Today's edition of quick hits:
* Obama didn't fold in today's talks: "President Obama called on Republican leaders Friday to support his plan to let taxes rise on income over $250,000 a year or to offer a clear alternative for averting the year-end "fiscal cliff" that could win Democratic support."
* The president is also set to give public remarks at 5:45 eastern from the White House. None of the participants in today's talks spoke to reporters immediately upon leaving the West Wing today. I'll update this post shortly with Obama's remarks. [Update: See above.]
* Check out the huddle around Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) when he returned to the Senate floor this afternoon.
* House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D) said upon returning to Capitol Hill that Senate leaders will now try to work something out, since House Speaker John Boehner (R) has nothing more to contribute. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) added the next 24 hours should be "very instructive."
* Another pending bill: "The top lawmakers on the Congressional Agriculture Committees are prepared with a plan to avert the dairy cliff, NBC News has learned. This is an agreement between Democrats and Republicans who run those committees and oversee the massive FARM bill that affects the entire food industry and 16 million agriculture related jobs."
* Heartbreak in India: "A young woman who had been in critical condition since she was raped two weeks ago by several men who lured her onto a bus here died early Saturday, an official at the hospital in Singapore that is caring for her said."
* Assad is still losing friends: "Russia, Syria's longtime ally, urged the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, on Friday to negotiate with his opponents as further signs emerged that Moscow and other international parties to the conflict were coalescing around the idea of a transitional government as a key to solving the nearly two-year-old Syrian crisis."
* Watering down an already watered down reform effort: "Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Carl Levin (D-MI) on Friday unveiled a bipartisan proposal to change filibuster rules, a scaled back plan to prevent Democrats from using the so-called constitutional option to weaken the minority's power."
* And Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona, in all seriousness, said he intends to send armed posses, made up of volunteers, to patrol public schools in his area. Try not to be surprised.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
Leave a Comment:
Why should Obama fold? If they do what he wants, he wins. If they do nothing, he wins. At this point the only way he loses is if he folds.
He should at least move the tax increase to the 400K mark. That would shield the small business folks. Hell, 250K is almost the the level of Boener's salary after Obama gave him a raise today.
Few small business people have to worry about $250k. The increase would be marginal so they would only pay more on anything over $250k. That's literally pennies on the dollar incrementally.
Obama ran on $250k, the people support $250k. I wouldn't care one way or another, I would gladly pay more taxes - it is my country that needs it! But to say he should just give in to the GOP, no. What else is in the final package? Let's see what the GOP is moving on, then we can discuss what the Dems move on.
Considering that more taxes on the $250k crowd does next to nothing for the deficit, this is just a punishment for success. And people wonder why business leaves the country? Tsk.
MsJ, Spot on, as a matter of fact he should add some more "Perks" for the poor, just for good measure,,,,,
Shooter
You do realize that you just said money is more important than supporting your own country...
If it is that important to these people fine there's the door
c5499351
Maybe you should learn how the congress works. President Obama has nothing to say about there salery. They vote for their own raises.
"President Obama called on Republican leaders Friday to support his plan to let taxes rise on income over $250,000 a year or to offer a clear alternative for averting the year-end "fiscal cliff" that could win Democratic support."
And I'm sure he continued his screw-over of his over-65 supporters, you know, the ones he campaigned and campaigned to with the promise that Social Security benefits would not be part of this deal - you know, the Social Security benefits that DO NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEFICIT they're all supposed to be "negotiating" about????
Isn't it nice that we have to report "the President didn't fold"???? Yeah, Mr. New Politics for sure - the politics of Hope and Change and I will always keep my promises to you.
What a lying sack of something one scrapes off their shoes. And he was the best one to vote for.
Larry -
Maybe you should look at the latest executive order signed yesterday that recinds the pay freeze order he did in 2010. So, he does have some control in reguard to their salary when they make changes.
So while he's ok with our tax cut expiring, he feels the need to reward the very @!$%#s who are refusing to work with him to prevent it.
Larry....apparently you are the one who needs to keep up with what is going on...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/28/obama-pay-raise-congress_n_2377714.html
They might be able to vote on their raises, but Obama has the ability to freeze and thaw pay raises...so, he does have a say on the matter.
Read up on things and stay informed...
just saying..
I live in Texas so I'm not shocked at all - just apalled. There was a story on the news right after the Newtown shootings about a small Texas town where the teachers and administrators are ALL ALREADY ARMED. The reporter said that these people come from a hunting culture so they are very comfortable around guns. Just wait until one of the teachers goes postal on a room full of annoying teenagers!
Along similar lines, the first thing that came to mind when I heard Arpaio's latest trip into weirdness is who is going to protect the students from the protectors? These are going to be proArpaio types who hate Hispanics anyhow, and have no training whatsoever in being a guard. All they know is shooting guns, and may not be very adept at shooting what they intend to shoot anyhow. This is a recipe for disaster if somehow he gets it through.
Dairy Cliff??? Seriously? How udderly amusing.
You should really try to keep up on issues. If the Farm bill is not renewed, the price of every farm product, including dairy products, will more than doulbe. There's been several programs and articles on this issue in the last 3 weeks.
Shooter,
First, increasing tax revenue by $160 billion a year is not nothing, and
Second, currently businesses on average are relocating to the US, not leaving. It was during the administration of your buddy 'W' businesses left the US in droves.
oops
anything to add?
why, yes, thank you.
Court Rules You Can Be Fired For Being Too Attractive: last week IOWA's all-male HIGH COURT upheld the LEGALITY of terminating a female employee because HER BOSS found her TOO ATTRACTIVE (NBC news?).
I gather all working women in IOWA are butt-ugly?
(Don't flame me, it's just snark.)
Too Sexy for My Job: Court OKs Beauty's Firing
Why do they call it a farm bill when it really doesn't benefit farmers? It benefits the big diary industry and the food industry. Monsanto anyone?
Couldn't tell from the link, but doesn't that Farm Bill also include funding for SNAP (aka food stamps)?
Yes, it is. It was originally set up to help support the farm bill. Yanno, buying farm food with stamps was the general idea, I guess.
The big problem is that the Republicans who run the House Agriculture Committee want to cut funding for SNAP.
OK I'm waiting for 'fiscal cliff' news but ARMED POSSES made up of volunteers??? Are you freakin' KIDDING me? What ON EARTH could go wrong? Glad MY kids aren't in school in Arizona!!!
More like a collection of armed pussies.
If Obama can send his kids to a school with armed guards, why not everyone else?
Poor shooter still using 17th century logic.
Shooter. Please name which President hasn't sent their kids to private schools with armed Secret Service agents.
Larry...As I have read, the SCHOOL has armed guards in addition to the Secret Service agents.
If the politicians deserve to have armed law enforcement officials protecting them, why not our kids?
just saying....
Just making it up as you go you mean re reg, hiding under Becks skirts will not save you.
The fox news watchers want to know why people are not interested in kid napping their kids ? lmao
Now all the small gov gop want to barrow money from china to have armed guards at all the schools , so crazy people can keep their guns , but but food stamp and obamacare must be cut now!!!!!!
Do the gop present any thing that is sane ?
Yes Whom...just like I was making it up regarding the Democrats gerrymandering congressional districts when they have the power to do so...oh wait...I wasnt making that up, it was the truth. Enough said...
Actually Patango, I propose we take the money from our foreign aid budget. But you neglected to actually answer the question...why do our politicians deserve to be protected if our kids aren't?
just saying...
Whomitmay
Shooter shows up and has 3 thumbs up immediately on his 1st post , go figure re reg lol
I know right shooter the guy who believes the depression ended the day WWII started. Got to love sock puppets, vote for themselves to get a jump.
The foreign aid budget that your gop already gutted and brought us Bengazi ...another stellar fox news idea
So you can not figure out why romney children go to fancy schools and have security? It would pretty much be for the same reason for politicians who have children , we are talking common sense here , but maybe I can explain it in a way you can understand , but I doubt it
I do not have a ton of money or political power , there for , my kids do not need a lot of security , did anything kick in yet?
Your party has made it so gun nuts are armed and are killing kids at school , now you are demanding we fund security to protect the kids , from the gun nuts you still claim have a right to be armed , this is not sane
Patango...maybe I am wrong, though I doubt it, but Foreign Aid money is not the same as State Department money which is what was supposed to be used to fund our defense of the Bengazi compound. So...now that you have been straightened out on that small issue, do you want to address the idea on a factual basis?
What does where Romney's children go to school, even though the youngest is 30 and out of school, have to do with anything being discussed? As far as I am concerned, your kids are just as important as anybody else's kids and deserve to be in a learning environment that allows them to feel safe.
What is your suggestion for keeping the kids safe?
just saying...
The suggestion for keeping the kids safe: create and enforce gun control.
just saying....
and your suggestions for creating and enforcing gun control laws are what?
Why do politicians deserve to be protected by armed guards but our children do not?
How much tougher than the laws which currently exist in Chicago (home of 500 murders by guns this year) do you want to go?
just saying...
Why do your kids need protection why rather simple the GOP have relaxed gun laws so much that now anyone can get a gun and do as they want with them because people like you have John Wayne/wild Bill fantasies that you got from TV/movie westerns that were not based on fact but rather dime books that were around before the moving picture was invented. Oh and you had an insane retired soap salesman tell you there were no insane US citizens so mental care was gutted by the GOP so now we have nut cases living everywhere with no mental health care to turn to. Really re reg, at one time criminals had a hard time getting their hands on guns because gun laws created by the GOP in the 20's made it harder to get deadly weapons. But nothing gets into the bubble you live in and reality is something you avoid. Really re reg why aren't your kids better protected rather simple, no one will try to take you child and try to ransom them back to you. The wealthy and politicians kids don't have that freedom, they have to be protected from greedy @!$%#s who will try to get rich quick by kidnapping their kids nor are your kids in danger of being murdered because the mental case you hired decided to get back at you by murdering your children. Really re reg, over kill for a problem created by gun nuts when all you need to do is make it harder not easier to obtain deadly weapons that serve no purpose other then make up for your lack of manhood. Pretty much the same thing that causes you to go out and buy a SUV.
Good answer whom,
but it will fall on deaf ears, because stormfront is a gun nut troll.
just sayin.
Whom...
To me, my kids are just important as anybody else's.
However, using your logic, you are advocating for the existence of different "classes" of people and that all people are not created equal in our society. I disagree with that concept completely.
How much tougher do you want to make the laws than they currently are in chicago? What additional restrictions do you want to put into place?
just saying...
re reg go take your nonsense elsewhere. What can't you seem to grasp your kids have a better chance of getting run over by a train then they have getting shot by a deranged person. Again re reg tough gun laws in 1 city or state is useless if surrounding cities and states have lax gun laws, people do travel re reg and this isn't the horse and buggy days. Oh and re reg the current laws only apply to registered gun dealers, gun shows as while as private citizens are exempt from those laws. But then you really aren't interested in protecting kids or anything else, you just want to run off at the lip because you believe you are an important person on the vine.
Whom...interesting theory...if your theory was right, then all of the other towns in the area would have equally high crime rates and murders per capita...I wonder if that is true.
Also, why is it that the murder rate is up in the area where it has tough gun laws, but down where there is higher legal gun ownership? Why is the murder rate in Chicago not seen elsewhere?
just saying...
If they have the 51 votes, use them.
Don't go halfway on this.
I know 13 yr old girls that could do a better job than John Boehner...
QUOTE OF THE DAY
As posted on comments, The Next Web 12-28-12 article titled “Why so Curious…?”
One of the brain trust at
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programmed the Rover on a path that leaves tracks on sandy landscape that spells
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The Mars graffiti project will be seen from telescopes on Earth just before the
2014 election season starts. (lol) jinnbad.blogspot.com
It's interesting that the president didn't mention Boehner at all - as if he didn't exist. Yet for this to work, Boehner has to allow the bipartisan vote in Congress ... just as the President asked Senator Reed to do.
And you know who else doesn't exist: the enemies of the state aka the Tea Party and Grover Norquist who should be indicted for treason.
DixonAgee, do you think it may have something to do with "if you can't say something nice...?"
Dixon,
The House is not is session and will not be until Sunday evening. So, the package has to be put forward by Senator Reid and the House has to follow.
Allegedly...the family of a 6 year-old girl from Sand Hook school is suing for $100 million because the girl suffered emotional trauma from hearing screaming and cursing over the P.A. system.
http://news.yahoo.com/claim-seeks-100-million-child-survivor-connecticut-school-003646074.html
Re Sheriff Joe's armed posses of volunteers at the schools:
Good thing today's children are all well-behaved and polite and not smart-assed little bastards like I was when I was in school.
Were an armed posse of volunteers hanging around my school, I would have spent most of my time figuring out ways to trick them into shooting each other.