, Israel/Palestine, Jim Greer, John Cornyn, John Kerry, Liz Cheney, Michael Oren, Roundup, Sunday Shows
Sunday Shows
The Sunday Show Line-Ups
U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, National Incident Commander
Here are the line-ups for the Sunday talk shows this weekend:
• ABC, This Week: Adm. Thad Allen, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).
• CBS, Face The Nation: Adm. Thad Allen, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL).
• CNN, State Of The Union: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA), Sen. David Vitter (R-LA).
• Fox News Sunday: Adm. Thad Allen, Gov. Haley Barbour (R-MS), Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren.
• NBC, Meet The Press: Will not air, due to coverage of the French Open.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: BP, Bill Nelson, David Vitter, Gulf Coast Oil Spill, Haley Barbour, Israel, Israel/Palestine, Jim Webb, John Cornyn, John Kerry, Michael Oren, Mike Mullen, Oil Spill, Sunday Shows, Thad Allen
Jobs
Unions Take Aim At Dems Protecting Money Managers Over The Unemployed
Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)
Some of the Democrats who fought hardest to strengthen the Wall Street reform bill are at the same time seeking to preserve a tax loophole for money managers, which, if closed, could be used to pay for extending benefits, health care subsidies, and job creation for the unemployed. And now the biggest players in Democratic politics are taking aim at them.
"I don't know how you explain to the nurse struggling to pay her mortgage or the security guard whose son can't afford college that they should pay higher taxes than Wall Street hedge fund managers and venture capitalists," SEIU spokesperson Lori Lodes tells me. "They see what's happening in their communities - states cutting back vital services, more of their neighbors losing their jobs. What they will never be able to understand is Senators holding up a needed jobs package because they want to look out for money managers."
The senators she's talking about are almost all Democrats--including John Kerry (D-MA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), who actually voted against Wall Street reform for not doing enough to rein in financial industry excess.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Bob Casey, Democrats, Jeanne Shaheen, Jobs, John Kerry, Maria Cantwell, Mark Warner, Max Baucus, Senate
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