“We can’t go on like this anymore.  I don’t want to get rid of the filibuster, but I have to tell you, I want to change the rules and make the filibuster meaningful.” ~Senator Harry Reid (D-NV)  If you don’t understand the filibuster – you need to watch the video of Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) [...]

On Monday President Obama nominated former Sen. Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense and top White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to be CIA director. This is Obama’s latest move to round out his second-term national security team following his nomination of Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry to succeed Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. Hagel, who earned [...]

Conservatives like to talk about the debt as if it were about to crush the American economy into oblivion; after all – the U.S. has accumulated more than $16 TRILLION with a T in debt.  That’s pretty scary and conservatives will talk about America’s impending Greece moment.  But forgetting all the Keynesian arguments for why [...]

“<Not raising the debt ceiling> would be a financial disaster, not only for us, but for the worldwide economy.  I don’t think it’s a question that’s even on the table.” ~House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) – January 30, 2011 (source) Republicans are lying to the American people about the debt ceiling and it is interesting to [...]

For the past 6 years – progressive talk show host Thom Hartmann has had a segment every Friday called “Brunch with Bernie” where Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) gets to speak to the issues of the day; on January 4th – Senator Sanders went after corporate welfare.  There are very few Senators who actually go out [...]

“Republicans didn’t break their no-tax pledge. They’re going to be as opposed to more tax hikes as ever.” ~Grover Norquist – January 2nd, 2012 (source) Someone explain this to me.  Grover Norquist has changed his position on letting the Bush tax cuts expire for the rich from Republicans will impeach Obama to saying allowing tax [...]

Let’s be very clear on one thing – were it up to House Republicans, America would still not have a deal on the fiscal cliff.  The Senate bill to avoid tax increases on the middle class only passed because House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)  decided to put the bill on the floor despite an overwhelming [...]

“The lack of spending cuts in the Senate bill was a universal concern amongst members in today’s meeting. Conversations with members will continue throughout the afternoon on the path forward.” ~Brendan Buck, spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) got it right when he said, “Something has gone terribly wrong, when the [...]

“It appears that an agreement to prevent this New Year’s tax hike is within sight.  But it’s not done.” ~President Obama, today  Here’s the gist of things.  First off – House Republicans are COWARDS.  It would appear that President Obama has come to an agreement with Senate Republicans to vote on a bill that would [...]

 “I was really gratified to hear the Republicans have taken their demand for Social Security benefit cuts off the table.  The truth is they should never have been on the table to begin with.” ~Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)  As we prepare to go over the ‘fiscal cliff’ – one of the demands that [...]