The Real Polichick

Top 10 dying industries

2011-04-01T21:28:00.003-04:00

From Phil Izzo of The Wall Street Journal on March 28:

The U.S. economy is recovering from a severe recession, but some industries are unlikely to ever fully bounce back.

A new analysis by research firm IBIS World looks at 10 industries that appear to be dying. The list isn’t exactly shocking, but it represents a mix of sectors that are being left behind by technology or have been hurt by cheaper overseas competition.

The biggest industry profiled by IBISWorld is wired telecom carriers, largely being supplanted by cellphones and the Internet. The dominance of the Web and digital media also puts Newspaper publishers, record stores and video-rental companies on the list. Meanwhile, photofinishing also takes its place among the top 10 dying industries thanks to the growing influence of digital photography.

Cheap imports are blamed for a decline in mills and apparel manufacturers. Companies that rent formal wear are also counted among dying industries amid both competition from abroad and lower prices making owning your own formal wear a more attractive option than renting.

The only clear recession casualty that makes the list is manufactured home dealers. The housing boom led to a surge in the industry, but now years after the bubble burst the sector has continued to struggle.

Action Alert: webinar on Economic Liberty and the Constitution

2011-04-01T20:24:00.003-04:00

Hillsdale College is hosting April 16 a free online town hall called Economic Liberty and the Constitution.

The erosion of private property rights, a prodigious federal debt, and a nearly incomprehensible tax code are all part of an overweening administrative state that today threatens the liberty of all Americans, the college says.

The live webcast runs from 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and consists of these presentations and speakers:

Choosing Liberty: Welcome and Introduction, presented by Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind.
How Our Economic Liberty Has Been Diminished, presented by Dr. Paul Moreno, a professor of constitutional history at Hillsdale College.
How Our Economic Liberty Can Be Restored, presented by Dr. Larry P. Arnn, president of Hillsdale College.

Additionally, presenters will answer questions from participants.

To register for the event, click here.

What: Economic Liberty and the Constitution free online town hall forum.

When: April 16, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Where: Online here.

For more information: Click here, or e-mail kirbycenter@hillsdale.edu.

Hidden bad signs in a good jobs report

2011-04-01T20:18:00.001-04:00

From Phil Izzo of The Wall Street Journal on April 1:

There was lots of good news in Friday’s jobs report, but there are still some caveats to keep in mind.

Overall the economy added 216,000 jobs in March, and the unemployment rate dropped to 8.8%. The gain in jobs was relatively broad-based, though with some sectors still lagging. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate improvement was based on more people working, not just discouraged workers dropping out of the labor force. In fact, the labor force rose more than the general population, indicating the market has improved enough to draw some of the unemployed back into the pool of workers.

But the jobs report is a lagging indicator, and some of the issues that have led economists to scale back growth forecasts for this year aren’t yet reflected in this report. One potential area of difficulty is disruptions in manufacturing supply chains caused by the Japanese earthquake, the ripple effects of which might not be felt for weeks or months. Manufacturing added jobs in March, but there might be some difficulties ahead.

Meanwhile, prices of food and oil have been increasing, sparking worries about consumer spending. If more people have jobs, that mutes those fears a bit. But today’s report notes that wages were unchanged. If prices are going up but workers aren’t getting paid more, it spells good news for companies who can keep labor costs low, but suggests continued struggles for consumers.

Gov. Rick Scott orders immediate cuts to programs for disabled

2011-04-01T20:02:00.003-04:00

From Kate Santich of the Orlando Sentinel on March 31:

Florida Gov. Rick Scott ordered deep cuts Thursday to programs that serve tens of thousands of residents with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism and other developmental disabilities.

Though a range of state services face cuts from this year's Legislature, the governor invoked his emergency powers to order the state Agency for Persons with Disabilities to immediately roll back payments to group homes and social workers by 15 percent — an amount providers say could put them out of business and threaten their clients' safety.

"lt's not like, 'Gee, does this mean I have to skip a vacation this year?'" said Amy Van Bergen, executive director of the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida. "Potentially, these cuts have life and death implications for these people."

An estimated 30,000 Floridians with severe developmental disabilities receive services that help them live outside of nursing homes — typically with family or in small group homes. Aides help them eat, bathe, take medication and otherwise care for themselves.

But the governor said the Agency for Persons with Disabilities' ongoing budget deficit — currently at $170 million — had reached a critical point and needed to be addressed immediately.

The cuts go into effect Friday and last at least through the fiscal year, which ends June 30. Lawmakers are currently debating what will happen after that.

Providers had not been informed of the cuts.

"No one has gotten any notice," said Linda Cumbie, an Orlando social worker who coordinates services that clients need to live outside of a nursing home — which would be a more expensive arrangement for the state. "We have to find out through the newspapers."

More jobs doesn't necessarily mean more good jobs

2011-04-01T19:42:00.003-04:00

From The Wall Street Journal on April 1:

The U.S. economy is producing jobs, that much is clear. But whether those jobs are good jobs is less certain.

Of the 230,000 private-sector jobs created in March, 199,000 of those were in the service sector. A large chunk of those jobs are in fields that are likely to provide a stable livelihood for those lucky enough to snag them –- like some of the 78,000 added in professional and business services. But that’s less certain for, say, the 37,000 new workers in the leisure and hospitality industry.

To be sure, having a job is better than not having one, both for the individual and for economic output. But this recovery seems to be going hand-in-hand with workers taking lower-paying jobs. More than half of those full-time workers who lost jobs between 2007 and 2009 and then found full-time work by early last year said their new jobs came with lower wages. Some 36% saw a pay cut of 20% or more.

That can be good news for companies, who are able to keep their labor costs low and hire talented workers, which can increase productivity. The flipside: it can downshift Americans’ spending and their standard of living.

Academics have pointed out that, as jobs are coming back, they’re returning at the highest and the lowest levels. But the middle-class is being squeezed.

Florida Senate releases larger budget plan than House

2011-03-29T18:36:00.001-04:00

From Brandon Larrabee of The News Service of Florida on March 28:

Senate budget-writers unveiled a spending plan late Monday that was $3.3 billion higher than its House counterpart, giving the clearest indicator yet of how far apart the chambers stand as the midpoint of the session nears.

The Senate plan weighs in at just shy of $69.8 billion and almost 125,200 full-time positions. That's larger than the $66.5 billion, 121,400-position blueprint unveiled by the House last week. Both plans would trim at least several hundred jobs from the state payroll, though it's not clear how many of those positions are filled. The current year's budget had more than 126,700 full-time positions.

House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, brushed off questions last week about government cutting jobs as the economy emerges from the worst downturn since the Great Depression.

"Its primary purpose is not as an employer," Cannon said of government. "Its primary purpose is to create a framework where employers in the private sector can grow and create new jobs."

In general terms, the Senate places more funding in education, criminal justice and the broad category including natural resources, environment, growth management and transportation than does the House. The House plan includes more for human services and general government.

The largest difference is in the environment and transportation segment of the budget, in which the Senate included $12.3 billion to the House's $9.0 billion. Senate budget-writers included just shy of $21 billion in total funding for education, compared to about $19.8 billion in the House plan. The chambers are about $800 million apart on human services -- the Senate spends $28.4 billion to the House's $29.2 billion.

GOP memo: Wall Street reform to cost agencies $1 billion in first year

2011-03-29T18:25:00.004-04:00

From Peter Schroeder of The Hill on March 28:

House Republicans say implementing the Dodd-Frank financial reform law will cost agencies nearly $1 billion this year.

The bill will also require the federal government to hire thousands of new workers, according to a memo being circulated among House Republicans that was obtained by The Hill.

First-year costs for the 11 agencies charged with implementing the Wall Street overhaul will reach about $974 million, the memo states. The memo comes two days before the House Financial Services Committee's oversight subcommittee will explore Dodd-Frank costs.

In addition to new costs, more than 2,800 full-time employees will need to be hired to handle new responsibilities, according to the memo.

On its own, the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which has been hotly contested by Republicans, would require up to 1,225 hires to get up and running.

However, not all of those costs will have to be paid by taxpayers. Six of the 11 agencies affected by Dodd-Frank have budgets that are fully or partially funded by fees and other assessments on companies monitored by the agencies. Another is financed by offsetting costs, and another is fully funded by funds from another agency. Just three are funded via appropriations.

Health care, global warming impede budget deal

2011-03-26T15:33:00.003-04:00

From Andy Sullivan of Reuters on March 25:

Healthcare, global warming, birth control and other hot-button political issues are threatening to derail a compromise over U.S. spending cuts, lawmakers and aides said on Friday.

The dispute again raises the possibility of a government shutdown that would force thousands of layoffs and rattle financial markets, even as Republican and Democratic negotiators began to bridge a $50 billion gap between their rival spending plans.

Aides said the closed-door talks were initially productive. But leaders from both parties later issued sharply worded statements that any shutdown would be the fault of the other.

"The status quo is unacceptable, and right now that is all Washington Democrats are offering," said House Speaker John Boehner.

"The House Republican leadership is back to agonizing over whether to give in to right-wing demands that they abandon any compromise on their extreme cuts," Democratic Senator Charles Schumer said.

The White House budget office said the House plan raised "extreme social policy issues that have nothing at all to do with reducing spending or reducing the deficit" while cutting research and education spending needed for economic growth.

"The President said he would veto the bill if it got to him in this form, and we need to work together to find a reasonable compromise," said Meg Reilly, a spokeswoman for the Office of Management and Budget.

Immigration bills rile farmers

2011-03-25T23:35:00.003-04:00

From Cameron McWhirter and Jennifer Levitz of The Wall Street Journal on March 25:

ROBERTA, Ga.—Arizona-style immigration bills are under attack in several states, with some of the strongest opposition to the proposals coming from agricultural interests like the cotton and peach farmers here in central Georgia.

Farmers in states from Florida to Indiana are pressuring — and in some cases persuading — state politicians to rethink proposed legislation that would authorize crackdowns on illegal immigration. They argue that the legislation will drive Mexican workers out of their states, and that there aren't enough American workers willing to pick crops. They want legislation at the federal level, which wouldn't favor one state over another.

At least 25 states are weighing proposals to crack down on illegal immigration and employers who hire them, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Arizona law allows police to check the immigration status of people they stop, and establishes stiff penalties for businesses or individuals who hire illegal immigrants.

"Nobody wants illegal immigrants, but when you get down to the reality of the situation, farmers have to have workers to do the job," said Al Pearson, a peach and pecan farmer in Roberta. He said he hires only federally approved guest laborers to work his 3,600-acre farm, paying them $9.11 an hour plus benefits.

But the current federal system, involving approvals from multiple agencies, is slow and can't process enough legal workers for the state's large agricultural industry, he said. A bureaucratic glitch held up approvals for 100 Mexican workers for two weeks in February, setting back his tree pruning and other preparations for peach-picking season. "It frightened me because I didn't have a plan B. I don't have domestic workers," he said.

"There is no farm in this county that could continue without Mexican labor," said Robert Ray, a Crawford County farmer who for years led the agriculture committee in the Georgia House.

Tea Party movement grows weary of GOP budget plan

2011-03-25T23:25:00.003-04:00

From Stephen Clark of FoxNews.com on March 24:

As U.S. lawmakers seek a compromise on how much federal spending to cut in order to avoid a government shutdown, Tea Party activists who helped propel Republicans back into power are growing impatient with the debate.

When Republicans captured the House in November, vowing to slash $100 billion in federal spending from the budget year ending in September, 76 percent of Tea Party activists supported their deficit-reduction plan, according to a new Pew Research poll released last week.

But after House Republicans approved a plan last month to cut federal spending by $61 billion, that Tea Party support fell to 52 percent.

Now Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips, arguably the most vocal critic of GOP leaders, is pushing for a primary opponent against House Speaker John Boehner in 2012 for breaking his campaign pledge to cut $100 billion and for what he sees as hints that he's willing to cut less than $61 billion in a compromise with Senate Democrats.
"Charlie Sheen is now making more sense than John Boehner," Phillips wrote in his blog earlier this month.

In an interview with FoxNews.com Thursday, Phillips said he stands by his comments and goal of seeking a primary challenger to Boehner.

"Charlie Sheen still makes more sense than John Boehner because at least Charlie Sheen is winning," he said.

Solution to the problem in Libya

2011-03-25T23:20:00.002-04:00

This was forwarded to me:

Solution to the problem in Libya:

They want a new Muslim leader,
I say, give them ours.

Solves two problems.

Boehner faces Tea Party pressure

2011-03-25T23:03:00.003-04:00

From Janet Hook of The Wall Street Journal on March 25:

Home-state tea-party activists have access to House Speaker John Boehner that any lobbyist would envy. They meet twice a month with a top aide to the Ohio Republican, and their emails are answered quickly.

But that doesn't seem to be enough to turn them into loyalists.

Ohio conservatives say they are preparing to call 1,000 of Mr. Boehner's donors to complain that he isn't doing enough to block a debt-limit increase. On a new Facebook page, "Tea Partiers Against Boehner,'' they air complaints. The national group Tea Party Patriots, saying that Republicans are "timidly passing mediocre spending reforms,'' has called for a rally at the Capitol.

The calls to make big spending cuts come as Mr. Boehner works under deadline pressure with Democratic lawmakers and the White House on a plan to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year to avoid a potential government shutdown after April 8.

Such negotiations tend to push lawmakers toward compromise. The tea-party activists want Mr. Boehner to stick to his guns on $61 billion in budget cuts that the House approved earlier this year. "You said you were going to cut X amount, and that's what we want to see happen,'' said Chris Littleton, co-founder of the Ohio Liberty Council, a coalition of tea-party groups. "Just take a stand. That's pretty cut and dried.''

Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said the House speaker "believes an increase in the debt ceiling cannot and should not pass without spending cuts and reforms so that we can keep cutting spending."Mr. Steel said that Republicans will have to keep reminding their allies that the GOP's power in Washington remains limited. "Washington, D.C., is still controlled by Democrats, and congressional Republicans are the only thing standing between the American people and more 'stimulus' spending, more bailouts, and more big government takeovers," Mr. Steel said.

RPOF announces 2011 Presidency 5 debate and straw poll

2011-03-24T21:34:00.003-04:00

Tallahassee –- Republican Party of Florida Chairman Dave Bitner announced March 7 that the RPOF will host the Presidency 5 Straw Poll from Sept. 22-24 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. The Presidency 5 Straw Poll is a critical test of grassroots support for Republican presidential candidates.

Additionally, RPOF is expanding the Presidency 5 Straw Poll to include a Republican presidential debate Sept. 22. The party will once again partner with FOX News to host the debate, which will give presidential candidates an opportunity to speak directly to Floridians as well as the nation.

“I am proud to announce the details of this important event,” Bitner said. “Presidency 5 will give the candidates an opportunity to bring their message directly to the people of Florida while allowing voters to participate in a poll that has historically predicted the eventual Republican nominee for President. We are also very excited to partner again with Fox News on another critical debate that will kick off the 2012 election season.”

Florida is the fourth largest state in the nation and has been the most important swing state in the last three election cycles. Florida recently picked up two additional electoral votes, bringing its total to 29 and increasing the state’s importance in determining the next U.S. president. The Florida Presidency Straw Poll has consistently predicted the eventual Republican Presidential nominee since its inception in 1979.

For more information, click here.

Justice Department sues on behalf of Muslim teacher, triggering debate

2011-03-24T21:19:00.004-04:00

From Jerry Markon of The Washington Post on March 22:

BERKELEY, Ill. — Safoorah Khan had taught middle school math for only nine months in this tiny Chicago suburb when she made an unusual request. She wanted three weeks off for a pilgrimage to Mecca.

The school district, faced with losing its only math lab instructor during the critical end-of-semester marking period, said no. Khan, a devout Muslim, resigned and made the trip anyway.

Justice Department lawyers examined the same set of facts and reached a different conclusion: that the school district’s decision amounted to outright discrimination against Khan. They filed an unusual lawsuit, accusing the district of violating her civil rights by forcing her to choose between her job and her faith.

As the case moves forward in federal court in Chicago, it has triggered debate over whether the Justice Department was following a purely legal path or whether suing on Khan’s behalf was part of a broader Obama administration campaign to reach out to Muslims.

The decision to take on a small-town school board has drawn criticism from conservatives and Berkeley officials, who say the government should not be standing behind a teacher who wanted to leave her students.

The lawsuit, filed in December, may well test the boundaries of how far employers must go to accommodate workers’ religious practices — a key issue as the nation grows more multicultural and the Muslim population increases. But it is also raising legal questions. Experts say the government might have difficulty prevailing because the 19-day leave Khan requested goes beyond what courts have considered.

Action Alert: beach clean-up with Allen West

2011-03-24T21:04:00.007-04:00

What: Help pick up trash and keep our beach barefoot-friendly with Rep. Allen West, R-Fla.

Trash bags and gloves are provided, and c

ommunity service hours are available for high school students.

Afterwards, relax or picnic by the beach, or scuba dive.

When: March 26 at 10 a.m.

Where: Pompano Beach, on the north side of the Pompano Pier.

For more information: Call (877) 806-2010. To register for the dive, contact the Force-E Dive Center at (866) 943-3489. Dive space is limited.

Sessions ‘flabbergasted’ by increase in Obama transportation budget

2011-03-03T21:52:00.003-05:00

From Erik Wasson of The Hill on March 3:

Senate Budget Committee ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) took Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to task Thursday for the Obama administration’s call for a massive increase in transportation spending.

Given the record deficit this year, Sessions said he was surprised to see Obama’s 2012 budget call for an 11 percent spending increase and a 9.5 percent increase for the Education and Energy departments, respectively.

But, he said, “I was flabbergasted to see Transportation wants 62 percent increase in spending.”

Sessions noted, ahead of LaHood’s testimony on the request, that the Obama budget calls for an unspecified new tax to raise $435 billion to pay for the new six-year, $556-billion infrastructure build-out.

“I just have to say that is unrealistic,” Sessions said. “If you can’t tell us what kind of tax this is, I think there is zero chance of us passing such a tax as this.

“This is another huge gimmick in the budget,” Sessions said later. “This kind of Washington logic has put us in the financial crisis we are in. We cannot continue it. We cannot continue to authorize spending based on a tax that is not going to be collected, probably.”

Sessions asked for suggestions for the tax, and LaHood did not offer any.

Florida Supreme Court to rule on high-speed rail suit Friday

2011-03-03T21:42:00.004-05:00

From Janet Zink and Philip Morgan of the St. Petersburg Times on March 3:

TALLAHASSEE — With two state senators charging that Gov. Rick Scott overstepped his executive authority by killing Florida's high-speed rail line without consulting the Legislature, Scott's attorney took a strong stance Thursday in oral arguments before the Florida Supreme Court.

"The governor is not in violation of any law," Charles Trippe said as he opened his remarks.

Sens. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, and Thad Altman, R-Melbourne, filed suit Tuesday after Scott last month rejected a $2.4 billion federal award to build the Tampa-Orlando line. Lawmakers in December 2009 voted to build the line, and appropriated $130 million in federal money to make it happen.

They say Scott is ignoring a state law and, in effect, issued a veto he is not entitled to.

Attorneys on both sides have asked for a ruling Friday. That's the deadline set by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to resolve the issue. After that, he has said, he will give the money to other states. Scott's schedule says the governor will speak to LaHood by phone at 9 a.m.

Trippe's assertion that Scott has done no wrong prompted peppering from justices Peggy Quince and James Perry.

"Isn't the governor mandated by the Constitution to carry out the statutes and laws of the Legislature?" Perry asked. "The Legislature said, 'Let this be.' The governor said, 'No.' Isn't that in fact a veto?"

After additional questioning about whether Scott inappropriately took over the legislative task of appropriations, Trippe said that $110 million has already been spent on the project, and the governor had no intention of using the remainder for anything else.

Senators call Scott's decision short-sighted, tragic, and technically not allowed

2011-02-17T22:23:00.004-05:00

From Mary Ellen Klas of The St. Petersburg Times on Feb. 16:

Legislative reaction continues to be swift to Gov. Rick Scott's decision to reject $2.4 billion in federal money, cancel bids, and kill the high speed rail project legislators voted to pursue last year.

Senate budget chairman J.D. Alexander said he was told of the governor's announcement via a text message but warned that the governor doesn't have the authority to unilaterally cancel the project.

"The Constitution doesn't allow the governor to not-spend appropriations funds" and there is $300 million appropriated in the budget to put into development of the rail line between Orlando and Tampa, Alexander said.

He said he agrees there is widespread doubt as to whether the project would have succeeded in drawing enough riders. "I think the governor is making the right choice on this rail system,'' he said. "I personally would like to have seen the bids come in to see where they really were."

Alexander said that if the Legislature puts it in the transportation budget, he expects Scott to veto it and "I don't believe there would be the support to override a veto." The question now is, "where do we go from here" and if the governor wants to cancel it, he will need the approval of the Legislative Budget Commission. "We'll certainly encourage him to pay more attention to the Constitution and budgeting rules," Alexander said.

Just as the governor may not unilaterally sell the state plane, he needs to get legislative approval to cancel the high speed rail project. "We would certainly hope that in the future he would follow the appropriate policy with regard to his expenditures," Alexander said.

Sen. Paula Dockery, the Lakeland Republican who was an early supporter of Scott and a vocal high speed rail proponent, said she also was disappointed and "it would have been more prudent" for the governor to allow private sector bids to pay for the project before rejecting it. She said seven teams from 11 countries were prepared to compete for operation of the rail line.

"Florida is a donor state for transportation dollars receiving only 62 cents on every transit dollars and 87 cents on every highway dollar we send to Washington, and this $2.4 billion in federal transportation dollars would have brought Florida in line with other states,'' Dockery said in a statement. "It appears that (US DOT) Secretary LaHood will direct these billions lost by Florida to California where true high speed rail has the next best opportunity to succeed."

Sen. Thad Altman called the governor's decision to cancel "one of the most exciting private sector projects in the history of this country" was tragic, premature, "bad for the people of Florida."

"The governor needs to at least allow the bid process to carry forward. Is he afraid of the bid?,'' Altman asked. "Let the private sector come in and show us what they could do."

All voices heard as House brainstorms for budget trims

2011-02-17T22:17:00.003-05:00

From Philip Rucker and Felicia Sonmez of The Washington Post on Feb. 17:

As the House explores ways this week to trim federal spending beyond the $61 billion in cuts that Republicans have already proposed, Speaker John A. Boehner has said all ideas are welcome -- from obscure trims involving mustang roundups out West to major reductions such as eliminating funding for the Iraq security forces.

But such a free-for-all can have surprising results, and one of the biggest Wednesday was a victory for President Obama and a defeat for a Boehner-backed initiative.

Many tea-party-backed freshmen broke ranks with their GOP leaders and joined liberal Democrats in voting to cut funding for an alternative engine for a fighter jet. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter engine project has long been a frequent but elusive target, as well as one that provided jobs in Boehner's home state of Ohio.

In trying to pass a bill that would fund the federal government through September, Boehner has kept a campaign promise to give everyone a voice in the process. But the engine vote showed that no one can quite predict how it will turn out.

That didn't seem to bother some House Republicans, though. Rep. Steve King (Iowa) said the debate has been so intense because Republicans and Democrats have "years of pent-up frustrations" after floor amendments were previously not allowed for such spending bills.

"This constitutional, republican form of government is messy and debate is messy, but I think it's so important that for the first time in how many years now members can actually take their argument to the floor, have a debate, force a recorded vote on their issue," King said.

Gov. Christie slams Democrats — and GOP — over spending

2011-02-17T22:01:00.003-05:00

From Neil King Jr. of The Wall Street Journal on Feb. 16:

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie came to Washington Wednesday to slam both parties for what he described as their “irresponsible” and “dangerous” game in not addressing the country’s shaky entitlement programs.

The Republican governor accused both the White House and Republicans in Congress of irresponsibility for failing to propose fixes for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, all of which face solvency problems in coming years.

“What game is being played here is irresponsible and it’s dangerous,” he told a packed house at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. “We are on the path to ruin.”

In office just over a year, Mr. Christie has gained unusual prominence within Republican ranks as a brash cost-cutter who hasn’t shied from fierce battles with the state’s teachers union and other groups.

A national unknown when he won election in 2009, the former prosecutor is now mentioned as a possible 2012 presidential contender, mainly by conservatives yearning for someone to shake up what they fear will be a lackluster field. Mr. Christie has insisted he has no intention to seek higher office next year.

“What do I have to do outside of threatening to commit suicide to convince people I’m not running?” he told the gathering. He said he was simply not ready to run for president and had plenty of work to do in New Jersey.

“And besides, my wife would kill me,” he said.

Mr. Christie drew laughter when he tossed off his own plan to fix Social Security, which he said was both obvious and shunned as the kiss of death by most politicians.

“We hare going to have to raise the retirement age,” he said. “Uh oh. I said it, and I’m still here. I am not vaporized into the carpet.”

Republicans seek to defund stimulus on 2nd anniversary of program

2011-02-17T21:51:00.003-05:00

From FoxNews.com on Feb. 17:

A coalition of conservative groups and Republican lawmakers led by freshman Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy is celebrating the second anniversary of the passage of President Obama's $814 billion stimulus bill on Thursday by trying to defund what's left of it.

But with Democrats still in control of the Senate and the White House, getting federal money back after it’s been obligated may not be as easy as conservative activists wish.

Duffy, a former MTV reality star, was elected to fill the seat of longtime Democratic Rep. David Obey, the author of the stimulus bill who retired instead of facing what was expected to have been a tough re-election battle. Duffy introduced legislation last Thursday to return the $168 billion unspent portions of the stimulus back to the Treasury. Another $7 billion in uncommitted funds remains unspent.

"What's become clear to Wisconsinites and Americans is that the so-called 'stimulus' has failed," Duffy said in a written statement, noting that the unemployment rate has remained at 9 percent or above for 21 consecutive months despite the administration's sales pitch that the stimulus would prevent the rate from rising above 8 percent.

"Rescinding the remaining stimulus funds and sending it back to the Treasury for deficit reduction would send an important message to the private sector that there has been a fundamental shift in the People's House from pushing big government policies to pro-growth policies that will empower the private sector to innovate and invest," he said.

Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., introduced a companion bill in the Senate on Thursday.

Action Alert: Vote in Newsmax.com's poll

2011-02-17T21:42:00.002-05:00

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Deficit plan details emerge

2011-02-17T21:35:00.004-05:00

From Jonathan Weisman of The Wall Street Journal on Feb. 17:

A bipartisan group of senators is considering legislation that would trigger new taxes and budget cuts if Congress fails to meet a set of mandatory spending targets and other fiscal goals aimed at reducing federal deficits.

The plan would break the task of deficit reduction into four pieces: a tax code overhaul; discretionary spending cuts; changes to Medicare, Medicaid and other entitlements; and changes to Social Security, aides said. The Social Security system is on firmer financial footing than other major entitlement programs and raises political sensitivities that lawmakers want to deal with separately.

The proposal builds on the work of President Barack Obama's deficit commission, according to aides working on it.

"We're getting close," said Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D., Ill.), one of six senators working on the plan. "We understand that if we're going to do something that's important, it has to be timely." He said the group hopes to reach agreement "in a matter of weeks, or months."

In addition to Mr. Durbin, the second-ranking Senate Democrat, the group include Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D., N.D.), and one of the Senate's most conservative fiscal hawks, Tom Coburn (R., Okla.). Messrs. Coburn and Durbin are personally close to President Obama.

Aides working on the effort said negotiations are delicate and other options might come forward. The framework of targets and penalties is expected to be circulated to a broad group of senators by early next month.

At least he knows

2011-02-17T21:33:00.001-05:00

More pushback to Scott: Budget chief says state plane sale broke the law

2011-02-17T21:25:00.005-05:00

From David Royse of the News Service of Florida on Feb. 17:

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott's sale of the state’s planes may have violated Florida law, the Republican chairman of the Senate Budget Committee said in a letter to the governor Thursday.

Ironically, the letter comes from the legislator who has probably been most vocal that the state should sell the planes, Sen. JD Alexander, R-Lake Wales, who has pushed for the sale of the aircraft for five years. And in his letter, Alexander applauded his fellow Republican Scott for the idea.

“I support your goal, but not the method,” Alexander wrote. “It is important that the proper procedures for accomplishing a goal we both support be followed.”

Alexander noted that Scott’s office last month directed the sale of the state’s two airplanes, using the proceeds of the sale of one of those planes to satisfy lease obligations on the second plane. That essentially means the governor spent state money without an appropriation spelled out in law, which is barred by the constitution.

The law also spells out what must be done with money that comes into the state from the sale of “disposed property,” a law that may have also been broken by the sale, Alexander said.

Another problem: the law also prohibits agencies from not spending money lawmakers have appropriated for a certain purpose. Last year’s budget contained appropriations for lease payments, operations and maintenance of the two planes. To not lease, operate and maintain them appears to violate the law, Alexander said.

“It is my position that you should have sought the approval of the Legislature before undertaking the sale of the state planes and using the proceeds of the sale of Plane One to satisfy the lease obligation of Plane Two,” Alexander wrote. “My concern, of course, is that these actions may have violated the law and as such fail to recognize the Legislature by not respecting the Legislature’s constitutional duty to appropriate funds and your duty to spend appropriated funds in accordance with the law.”

Budget cartoons

2011-02-17T21:18:00.006-05:00

Because Obama's budget proposal is just so unfunny.

Scott not interested in any rail work-around

2011-02-17T21:09:00.002-05:00

From Aaron DeSlatte of the Orlando Sentinel on Feb. 17:

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott expressed skepticism Thursday at idea hatched by the state’s congressional delegation to allow local governments or another public entity to take over responsibility for Florida’s $2.7 billion high-speed rail project.

In a brief media availability Thursday, Scott repeated concerns he expressed a day earlier in announcing he was scrapping the deal –- that the project would create undue risk for state taxpayers, a claim refuted by other federal and state officials.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is giving Florida one week to come up with a way to salvage the high-speed train that would link Orlando with Tampa or he will send $2.4 billion in federal stimulus money to another state that wants the money.

Rick Scott's budget cuts ... and boosts

2011-02-08T08:39:00.002-05:00

Why did Gov. Rick Scott, R-Fla., reduce the FY 2011 budget for nearly every state office and program except his own? Really -- can someone explain this to me? I'm thrilled with the overall budget cuts but can't understand this 116 percent funding increase for the executive office of the governor.

Click here.

Yes, we can (Reagan Remix) v2.0

2011-02-06T15:05:00.003-05:00

From eaglephin on Feb. 12, 2008:

Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem.

...

We are a nation that has a government, not the other way around.

...

If no one among us is capable of governing himself,

then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else?

--President Ronald Reagan

The states can't afford Obamacare

2011-02-06T14:55:00.002-05:00

From George Melloan of The Wall Street Journal on Feb. 4:

Behind this week's ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Roger Vinson overturning ObamaCare on constitutional grounds, there is a deeper economic reality. The states can't afford it. That's a primary reason why 26 states joined in the Florida lawsuit to nullify the federal law. It also would be a good reason for the Supreme Court to uphold Judge Vinson's ruling.

For decades, the federal government has presumed increasingly to make policy in health, education, welfare, business regulation, law enforcement and other areas beyond the powers enumerated in the Constitution. Up until recently, the courts have largely viewed this intrusion benignly, partly because the states have acquiesced, bargaining their sovereignty away in return for federal aid.

This once-happy marriage is on the rocks. While designing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Pelosi-Reid-Obama troika tried desperately to present a façade of federal fiscal prudence where none actually existed — so they off-loaded massive costs on the states. By opening Medicaid to applicants 33% above the poverty line in 2014, ObamaCare could expand Medicaid enrollment by as much as 25%, according to the plaintiffs in the Florida suit. Medicaid, also rife with fraud in part because of its hybrid federal-state management, is already one of the biggest items in state budgets.

Thanks to the recession and their own spending excesses, nearly all states are suffering budget shortfalls, some to the point where there is no clear idea where the money will come from to meet pension and bond obligations, let alone operating expenses. The prospect of adding a further huge burden down the line, even with Washington kicking in over half the cost, is appalling.

The 26 states party to the Florida suit were saying, in essence: enough! Washington can borrow from the Chinese or call on the Federal Reserve to buy its bonds. But states' only recourse in a budgetary bind is further painful cuts in services.

Obamacare and the courts

2011-02-06T14:51:00.000-05:00

UK's Cameron: Europe must wake up on extremism

2011-02-06T14:45:00.002-05:00

President Barack Obama needs to take a lesson from the British prime minister.

From David Stringer of The Associated Press on Feb. 5:

MUNICH (AP) - Europe must stamp out intolerance of Western values within its own Muslim communities and far-right groups if it is to defeat the roots of terrorism, British Prime Minister David Cameron said Saturday.

Cameron told the annual Munich Security Conference that European governments have been too tolerant of some sectors of society that publicly oppose democracy or reject equal rights for all.

He said Britain had found that many convicted terrorists had initially been influenced by so-called "nonviolent extremists" -- people who aren't involved in encouraging plots, but denounce Western politics and culture -- before going on to carry out violence.

"We won't defeat terrorism simply by the actions we take outside our borders. Europe needs to wake up to what is happening in our own countries," Cameron told the conference.

Both Britain and Germany have had noisy domestic debates about the impact of immigration, and the difficulties of integrating some religious communities, or those who struggle with the language of their new home.

In an attack on Britain's previous government, Cameron said authorities there had been too hesitant to intervene when some sectors of society espoused abhorrent views.

"We have even tolerated these segregated communities behaving in ways that run counter to our values," Cameron said. "We have encouraged different cultures to live separate lives, apart from each other and the mainstream."

Cameron said a culture of tolerance had allowed both Islamic extremists, and far-right extremists, to build support for their causes. "We've been too cautious, frankly even fearful, to stand up to them," he said.

For our president, Ron Burgundy

2011-02-06T14:37:00.000-05:00

GOP poised to win Senate

2011-02-06T14:32:00.003-05:00

By Dick Morris of Newsmax on Feb. 4:

I know we predicted Republican Senate control in 2010. Republicans did gain seven seats and came within four of winning control. Razor-thin defeats in Colorado and Washington and unexpected thrashings in Nevada and West Virginia proved us wrong.

But this time — honest — we are going to win!

The battlegrounds in 2012 are a lot more red and less blue than in 2010. If we switch seats in North Dakota, Florida, Nebraska, Virginia, and Montana — red states all — we get control by 52-48.

And the way 2012 is shaping up, Republican control is more and more likely.

Start with retirements. Kent Conrad, the North Dakota liberal twin of retired Byron Dorgan, has announced that he won't run again. That seat is a sure GOP pickup.

Jim Webb, D-Va., has raised very little money, speaks with ambivalence about Obama's programs, and has not yet decided whether to run. George Allen's announced challenge to his re-election should cool him off even further and he'll probably drop out. Not a sure pickup but, if the Republican Party nominates Allen — and not some latter day Christine O'Donnell — we should be all right.

Herbert Kohl, the Wisconsin Democratic octogenarian, may also not run. He hasn't raised money but did lend his campaign $1 million to fill up his bank account. But loans can be repaid. Kohl may well retire.

Bowing to another king

2011-02-06T14:29:00.001-05:00

Happy 100th birthday, President Ronald Reagan!

2011-02-06T14:15:00.005-05:00

Former President Ronald Reagan would have been 100 years old today. Below are a few articles reflecting on Reagan.

From Devin Dwyer of ABC News on Feb. 6:

Friends and admirers of Ronald Reagan will pop the cork today for elaborate festivities around the country to commemorate what would have been the former president's 100th birthday.

Reagan, who died in 2004 at age 93, will be celebrated from Simi Valley, Calif., where hundreds are expected at a celebrity-packed tribute concert featuring the Beach Boys; to Dixon, Ill., where neighbors will gather near Reagan's boyhood home for a celebratory gala.

At the Super Bowl in Dallas on Sunday -- Reagan's actual birthday -- a two-minute film tribute will air on giant jumbotrons before tens of thousands of fans.

Earlier in the day, Nancy Reagan is expected to lay a wreath at her late husband's gravesite, as F-18s launched from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan fly overhead and the military performs a 21-gun salute.

The tributes, ranging from the formal to the quirky, have been coordinated by the Ronald Reagan Foundation and the Reagan Centennial Commission, a panel formed for the anniversary by Congress in 2009 with President Obama's approval.

From Michael Reagan, Ronald Reagan's son, on FOX News on Feb. 6:

On my father's 100th birthday, I think back to the assassination attempt on his life in March 1981. That day, the Secret Service told me that my wife Colleen and I, our two children, and my sisters Maureen and Patti would take a military transport from Los Angeles to Washington that night. My brother Ron would arrive separately.

"You'll stay in the White House tonight," the agent said, "and you'll visit your father at the hospital tomorrow."

That night, we boarded a C-130 transport and took off from a private terminal at LAX. It was a long, miserable flight, made worse by our worries about Dad. We were exhausted when we arrived at the White House.

The next morning, Colleen and I got into an aging armor-plated Cadillac limo. The agents in our Secret Service detail were on edge, worried that their might be more attacks.

As we drove, the bullet-proof window next to me slowly slid down by itself. I leaned forward and tapped the agent on the shoulder. "Excuse me," I said, "but should this window be going down?"

The agent looked — and turned white! He grabbed the window glass with both hands, swearing and struggling to pull the window up again. Apparently, the White House limo fleet was falling apart like everything else left over from the Carter administration.

From Alex Leary of The St. Petersburg Times on Feb. 6:

Ronald Reagan would have turned 100 today and Republicans have spent the past week in effusive remembrance.

Sen. Marco Rubio: "President Reagan was a man who inspired millions of Americans to serve their country and fulfill its promise as the shining city on a hill. His genial demeanor, resilience, no-nonsense approach to governing and rock solid principles attracted flocks of young Americans to the Republican Party, and I am proud to include myself in that number."

Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge: “This weekend as we gather with family and friends watch the Super Bowl, I’ll also be tuning-in to the centennial tributes to our 40th President. Indeed President Reagan’s leadership inspired so many Americans to look past current problems to see a better tomorrow, to pursue our dreams, to accomplish a goal or to start a business, and be proud to be an American.”

Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota (via Twitter): "Common sense told us that when you put a big tax on something, the people will produce less of it" - Happy Birthday President Reagan."

Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation: “At a time in our country's history when the American people needed a principled leader to inspire a nation and protect us from harm, we were blessed to have President Ronald Reagan. ... As we face today’s challenges, we need to keep in minds the words of President Ronald Reagan. Never in recent history has there been a more influential person on the United States of America, and in turn, my own personal political positions, than President Ronald Reagan."

Republican senators demand spending cuts of 'no less' than $100 billion

2011-02-05T22:54:00.003-05:00

From Vicki Needham and Bernie Becker of The Hill on Feb. 4:

Nearly a dozen Republican senators sent a letter on Friday urging the House to make at least $100 billion in spending cuts this year.

In a letter to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), the Republican senators said the American people expect that level of spending reductions from the new GOP majority.

"Since the Democrats still control the Senate, we need the House-passed [continuing resolution] to be as bold as possible in order to strengthen the hand of Senate conservatives in increasing or maintaining the spending reductions," the letter said.

"We believe that, as part of the urgent need to cut federal spending, the total value of the fiscal year 2011 spending reductions in the upcoming continuing resolution should be no less than $100 billion," the senators said in the letter.

The senators noted in the letter that a cut of $100 billion would be only "one-15th" of this year's budget deficit.

The letter was signed by a group of reliably fiscal conservatives, including five newly sworn-in senators: Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Mike Lee of Utah, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Marco Rubio of Florida and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. Sens. Demint of South Carolina, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, John Ensign of Nevada, Mike Enzi of Wyoming, Mike Johanns of Nebraska and David Vitter of Louisiana also attached their name to the letter.

On Thursday, House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who was given unilateral authority to set spending limits, said he would cap total appropriations at $1.055 trillion. That's $74 billion less than the budget request President Obama submitted to Congress for fiscal 2011 and $32 billion less than the level at which lawmakers agreed to maintain spending.

How to drive a liberal crazy

2011-02-05T22:46:00.001-05:00

From Stansberry and Associates:

On Ronald Reagan's birthday (February 6), quote him:
"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"

Obscure ex-lawmaker Adam Hasner could be U.S. Senate race contender

2011-02-05T22:35:00.005-05:00

From Adam C. Smith of The St. Petersburg Times on Jan. 31:

Republicans are bracing for a tough 2012 U.S. Senate primary pitting such political heavyweights as a former U.S. senator, a sitting Florida Senate president and the congressman son of a Republican icon.

But to hear a growing number of Republican activists tell it, the candidate to watch is a fellow few Floridians have heard of.

"Absolutely -- it's Adam Hasner,'' said Nancy McGowan, a prominent conservative activist and fundraiser from Jacksonville. "A primary for the most part is determined by the grass roots who look for the leadership they like, and people know Adam as someone who understands public policy, is a tenacious fighter and has the moral courage of his convictions.''

The 41-year-old former state House Majority Leader lacks the statewide profile of Senate President Mike Haridopolos, former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux and U.S. Rep. Connie Mack -- the potential field vying to pick off Sen. Bill Nelson, Florida's only statewide Democratic leader. But for years the Boca Raton lawyer has built a conservative network and in recent weeks he's met with activists, money-raisers and political operatives in every corner of the state.

"I think he'll be a fabulous candidate,'' said Mel Sembler of St. Petersburg, former ambassador and finance chairman of the Republican National Committee. "I've followed his career and have a lot of respect for him. He's got a lot of friends and will have a lot of support.''

Hasner says only that he's seriously looking at running for the 2012 GOP nomination and has heard lots of encouragement.

Bend over

2011-02-03T21:54:00.001-05:00

Judge holds Interior Department in contempt

2011-02-03T21:45:00.003-05:00

From Dan Berman of Politico on Feb. 2:

A federal judge in Louisiana held the Interior Department in contempt late Wednesday, citing the agency for “dismissive conduct” by blocking offshore oil drilling during last year’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Judge Martin Feldman of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana last summer blocked the Obama administration’s first attempt to place a moratorium on offshore drilling, only to have Interior come back with a second ban.

That didn’t go over well with Feldman, who Wednesday also ordered Interior to pay attorneys’ fees for oil companies challenging the drilling ban.

“Such dismissive conduct, viewed in tandem with the reimposition of a second blanket and substantively identical moratorium and in light of the national importance of this case, provide this Court with clear and convincing evidence of the government’s contempt of this Court’s preliminary injunction order,” Feldman wrote in his eight-page order.

Congress forgets how to pass a law

2011-02-03T21:26:00.006-05:00

From the Onion News Network (satire):

Next, Congress will try saying the law on TV to see if that makes it official.

And after that, they'll have all of the bill's supporters stand in a circle

and shake hands with one another simultaneously to see if that works.

-- Jane Carmichael

Virginia to ask U.S. Supreme Court to expedite hearing on health-care law

2011-02-03T21:14:00.004-05:00

From Greg Stohr of Bloomberg News on Feb. 3:

Virginia will seek expedited U.S. Supreme Court review of President Barack Obama’s health-care overhaul, asking the justices to take the rare step of considering the case without waiting for an appeals court decision.

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said today he will urge the high court to uphold a federal trial judge’s conclusion that Congress overstepped its authority by requiring Americans to either obtain insurance or pay a penalty.

Supreme Court experts said the court is unlikely to go along. The Justice Department said it would oppose immediate high court review, reducing the likelihood that the justices will agree to Virginia’s request.

“The department continues to believe this case should follow the ordinary course of allowing the court of appeals to hear it first,” said Tracy Schmaler, a Justice Department spokeswoman.

The Supreme Court has taken the step being sought by Cuccinelli, known as certiorari before judgment, only a handful of times in the past half century and generally only when the justices are simultaneously considering a related case that has cleared the appellate level.

Cuccinelli said the case was worthy of unusual treatment. A decision by the court to take up the case now would guarantee a ruling before the 2012 presidential election.

State of the Union cartoons

2011-01-26T21:14:00.001-05:00

Smart Girl Politics launches e-zine

2011-01-26T21:01:00.003-05:00

Smart Girl Politics launched this month the inaugural issue of its new e-zine, Smart Girl Nation.

SGP says highlights in the issue include:

Profile and interview with freshman Rep. Martha Roby, R-Ala.
Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., vs. the New Jersey Education Association.
The Power of Red.
Book review: "Big Girls Don't Cry."

To write for or become a sponsor of the e-zine, e-mail Kristen Hawley.

Action Alert: Connect on FreedomConnect

2011-01-26T20:50:00.003-05:00

FreedomWorks has launched a new website, FreedomConnect, for Tea Partiers and other conservative activists to network.

"Right now, because of the decentralized nature of the Tea Party movement, groups are utilizing Ning, Meetup, Evite, etc. to coordinate and plan events. FreedomConnect allows everyone to work on the same easy-to-use system for grassroots organizing," according to a press release.

The website combines "the basic elements of Facebook with personalized information based on your location -- listing events, groups and people in your area," the press release said.

"In short," the press release added, "FreedomConnect is the future of the Tea Party movement."

President Obama to address gun control soon, aides say

2011-01-26T19:28:00.004-05:00

From James Grimaldi and Perry Bacon Jr. of The Washington Post on Jan. 26:

White House officials on Wednesday attempted to quell criticism that President Obama dodged a national debate over guns in his State of the Union address and announced that the president would address the issue soon.

But aides sidestepped questions about when Obama will talk about federal firearms policy or what he would say.

"I wouldn't rule out that at some point the president talks about the issues surrounding gun violence," Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said aboard Air Force One on the way to an event with Obama in Wisconsin. "I don't have a timetable or, obviously, what he would say."

As president, Obama has never delivered substantive remarks on gun policy, one of the most volatile and divisive domestic issues, out of fear of roiling swing voters in rural areas, the Midwest and the South.

But after 19 people were shot in Tucson on Jan. 8, gun-control groups and some lawmakers urged Obama to wade into the issue. Advocates for stricter gun laws expressed dismay that Obama avoided the topic in a national address delivered less than three weeks after the rampage.

Florida Dems eye Rivera's seat

2011-01-26T19:17:00.002-05:00

From Alexander Burns of Politico on Jan. 26:

Florida Democrats are already speaking with candidates who could run to replace freshman GOP Rep. David Rivera, in case the Miami-area lawmaker’s ethics problems balloon into a career-ending scandal.

A Florida Democratic Party official didn’t share names of the possible recruits, but said Democrats were bracing for the possibility that Rivera might not serve out his first term in the House of Representatives.

“Just like leaders in the Republican Party are reportedly making ‘contingency plans’ as Congressman Rivera’s many legal problems grow, Florida Democrats have begun reaching out to potential candidates should Rivera be indicted or resign in disgrace,” said party spokesman Eric Jotkoff, alluding to a POLITICO report that Republicans are preparing for trouble with Rivera.

Rivera is under investigation for a series of financial irregularities, both personal and campaign-related, by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Election Commission.

The former state lawmaker received $130,000 in loans – disclosed only after the November elections – from a company managed by his mother and godmother. That company, in turn, received more than $500,000 from a betting concern, Flagler Dog Track, that successfully pushed a referendum allowing slot machines in Miami-Dade County. Rivera backed the Flagler position on slot machines.

The Miami Herald reported earlier this week that a veteran Rivera aide, Alina Garcia, had been subpoenaed in a criminal probe examining Rivera. Garcia denied that report on the record to the Herald.

Rivera hasn’t given the slightest indication that he might abandon his office. But POLITICO reported on Tuesday that Republican “insiders already are drawing contingency plans for a replacement should the freshman lawmaker resign or be forced to step aside.”

New Congress forms the 'Slumber Party'

2011-01-24T23:01:00.003-05:00

At least 21 new members of the House -- one-fifth of the freshman class -- have announced they will sleep in their offices this term and do not intend to rent in Washington, according to CBS News.

From CBS News on Jan. 22:

The political message they are all sending home is that

they are literally on the job 24/7.

Having been elected to the people's house, they intend to use it as a house.

-- Wyatt Andrews, CBS News

Health-care law: Arizona tries new approach to get by federal Medicaid rules

2011-01-24T22:50:00.005-05:00

From N.C. Aizenman of The Washington Post on Jan. 23:

Republican efforts to repeal or limit the reach of the new health-care law took a new direction last week when Arizona lawmakers approved a novel and controversial attempt to cut Medicaid for 280,000 of the state's poor.

The bill, requested and signed by Gov. Jan Brewer (R), empowers her to make a formal request, most likely this week, for a federal waiver to avoid complying with provisions of the law that prohibit states from tightening their eligibility requirements for Medicaid.

Twenty-nine Republican governors, including Brewer, have signed a letter calling on President Obama and congressional leaders to remove the provision from the law.

But Arizona is the first state to, in effect, play chicken with the Obama administration by directly requesting a reprieve and daring Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to refuse.

The move is widely regarded as a long shot. While a spokesman said the White House had no comment on Arizona's request, administration officials have shown scant interest when asked about the idea in the past.

Still, Arizona's move reflects two pressing realities: Many states face large budget shortfalls because of continuing economic difficulties, and Republican governors point to Medicaid cuts as one of the most logical ways to balance those budgets.

"The effect of federal requirements [in the new law] is unconscionable," the Republican governors wrote in their letter earlier this month. "States are unable to afford the current Medicaid program, yet our hands are tied."

The World from The Hill: U.N. funding an early target for House Republicans

2011-01-24T22:41:00.003-05:00

From Bridget Johnson of The Hill on Jan. 23:

A key House Republican is quickly pressing forward with her goals to scale back U.S. funding for the United Nations.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told The Hill that oversight would be a key function of the panel, particularly funding to the U.N. Human Rights Council (HRC) that is "a waste of taxpayer dollars."

"I'd like to make sure that we once and for all kill all U.S. funding for that beast," she said last month. "Because I don't think that it advances U.S. interests, I don't think that that's a pro-democracy group, it's a rogues' gallery, pariah states, they belong there because they don't want to be sanctioned."

Economic policy that's stuck in reverse

2011-01-24T21:24:00.003-05:00

From Jeff Sessions of The Washington Post on Jan. 24:

As record levels of federal spending bring us ever closer to a tipping point, the Obama administration blissfully continues business as usual. We have seen no real plan, no strong leadership, no apparent willingness to confront the growing danger on the horizon.

I fear we are on course to repeat history.

Before the financial crisis of 2008, then-Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson reassured Americans that he had the housing correction under control and had "confidence in our capital markets and in their resilience." Just a few months later, Paulson declared that our financial system was "on the verge of collapse" and that "we have not in our lifetime dealt with a financial crisis of this severity."

For years, Washington officials played down the systemic risks behind the crisis while they pushed policies that hastened its arrival.

Today, we are again rushing in the wrong direction.

Last month, President Obama would agree to maintain current tax rates only if Congress would agree to increase federal deficit spending. We are headed toward a cliff, yet the president hits the accelerator.

Meanwhile, others are moving in the opposite direction. England has a plan to cut its deficit by 86 percent in just four years. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has a plan to close his state's funding gap without raising taxes. Even California's new liberal governor has put forward a plan to cut state spending by 9 percent.

The Washington bubble has never been so thick.

Action Alert: Allen West town hall meetings

2011-01-24T21:11:00.002-05:00

Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., will host two upcoming town hall meetings for constituents to voice concerns, issues and suggestions.

The Jan. 27 town hall is in Deerfield Beach, Fla., and the Jan. 31 town hall is in Boyton Beach, Fla.

What: Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., town hall.

When: Jan. 27 at 7 p.m.

Where: Christian Love Fellowship Church, 747 South Federal Highway, Deerfield Beach.

For more information: Contact mediarelations@allenwestforcongress.com.

What: Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., town hall.

When: Jan. 31 at 7 p.m.

Where: St. Mark's Catholic School, 730 N.E. 6th Ave., Boynton Beach.

For more information: Contact mediarelations@allenwestforcongress.com.

Lawmakers casting doubt on Scott's promises of tax cuts

2011-01-20T22:47:00.003-05:00

From William March of The Tampa Tribune on Jan. 20:

TALLAHASSEE - With newly elected Gov. Rick Scott's first session of the Florida Legislature about to start, Republican legislative leaders are casting doubt on his campaign promises for tax cuts.

On Wednesday, in an appearance before the Tallahassee press corps, Scott insisted he intends to keep those promises, which included phasing out corporate income taxes and cutting school property taxes by nearly a fifth.

But facing a gap of $3.5 billion or more to balance the state's budget, currently $70.4 billion, Republican state Senate President Mike Haridopolos and House Speaker Dean Cannon indicated to the same gathering that they're skeptical at best that tax cuts are possible.

Scott's response Wednesday: "I'm going to put out a budget that shows them how to do it."

The views suggest a potential fracture in the seemingly monolithic Republican control of state government.

Scott hinted he would go over the heads of the Legislature to the populace, if necessary to achieve his goal.

"I'm going to talk to people around the state and explain why I believe in it, and I believe that we will get those reductions," he said.

Republicans to hold spending vote before State of the Union

2011-01-20T22:40:00.003-05:00

From Erik Wasson of The Hill on Jan. 19:

House Republicans will force Democrats to go “on the record” about government spending in a symbolic vote next week timed to coincide with President Obama’s State of the Union address.

The House Rules Committee on Wednesday approved by a party-line vote of 8-4 a resolution calling on House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to limit non-security discretionary spending in the second half of 2011 to 2008 levels “or less.”

Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-Calif.) said the full House will vote on the resolution on Tuesday in a bid to force every member to stake out a position on spending cuts ahead of Obama’s speech to Congress.

Committee Democrats chose to vote against the resolution Wednesday on largely procedural grounds. Rules Committee ranking member Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) and witness House Budget Committee ranking member Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) attacked the resolution as a political ploy lacking in substance since it has no dollar figures in it.

“It’s a very simple question: Where’s the number?” Van Hollen asked, adding that the resolution provides the “false illusion” of cutting spending without containing specifics.

Exclusive: Over a million immigrants land U.S. jobs in 2008-10

2011-01-20T22:30:00.005-05:00

From Ed Stoddard of Reuters on Jan. 20:

Over the past two years, as U.S. unemployment remained near double-digit levels and the economy shed jobs in the wake of the financial crisis, over a million foreign-born arrivals to America found work, many illegally.

Those are among the findings of a review of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau data conducted exclusively for Reuters by researchers at the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston.

Often young and unskilled or semi-skilled, immigrants have taken jobs Americans could do in areas like construction, willing to work for less wages. Others land jobs that unemployed Americans turn up their noses at or lack the skills to do.

With a national unemployment rate of 9.4 percent, domestic job creation is at the top of President Barack Obama's agenda and such findings could add to calls to tighten up on illegal immigration. But much of it is Hispanic and the growing Latino vote is a key base for Obama's Democratic Party.

Many of the new arrivals, according to employers, brought with them skills required of the building trade and found work in sectors such as construction, where jobless rates are high.

"Employers have chosen to use new immigrants over native-born workers and have continued to displace large numbers of blue-collar workers and young adults without college degrees," said Andrew Sum, the director of the Center for Labor Market Studies.

"One of the advantages of hiring, particularly young, undocumented immigrants, is the fact that employers do not have to pay health benefits or basic payroll taxes," said Sum.

House GOP lists $2.5 trillion in spending cuts

2011-01-20T22:00:00.004-05:00

From Paul Bedard of U.S. News and World Report on Jan. 20:

Moving aggressively to make good on election promises to slash the federal budget, the House GOP today unveiled an eye-popping plan to eliminate $2.5 trillion in spending over the next 10 years. Gone would be Amtrak subsidies, fat checks to the Legal Services Corporation and National Endowment for the Arts, and some $900 million to run President Obama's healthcare reform program.
What's more, the "Spending Reduction Act of 2011" proposed by members of the conservative Republican Study Committee, chaired by Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, would reduce current spending for non-defense, non-homeland security and non-veterans programs to 2008 levels, eliminate federal control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, cut the federal workforce by 15 percent through attrition, and cut some $80 billion by blocking implementation of Obamacare.

Some of the proposed reductions will surely draw Democratic attack, such as cutting the Ready to Learn TV Program, repeal of the Davis-Bacon Act, the elimination of the Energy Star Program, and cutting subsidies to the Woodrow Wilson Center.

What Congress should cut

2011-01-19T22:41:00.004-05:00

From Dick Armey and Matt Kibbe on The Wall Street Journal on Jan. 19:

The primary economic challenge today is that our government spends too much money it doesn't have, and it is involved in too many things it cannot do well and shouldn't do at all. This burden is manifested by a $1.3 trillion annual deficit and a $14 trillion national debt. The more pernicious effects of this fiscal drag are unseen: a debased dollar, massive (and hidden) unfunded liabilities, and a crushing burden on would-be job creators.

Milton Friedman correctly argued in 1999 that the "real cost of government — the total tax burden — equals what government spends plus the cost to the public of complying with government mandates and regulations and of calculating, paying, and taking measures to avoid taxes." He added, "Anything that reduces that real cost — lower government spending, elimination of costly regulations on individuals or businesses, simplification of explicit taxes — is a tax reform."

Since 2007, Congress has been on an unprecedented spending binge. That means a first and obvious budget-cutting step would be to return discretionary spending to the baseline before things got so out of control. If Congress returned to the baseline before the supposedly "temporary" stimulus bill of 2009, $177 billion per year would be saved, according to calculations by FreedomWorks based on figures from the Office of Management and Budget and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). If spending went back to the 2007 baseline, the beginning of the first Pelosi Congress, $374 billion would be saved. Over 10 years, that is $748 billion and $1.56 trillion in savings, respectively.

Repealing ObamaCare is another obvious source of reduced spending. The absurd claim that this government takeover of health care produces budget savings is based on budget gimmickry — such as assumed Medicare cuts that, according to estimates by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, would put 15% of our hospitals out of business, and thus will never happen. The claim also ignores the historically explosive growth in other similar programs. Medicare grew nine-fold larger than was projected during its first 25 years. In its first 10 years alone, the program experienced a 700% cost overrun.

But let's for the moment accept CBO's numbers on ObamaCare spending. They still mean that repealing the health-insurance exchanges and the premium subsidies, including the expansion of Medicaid, saves $898 billion over 10 years. Repealing the individual mandate alone — and thus reducing rather than eliminating these premium subsidies and Medicaid outlays — would cut $252 billion.

Still more savings can be realized by eliminating taxpayer-funded bailouts. We need to cut the cord between taxpayer wallets and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. As Alabama Rep. Spencer Bachus, the new chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said last March of Fannie and Freddie, "Taxpayers have already contributed more than $127 billion to the bailout and they are on the hook for hundreds of billions more." The CBO estimates that the cost to taxpayers could rise to $389 billion. Others estimate it will take around $1 trillion. Fannie and Freddie need to be broken up and returned to the private sector now.

Foreign gifts piled up for Obamas in first year

2011-01-19T22:07:00.003-05:00

From Matthew Lee of The Associated Press on Jan. 18:

WASHINGTON — Foreign leaders showered President Barack Obama and his family with hundreds of thousands of dollars in art, jewelry, rare books and other presents during their first year in the White House.

Saudi Arabia's king was the most generous gift-giver, according to documents released by the State Department on Tuesday.

Saudi King Abdullah gave Obama, his wife and daughters nearly $190,000 in luxury baubles in 2009, including the single most valuable gift reported to have been given to U.S. officials that year: a ruby and diamond jewelry set, including earrings, a ring, a bracelet and necklace, for the first lady worth $132,000.

But don't be looking for the first lady to be wearing the dazzling gems anytime soon. By law, most gifts to U.S. officials must be turned over to the government and the jewelry has already been sent to the National Archives.

In addition to the ruby and diamond jewelry, the Saudi monarch presented Michelle Obama with a $14,200 pearl necklace. He gave the president a marble clock adorned with miniature gold palm trees and camels valued at $34,500. He sent first daughters Sasha and Malia Obama diamond earrings and necklaces worth more than $7,000.

Senior White House officials were also recipients of King Abdullah's largesse, with top aides like national security adviser James Jones, David Axelrod, Rahm Emmanuel, Valerie Jarrett and spokesman Robert Gibbs receiving watches, cufflinks, pens, earrings and bracelets valued at between $5,000 and $9,000.

Doctor: HHS study a lot of hot air

2011-01-19T20:59:00.003-05:00

From Dr. Manny Alvarez of FoxNews.com on Jan. 18:

A study out Tuesday from the The Department of Health and Human Services finds that somewhere between 50 million and 129 million non-elderly Americans have a pre-existing condition. Simply put, that's the kind of condition insurance companies can use to deny coverage. This same study also found that 15-30 percent of people in good health are likely to develop such a condition within eight years. (To read more about the HHS study, click here.)

What's my take? I don't buy this. First, the timing is just too good to be true. This study comes just a couple of days before a very serious vote on the new health care law in Congress.

Second, I don't buy the numbers. A chronic medical condition is any kind of medical history that you report. Pre-existing medical conditions have been around for a long time. Especially diabetes, obesity, hypertension, even arthritis, these have all been around for a long, long time. But to say 129 million people have pre-existing conditions that may put them at risk of losing their health insurance is hot air, in my opinion.

The fact is, we don't know where the HHS figures come from because we don't know what their sources are in regards to the129 million Americans who are said to have a pre-existing condition.

Your medical records are federally protected so they can't be getting the figures from medical records. These figures likely come from a mix of statistical projections and some from Medicaid and Medicare numbers. But here's the truth, figures for a lot of chronic medical conditions are moveable targets.

The Real Green Hornet

2011-01-19T20:57:00.003-05:00

26 states join suit against Obama health law

2011-01-19T20:52:00.002-05:00

From The Associated Press on Jan. 19:

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Six more states joined a lawsuit in Florida against President Obama's health care overhaul on Tuesday, meaning more than half of the country is challenging the law.

The announcement was made as House members in Washington, led by Republicans, debated whether to repeal the law.

The six additional states, all with Republican attorneys general, joined Florida and 19 others in the legal action, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said.

"It sends a strong message that more than half of the states consider the health care law unconstitutional and are willing to fight it in court," she said in a statement.

The states claim the health care law is unconstitutional and violates people's rights by forcing them to buy health insurance by 2014 or face penalties.

Lazy @#*!! horse

2011-01-19T20:50:00.000-05:00

Action Alert: Tweet @FLGovScott

2011-01-19T20:42:00.002-05:00

Gov. Rick Scott, R-Fla., posted this today on Twitter:

Join me for a Twitter Town Hall tomorrow night at 7 pm. Send Q's to @FLGovScott, use #flgov. I will answer as many Q's as I can. #sayfie

What: Twitter Town Hall with Gov. Rick Scott, R-Fla.

When: Jan. 20 at 7 p.m.

Where: Twitter.

For more information: Tweet @FLGovScott with #flgov.

1,968 reasons to repeal

2011-01-19T20:08:00.006-05:00

From Newt Gingrich on Human Events on Jan. 19:

If you had any doubt about the importance of repealing the health reform law, a new chart from the Center for Health Transformation will give you 1,968 reasons to repeal the bill.

The chart, titled "The New and Expanded Secretarial Powers in the Health Reform Law" reveals the ways in which the 2,700-page health reform law grants 1,968 powers to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Control over the largest single sector of the American economy (about 18% of GDP, or one out of every five dollars in the entire economy) and a matter of life and death for every American, will be handed over to one appointed bureaucrat.

Here are five outrageous examples the Center for Health Transformation found in the 1,968 grants of power:

1. The Secretary determines “clinical concern”of drugs -- Section 3307 -- (ii) IDENTIFICATION OF DRUGS IN CERTAIN CATEGORIES AND CLASSES. (I) … the Secretary shall identify, as appropriate, categories and classes of drugs for which the Secretary determines are of clinical concern. (II) CRITERIA. The Secretary shall use criteria established by the Secretary in making any determination under subclause (I). (iii) IMPLEMENTATION. The Secretary shall establish the criteria … and any exceptions … through the promulgation of a regulation which includes a public notice and comment period.
Meaning: The Secretary will decide what clinical drugs seniors can access.

Get used to it

2011-01-19T20:03:00.001-05:00

Freshman leader of key House panel says he'll focus on federal payroll cuts

2011-01-19T19:21:00.003-05:00

From Ed O'Keefe of The Washington Post on Jan. 18:

The new chairman of the House subcommittee responsible for federal workers and the U.S. Postal Service said Tuesday that he plans to focus first on potential cuts to the federal payroll.

Freshman Rep. Dennis A. Ross (R-Fla.), a former lawyer for Disney World, will serve as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's subcommittee on federal workers, the Postal Service and labor policy. The panel's chairman, Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), tapped Ross and another freshman, Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), to lead the panel, placing two of Capitol Hill's newest faces at the center of emerging debates over proposed cutbacks in federal pay and benefits and an overhaul of the beleaguered USPS.

Ross, 51, who represents Florida's 12th District, served in the state legislature before coming to Washington and once handled workers' compensation and entertainment contract issues for Disney World. Amash, 30, is the House's second-youngest member, and party leaders credit him with being among the first politicians to post detailed explanations of his votes on Facebook during his two years in the Michigan House.

Though the full oversight committee is expected to spend the first few weeks of the new Congress holding hearings on corruption in Afghanistan, the release of classified diplomatic cables by WikiLeakds and the nation's recent economic downturn, Issa said he wants Ross to explore building "a 21st-century federal workforce that no longer grows itself at the expense of private-sector job creation, and gets more done with less." Preventing "a fiscal meltdown" at the USPS is also "one of the central priorities" of the new Congress, Issa said in a statement.

Mud libel

2011-01-19T18:56:00.004-05:00

From Ann Coulter on Human Events on Jan. 19:

The same people who had blamed Sarah Palin for the massacre at the Tucson Safeway and then taunted her for her "silence" were enraged when she responded.

Last Tuesday, the night before Palin responded, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann mocked Palin's silence throughout his show:

-- "And why is the ever self-promoting Miss Palin so quiet?"

-- "And it's quiet, isn't it?"

-- "It's too quiet."

-- "The silence is deafening from the great Northwest."

It was deemed an admission of guilt that she hadn't spoken about the Tucson shooting or denied the accusations that she had inspired the shooter.

The next day, Palin posted a video response, and Keith immediately attacked her for "the worst timed political statement ever." It's almost as if liberals would attack Palin whatever she did.

Olbermann sneered about Palin's use of the phrase "blood libel," scoffing, "This, to Sarah Palin, is analogous to what is happening to her." No, not only happening to her, but to all right-wingers, tea partiers, Republican politicians, and conservative radio and TV hosts -- all of whom have been accused of complicity in murder.

House repeals health care law

2011-01-19T18:41:00.002-05:00

From Russell Berman of The Hill on Jan. 19:

The House voted on Wednesday to repeal the sweeping healthcare law enacted last year, as Republicans made good on a central campaign pledge and laid down the first major policy marker of their new majority.

The party-line vote was 245-189, as three Democrats joined all 242 Republicans in supporting repeal.

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said the healthcare law on the books would increase spending, raise taxes and eliminate jobs.

“Repeal means paving the way for better solutions that will lower the costs without destroying jobs or bankrupting our government," Boehner said in remarks on the floor before the vote.

“Let’s stop payment on this check before it can destroy more jobs or put us into a deeper hole.”

Tummy tuck and major liposuction

2011-01-18T23:27:00.001-05:00

Action Alert: Sign Stop the Debt pledge

2011-01-18T23:16:00.004-05:00

Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., chairman of the Senate Conservatives Fund, launched a Stop the Debt petition to urge voters to only support candidates who demand that Congress pass a balanced budget amendment.

"In the last 10 years, Congress has raised the debt ceiling 10 times, but it has not voted a single time to pass a Balanced Budget Amendment," Demint says. "The only way to keep Congress from creating more debt is to pass a Constitutional Amendment that forces it to balance the budget without raising taxes."

Demint says the Balanced Budget Amendment will:

Require Congress to balance the federal budget each year.
Prevent Congress from spending more than 20 percent of GDP.
Require a 2/3 super-majority vote to raise taxes.

Click here to sign the pledge and here to contact your senator.

Hypocritical and typical

2011-01-18T23:13:00.001-05:00

Rep. Allen West's response to health care concerns

2011-01-18T23:02:00.005-05:00

A couple weeks ago, I e-mailed my representative, Republican Allen West, with concerns about Obamacare. Today, I received a response:

Thank you for contacting me regarding your opposition to the health care law passed by the United States Congress and signed by the President in 2010. I appreciate hearing from you and having the benefit of your views.

As you may be aware, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed in the United States House of Representatives by a vote of 219 to 212 on March 21, 2010, and was signed into law by President Barrack Obama on March 23, 2010. While I was not a member of the United States Congress at that time, I strongly opposed this legislation for a number of reasons.

While there are certain parts of the current law that I support, including the segment on pre-existing conditions, overall I believe that the bill over-reaches the authority of the federal government, and needs to be repealed for a variety of reasons.

First, as we have seen unfold throughout our country – including right here in South Florida, the healthcare law has been detrimental to the survival and growth of small businesses. Employers are choosing to drop healthcare for their employees, which will flood the government-run system, eventually leading to lower-quality healthcare.

Small businesses are beginning to hire part time instead of full time employees in order to avoid the requirement. And perhaps most concerning, since businesses with less than 51 employees are exempt from the new mandate requiring employers to provide healthcare, employers are choosing not to grow their businesses beyond a certain level.

While many may argue that this is a law about health care, it is truly an issue about the long term viability of our economy. America's unemployment rate has been close to 10 percent in 2010, while Florida suffers with over 12 percent unemployed. Many small business owners have expressed their frustration to me that this legislation is badly hurting their businesses, thus contributing to the high unemployment we are all faced with.

Second, I was deeply concerned with a number of requirements that the law implements that have nothing to do with healthcare. For example, I am opposed to the requirement that small businesses must file 1099 forms for all transactions exceeding $600/year. Furthermore, the health care law set in motion the complete government takeover of government-sponsored education loans.

As you may be aware, legislation in the House of Representatives to repeal this law was recently introduced. I am an original cosponsor of the Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act, H.R. 2, and expect a vote to come to the House within the next few days. My support of this repeal legislation, and my vote to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, will fulfill the pledge I made to the people of South Florida.

I greatly appreciate the time and thought that went into your correspondence to me. Again, thank you for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any further questions or concerns in the future.

Very Respectfully,

Allen B. West
Member of Congress

Cantor talks tough on debt ceiling

2011-01-18T22:56:00.002-05:00

From Siobham Hughes of The Wall Street Journal on Jan. 18:

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R., Va.) sounded a tough note on the nation's borrowing limit, saying Republicans wouldn't agree to raise the debt ceiling without assurances of cuts in government spending.

"We are simply not going to accept an increase in the debt limit without serious cuts and reforms," Mr. Cantor told reporters Tuesday. "If our votes are needed, which I assume the president thinks they are, then we will be acting to ensure the people that elected us that Washington's spending binge is over."

Other House Republican leaders have said that the debt limit will have to be raised, with House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) saying recently that he didn't want the U.S. to default on its obligations. But Mr. Cantor declined to make similar assertions, saying that he was "not going to opine one way or the other" about whether Republicans would vote against raising the nation's borrowing limit.

That partly reflects the challenge that Republican leaders may face in keeping their caucus together in negotiations with the White House. Many tea party-backed Republicans have said they will vote against increasing the nation's borrowing capacity, even though failure to do so could cause the federal government to gradually start to shut down or possibly cause the U.S. to default on its sovereign-debt obligations.