John Boehner

Boehner Invites CEO Of Gibson Guitar To Watch President's Speech

Susan Crabtree | September 8, 2011, 4:49PM

Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) isn't done tweaking the White House over the President's address to a joint session on jobs tonight.

Boehner's latest commentary over the Obama administration's economic policies will come in the form of a special guest invited to attend the speech and sit in the Speaker's box: the CEO Of Gibson Guitar Henry Juszkiewicz.

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Chuck Schumer

Is The GOP Sabotaging The Economy? Schumer: 'They Give Us No Choice But To Answer Yes'

Brian Beutler | July 1, 2011, 12:49PM

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

To a casual observer's eyes, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is flogging a dead horse. He keeps hinting that the GOP is intentionally try to damage the economy or forestall recovery because it will improve their election chances in 2012. But he also keeps inching closer to outright declaring it.

He took another step in that direction Friday. On a conference call Friday morning, another reporter asked Schumer whether he believes the GOP's committing sabotage (my words, not the reporter's). Here's his response.

"It's a thought you just don't want to believe in, because that would be [horrible]," Schumer said. "But every day they keep giving us more and more evidence that there's no choice but to answer the question 'yes.' They give us no choice but to come to that conclusion."

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112th Congress

GOP Senators Blocking New Commerce Secretary Until Trade Deals Go Through

Benjy Sarlin | March 14, 2011, 5:25PM

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) took a break from budget negotiations this week to get back to one of the Senate GOP's most popular pastimes: blocking presidential nominees. McConnell, along with Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT), pledged in a letter on Monday to hold up any White House nominee to replace departing Commerce Secretary Gary Locke as well as nominees for any other trade-related posts until trade agreements with Colombia and Panama clear the Senate.

"My fear is in trying to appease their union allies the administration is willing to let these two agreements wither on the vine," Hatch said at a press conference Monday announcing the move. "We are here today to make clear that we will not allow that to happen."

President Obama said that the agreements were a priority in his State of the Union this year, but U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said last month that the Latin American countries must address their own outstanding labor issues, including accusations of violence against labor leaders in Colombia, before a final deal is reached.

Libya

K Street Firm Explains Why It Lobbied for Libya Then Abruptly Cut Ties

Susan Crabtree | February 23, 2011, 5:44PM

Fmr. Rep. Bob Livingston (R-LA)

Former Rep. Bob Livingston (R-LA) severed his firm's lobbying contract with the Qaddafi-controlled government of Libya in the fall of 2009, after Qaddafi's son welcomed the individual convicted of bombing Pan Am Flight 103 back to his home country as a conquering hero.

"Saif Qaddafi gave him a really public greeting broadcast around the world to welcome him home as a hero of the state -- that was just too much," Livingston told TPM in a telephone interview.

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