Not surprisingly, reaction to and analysis of last night's speeches dominate today's political news. In the actual economy, however, there is no shortage of stories suggesting we're still in trouble even if we do raise the debt ceiling. Here's today's Morning EDition:
TODAY
- The Senate debates the debt ceiling this afternoon.
BUDGET
- Is Aug. 2nd really a drop-dead deadline? Maybe not. It could be almost two weeks later. Yay?
- What the poll numbers say, and even if Obama is "winning," the debt battle is still hurting him on the economy.
- Sperling won't threaten veto of a short-term increase. (Have I mentioned I've thought all along a short-term clean-bill debt-ceiling hike will be the way out, here? JUST LIKE IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN.)
- Poll: More than a third of voters blame Obama policies for hurting the economy (how many think so on the left?)
- Obama's call for voters to contact Congress crashes some servers.
- Phone banks almost overloaded, too.
- Report: Ratings agency predicts downgrade under Speaker Boehner's (R-OH) plan, not under Senate Leader Reid's (D-NV).
- What Reid's up to.
- Think tank predicts Boehner plan will lead to massive spikes in poverty and hardship.
- Boehner might not even be able to pass his own plan. Despite House GOP Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) telling his own members to stop "whining" and vote for it.
- RSC leader says he will vote against the Boehner plan.
- Conservative lobbying group urges votes against the Boehner plan.
- Guess Limbaugh isn't so influential, after all.
- Boehner brings his plan to the floor tomorrow, with no certainty on whether he can pass it.
- Partial fact-check of Boehner's speech.
- Report: Boehner says he didn't sign up to go "mano-a-mano" with the president. Um, yes, he did.
- Poll: More Americans trust Obama than the GOP on the debt and the deficit.
- Analysis: Both Obama and Boehner are wrong, Hoover wrong.
- Boehner hits Reid plan for not doing something Boehner's plan doesn't do either.
- Senate Dems are working on how to tweak the House GOP plan so it can pass.
- Analysis: The problem isn't Washington, it's the Tea Party.
- The IMF sends its warning on default.
- Tanking the market isn't the only way default will slam the economy.
- Boehner's claim that small government means big people is untrue literally and metaphorically.
- Chart: Big government correlates with tall, healthy people.
- Bloomberg News reminds readers what's driven our debt.
- The only taxes the GOP wants to raise are taxes on the poor and middle class.
- Poll: Voters fear debt deal will hurt Medicare.
- Flashback: Boehner warned he wouldn't compromise.
- Analysis: Why should GOP ever say "yes," when "no" keeps getting them better offers?
- VIDEO: Cantor lets the truth slip.
- Cantor gets big bucks from the people whose tax rates he's protecting.
JOBS
- Companies are discriminating against the unemployed, because it's legal.
CLASS WARFARE
- Whites are winning; study finds ethnic disparities wider than ever, with Latinos on the losing end.
- The older and less-educated are also taking harder hits.
BROKEN GOVERNMENT
- The FAA shutdown is costing taxpayers $30 million a day.
- And it's costing airline passengers, too.
- The AFL-CIO alerts its members on the FAA fight.
WALL ST. / BANKS
- Prosecutors claim Florida AG fired them to protect mortgage lenders.
ENVIRONMENT
- House GOP bill easing pesticide rules moves forward.
BIG OIL
- BP reports "disappointing" profits of $5.6 billion. For one quarter.
VOTING RIGHTS
- Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) barrels ahead with disenfranchising the voting rights of the poor.
WISCONSIN
- The Club for Growth has pumped at least $1.5 million into Wisconsin's recall battle.
NEWT GINGRICH
- VIDEO: Not only don't quote his statements, don't even quote the taped, scripted ads he cuts.
(What I'm reading: Greg Sargent's Plum Line, Think Progress, Matt Yglesias, Talking Points Memo, TPMDC, Taegan Goddard's Political Wire, the Washington Monthly, CNN's PoliticalTicker, the National Journal, Ezra Klein, Politico's Playbook and Huddle, Dave Weigel, Wonkette, Firedoglake, the NYT Caucus, Daily Kos, Crooks and Liars. What my iPod has me listening to: The Whole of the Moon by the Waterboys.)
Follow Senior Producer Jonathan Larsen (@jtlarsen) on Twitter
Leave a Comment:
from C&L
Bloomberg reports that Boehner and Republicans voted for all the Debt they now Blame on Obama
but guessing all sane Americans already knew this!
We crashed the web sites of Congress yesterday with our emails in response to the two speaches . . .
emails telling the GOP to GET OFF OF OUR PRESIDENT'S BACK with their racist BS !!
Do you think the Republicons get it ?? Probably not . . . one has to have a conscience to actually be aware of what is wrong !!
This just in from fixed news. Weeper boehner's OWN plan doesn't have the votes to pass the House. Could this be another fixed news lie, or the truth for a change. LOL!
Curt, You never know when it comes from fixed news. What really makes me mad is that all this was so unnessary. The only reason the republicans and the ignorant tea baggers have done this is to cause as much trouble for the President as they can. Dennis from Ark. last night on Ed. Had it right .. H said, "I don't need a tax cut. I don't need any more cash.. I need custromers...That way I can take in more revenue and hire more people." Thats the way we get the country back on track.. But these republicans want to starve the middle class. No money to spend no customers...
You're right Jay. "Trickle Down Economics" has never, and will never work. Dennis was right. Customers grow businesses, not tax breaks. You don't build a house from the top down.
The Club for Growth has pumped at least $1.5 billion into Wisconsin's recall battle.
billion or Million?
either way shows you just how much they can not afford to lose this out right, even the lost of three is a total defeat!
Your right PS but all the money in the world can not defeat the peoples will.
John
handshake, yes We The People together can not be defeated ever!
I have been a long time listener to both side before i vote at the elections. now here too i am listening to all the talks ( for a better word). At the start of this battle of words and wills,was hearing more from the republicans than democrats. the more i listen i hear the (R) seem to only be able to push one thought with out working on a middle goal. When asked a certian question the can not answer it, because they have to repete their party line. I believe they would shame themselve it they were to think of people that they are hurting
They write it down like the pledge and use it as a guide book.....mainly because we democrats will ask questions they can't answer for lack of their knowledge. They can't answer or research so they repeat the rhetoric, repeat, repeat. And rule #2 do not ever listen to what a democrat has to say. Haveyou ever been some where when a republican brings up the subject of politics and begins his rant....? just asking. Miss Rice is a good example.
Taxing the poor is the only tax that Republicans will support. They will not reduce federal spending on gift’s to big oil because that would be the same as a tax hike. Yet, while defending their spending with subsidies to the wealthy, Republicans (and apparently some Democrats Mr. President) will not hesitate to reduce spending on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Is that not the same as a tax hike on the elderly and the poor? Can someone please explain this to me?
Well if you have almost nothing I guess they want that as well.
Stop paying both houses including the President their pay check until the debt ceiling issue is resolve. As a tax payer I'm requesting the Federal Treasury Department to not send them their check after Augest 2, 2011
The law makers think that the social security is a charity to seniors. They conveniently forget that all seniors now receiving social security paid into it during their entire working life. When the country faces economical crisis we should share the saciifce, with both revene increase and cut. Letting Corporate keep thier profits htrough loopholes does not necessarilly increase domestic jobs. I believe that they will take the money and invest it in other nations to expand their capcacity to outsourcing jobs.
To my Teabaggers
Please do not vote on debt ceiling bill you have no expertise to vote
Steve
Letter Sent to the congress and white House, Sorry for the length
========================================
I support passing the debt limit bill free and clear.
Short of that, I would prefer Senator Reid’s proposal over the alternatives presented by the White House and the Majority Leader of the House.
The main reason is that Sen. Reid proposal doesn’t impact the social big three and seek additional savings through the bloated military budget.
With that said, I believe the action of the Republicans in the House on this debit limit bill is NOT only wrong but UNCONSTITIONAL in spirit if not letter.
We have three equally empowered branches of our government selected by the majority of voters. It is unfair for one legislative branch to hold the Senate and Executive branches hostage over a very important financial/administrative procedure in order to acquire more influence than what is granted by the will of the people and/or defined in the U.S. Constitution.
For instance, the Democrats won both legislative branches in the 2006 mid-term elections but I did not support cutting funding for the Iraq war; a war that I never supported. The reason being is that I believe cutting funding for the war directly infringed on the constitutional war powers of the executive branch and indirectly overturned the results of the 2004 Presidential election won by a man I did not support.
The previous point is the main reason I disagree with republicans of the house. That overreaching branch is using a critical government administrative matter to impose their minority political will in order to gain major cuts in social programs that are so vital to so many in this country.
This power grabbing political maneuver is un-American.
Any changes in Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and taxing policies should be made by true legislative majorities won in the 2012 elections and not political brinksmanship by one branch of government.
In closing, I believe that the White House is promoting compromise on this critical matter because it is what they believe is a practical approach. That political strategy has gained them widespread corporate media support and maybe short term gains with so-called independent voters. To White House position, I ask, what would the reaction be to a foreign leader that addressed congress on December 8, 1941 stating that it would be impractical to declare war on Japan because we would lose a hundred times as many people than died in the Pearl Harbor attack? I could be wrong, but I believe the overwhelming response would be that although wars are impractical, when warranted, they are indeed necessary.
Again, this critical matter on the debt limit showcase what a great service you and your staff provide to our state and great country. As always, the best wishes to all and feel free to request my support on any matter you deem worthy.
Thanks so very much for giving me an opportunity share my views on this critical issue.
Kevin
Savage MD
Thank you for sharing your articulate points of view with the rest of us . . . I may not agree with everything you have said but I am proud of you for standing up to be counted Kevin.
Power Is Where Power Is Perceived !!
Have you contacted your congressional member and senator today? Have they ACTUALLY heard from ALL of their constitutents? The time has come to SPEAK UP AMERICA! The irony is the House and Senate computer servers crashed last night from the overwhelming response from the President! If the House and Senate are waiting for the markets to respond, it will be to late if that occurs!
Right on !! Here are just a few links to do just that !!
http://www.conservativeusa.org/mega-cong.htm ( email addresses )
http://www.contactingthecongress.org
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
http://www.congress.org
http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
I'm dashing these off as fast as I can. Thanks
Awesome Thankful Mom !!
Ed,
You remember the program trading places, these people need to trade places with some these people standing line for help and 2 years ago they would not have nothing to do with it, but now a lot them are looking and seeing image, they do not like and that - ask question - What if I was in that line in the near future. Because of the GOP (let's call GOP the SFE group (SFE means STUPIDITY FOR EVER) will they be in line, in the coming year. You know lot people in Washington was never on a debating team and never serve time in the Military Service, they would have a different attitude. I need to ended hear.
Keep the pressure on them ED.
Ed, I would far rather see the rich jumping from buildings than the poor/middle class agonizing over how to survive.
Keep up the good work !
Which one of their expensive home would they chose to jump from?
We won't have a choice where we sleep at night, or which bread line we stand in.
I ran off stickers that I'm putting on all my snail mail, adding to all emails, and--beginning last Saturday--using as part of my own personal demonstration in my little town: Shared Sacrifice = Shared Blessing. It's the Ethical Way. It's the Way to Peace.
Ah, there's the rub. I think the wealthiest 1% are very determined to avoid any sharng whatsoever. They're acting like spoiled, totally self-absorbed brats. "What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine if I can take it from you"--there's the not-so-hidden agenda of the uber-rich. The lack of maturity, the lack of enlightened self-interest, the total absence of simple human compassion is staggering,
Without conscience, soul-less, monstrously amoral--come on, 1%ers, prove me wrong!
John Boehner can not return as Speaker of the house we don't have the time and money to waste on him any more.ng on light bulb
The Republicans are complaining, voting on light bulbs, and they have the nerve to they have the nerve to try and say the people supprot them. They are believing too much of their own propaganda.
The only we've gotten out of the Republican house is complaining and obstructionism. It's really sad what has become of the GOP these days, these guys are so outside of reality the way you can understand their nonsense is by looking the evangelical conspiracy movement or corporate billionaires.
They always want to complain that there is not enough "free market" principles in the federal government, well they should be thankful for that because if it was the private sector they'd all be fired for the awful job they're doing.
I will not be voting on any candidate who is running for an office, if he or she has signed any pledge.....I don't care if it is for dog catcher. The oath of office say, "I will serve all the people". No pledges mentioned.
These house republican's must think that we are stupid . I was born at night but not last night .
I have been saying for some years. The repubs decided in 2008 or earlier to run up the U.S. debt off budget because they were fairly certain that because of Bush's method of getting us into the war in Iraq and the massive money being spent that they were NOT going to have a chance at keeping the White House in 2010 so they ran the debt up. The economy collapsing, the housing bubble burst, the Wall St bail out and the massive economic stimulus all occurred on Bush's watch and handed to Obama by the Repubs when he walked into the office. The Repubs have done absolutely everything possible to stop any efforts by President Obama to get the economy going, to get jobs and get the health care reform bill going. He was able to get health care reform but everything else has been stopped by the Repubs in the Senate and/or house. Now the Repubs gained control of the house with the very right wing Tea Party controlling the Speaker. The Speaker is in fear of loosing his job so does not make any effort to negotiate fairly with the Dems or the President on the Debt Ceiling. The debt ceiling should not ever be something to be used to hold the nations budget hostage especially with the threat of causing total economic collapse by the nation failing to honor it's debts. The Repubs are doing EVERYTHING possible to make the President look bad but I believe that this is going to bit them on the ass come the next election because the citizens of this nation are going to remember when they walk into that voting booth just exactly what the Repubs have been doing since gaining control of the House and of course the actions of the Governors of the states of Wisc, Michigan and Ohio and vote against ANY Republican running for any office. I recognize the radical agenda of these people to win control of all levels of government and tear the government down, stop any legislation or action which provides a safety net to the citizens like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid just to name a few. The Republicans are putting the publics safety at risk by defunding the FAA to prevent or turn back the Unionization of Federal workers just as what was done in Ohio and Wisc and Misc by legislation and underhand back stabbing tricks.
The nations citizens WILL remember this in Nov 2012 and most of them, even many who normally vote republican will vote a straight Democrat ticket in response to these actions by the Republicans. I believe that the nation will swing back as a result of these actions and I also believe that most of the citizens believe in fair play at work, elections and most importantly by their elected representatives. The Republicans have proven conclusively that they are not going be bound by the rules of playing fair. For that they will be sent packing.
Ed the change of voting rights sound like jim crow to me. I can see, taste and smell I am a old soul been there before so sad.
Ed the change of voting rights sound like jim crow to me. I can see,taste and smell it, I am a old soul been there before so sad
We, as Americans, should be outraged and vocal about the republicans (who are bought and paid for by the Koch Brothers and other Texas billionaires) trying to steal the right of people to vote. One person, one vote. Somebody better be working up some heavy duty law suits and quick. In the last election, at my polling place, there sat two women (obvious republicans) looking at everybody's name and writing down names as they picked up their ballots. "poll watchers" Who gave them the right to do this? I gave them a good stare and hid my name from their view. They didn't push the point. I was outraged that republicans think they have the right to intimidate people at the polls. Thus began this idea of theirs to suppress voters rights. We need to fight this and nip it in the bud. Write your representatives about this as well. This is history repeating itself as republicans think they have the right to dominate this country. Their intention is to turn America into a two-class society with the rich at the top and slave labor for their corporate friends. Please get vocal about this.
This is serious, folks! Write letters to editors of your local papers about these outrages. Make sure your family and friends know about this. Thanks!
Seniors and Disabled get ready. We will have to demand the RIGHT TO DIE via a $99.00 Death Drug in August. I will be first in line and 10s of millions will follow me. A mass suicide due to the incompetence of the two parties. Blood on their hands. Spread the word. We will NOT wheel grandma out to the trashcan to die screaming. We will make our last stand with our finger up. Copy and send this everywhere. PARTY OVER.
Hey PEOPLE! when are you going to get tired of the 'BULL" that we are being told? Why are these problems being discussed behind close doors? WHYYYYYYYY!
Also, how about the possible carcinogens being released after 911? i am behind those people, but how about CIGARRETES, are the have been proven tyo be a cancer agent?
The gov is responsible for the cigs, but not about 911 stuff.
Americans, STAND UP! The reelections of the REPUBLICANS is in BIG JEOPARDY
ed,i love your thinking and the outspoken manner of getting across to the masses.please drive home more the class warfare that the repubs. are using to destroy the lower and middle classes in our country.its so sad that we spend more on prisons than education .as a nam vet i fought to free people not imprison them.it is clear the g.o.p. is out to destroy the american dream and enrich the wealthy at the expense of the poor people.ed keep it up you are a true warrior for the average american.