Spending

Dems Fight To Protect For-Profit Colleges From Disclosure Rules

Brian Beutler | February 17, 2011, 12:19PM

Dep. of Education Sec. Arne Duncan

There's a fight brewing between Democrats over whether to allow the government to crack down on for-profit colleges and universities.

The Department of Education is tired of federally subsidized student loans going to shady for-profit colleges that have poor track records of getting the students who do graduates good work -- often leaving them stuck with mountains of debt. To curb this phenomenon, the agency has been moving along with a new regulation they call the "Gainful Employment" rule.

Under "Gainful Employment" rules, for profit schools would have to show that their students can find work without getting stuck with unreasonable debt in order to qualify for federal loans.

But behind the scenes, a bipartisan bloc of House members see things differently. They say the rule would reach too far and clamp down on institutions that do a decent job of educating and preparing students. But they want to tie the Department of Education's hands completely, and block the funds they'd need to implement the rules at all.

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Virginia Foxx

GOP Rep: Loughner's Beliefs 'The Liberal Of Liberals'

Brian Beutler | January 11, 2011, 4:44PM

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) says political rhetoric doesn't really incite violent behavior at all -- but not before describing Arizona shooting suspect Jared Loughner as a "communist" and "the liberal of liberals."

"This guy appears to be a communist," Foxx told the Winston-Salem Journal. "His beliefs are the liberal of the liberals [sic]. There is no evidence whatsoever that this man was influenced by Sarah Palin or anybody in the Republican Party. This man is not a conservative; he's a fan of communism - that's the opposite of conservatism."

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Virginia Foxx

GOP Rep. Foxx Denounces Liberal 'Character Assassination,' Previously Said Health Care Bill Scarier Than Terrorism

Eric Kleefeld | December 1, 2009, 11:58AM

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)

In a profile piece for the Winston-Salem Journal, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) made an interesting declaration about Democrats -- that without ideas, all they have to use against the conservative opposition is character assassination.

"I'm a small-government conservative, and that's not very fashionable in Washington," said Foxx. "The liberals have no new ideas, and so they're reduced to character assassination."

The accusation of character assassination seems a bit peculiar, coming from Foxx. She has previously said of the health care bill: "I believe we have more to fear from the potential of that bill passing than we do from any terrorist right now in any country." And she's also implied that the Dems' health care plans would "put seniors in a position of being put to death by their government."

Republicans

Top 10 Wild And Wacky Political Voices -- For Whom We're All Very Thankful

Eric Kleefeld | November 25, 2009, 6:04PM

Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK), Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Rush Limbaugh

Here at TPM, we definitely have an eye for the weird -- and speaking for myself, I particularly enjoy the crazy stuff that right-wingers often say.

The American right often uses the rhetoric of a persecuted minority, even when they're actually in power. So having a Democrat in the White House, let alone a progressive black Democrat from Chicago named Barack Hussein Obama, has driven them to whole new heights (or lows, depending on how you count it) of rhetoric.

So let's take a look at some real stars of our current political rhetorical wars. The list is mostly Republican -- and you betchya that it was an obvious choice for the top spot -- plus one Democratic "Congressman With Guts" who gives the opposition a taste of their own medicine. We've got politicians, talk show hosts, and people who seem to be both at the same time. So sit back, and enjoy the crazy.

I'm certainly thankful to them -- for making my job a lot more interesting. If they weren't around, what would there be for me to write about?

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John Boehner

Boehner Offers 'Shrug' To Foxx's Terrorism/Dem Health Care Bill Comparison

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 2, 2009, 5:10PM

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)

House minority leader John Boehner refused to take a stand on Rep. Virginia Foxx's (R-NC) claim that Democratic-led health care reform is a worse threat to America than "any terrorist right now in any country."

Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Boehner was asked about the statement, which Foxx made on the House floor. "Members are entitled to their own opinions," he said when asked if he agreed with the sentiment.

When pressed on whether Foxx's rhetoric "helped the debate" on health care, which the GOP in the House are trying to win against a large Democratic majority, Boehner sat quietly for a few seconds as though he was carefully considering his answer. Eventually he leaned back and grinned.

"I this is the part where you guys get the old Boehner shrug," he said to the reporters gathered around him before moving on to the next question.