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It's Only $30 Billion, So Don't Worry

Posted by Defend America on Tuesday, December 08, 2009 9:56:32 PM

Obama administration predicts $30B loss on auto bailout

David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau

Washington -- The Obama administration will tell Congress Wednesday that it expects to lose about $30 billion of the $82 billion government bailout of the auto industry.

Gene Sperling, senior counsel to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, confirmed in an interview late today that the administration's forecast is that it will lose $30 billion on its auto investments -- but that's down from an earlier estimate of $44 billion.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20091208/AUTO01/912080414/Obama-administration-predicts-$30B-loss-on-auto-bailout

Tags: Bailout   obama  
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Obama on Getting Out of the Recession: "Spend Our way Out of This Recession"

Posted by Defend America on Tuesday, December 08, 2009 9:55:15 PM
New Obama plans: 'spend our way out' of downturn
Dec 8 12:35 PM US/Eastern
By PHILIP ELLIOTT
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama outlined new multibillion-dollar stimulus and jobs proposals Tuesday, saying the nation must continue to "spend our way out of this recession" until more Americans are back at work.

Without giving a price tag, Obama proposed a package of new spending for highway, bridge and other infrastructure projects, deeper tax breaks for small businesses and tax incentives to encourage people to make their homes more energy efficient.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9CF8SIO0&show_article=1
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Don't Become a Frequent Flier

Posted by Defend America on Tuesday, December 08, 2009 9:53:49 PM

Frequent fliers could face higher tax says Government climate adviser

Frequent fliers could be taxed more, Lord Turner, the Government's climate change adviser has said.

By David Millward, Transport Editor

Published: 3:31PM GMT 08 Dec 2009

The chairman of the Government's Committee on Climate Change suggested those who flew more often should face higher levies than those who travelled infrequently.

Lord Turner was speaking as the Committee unveiled its report which said drastic action – including higher taxes – were needed to curb the growth in aviation demand over the next four decades.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/copenhagen-climate-change-confe/6761914/Frequent-fliers-could-face-higher-tax-says-Government-climate-adviser.html
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Reid Says the Government-Run Public Option Has Not Been Dropped

Posted by Defend America on Tuesday, December 08, 2009 9:52:16 PM

"We have a broad agreement," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid told reporters, refusing to give any details on the talks.

Reid said reports the government-run "public option" had been dropped were "not true."

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5B807720091209?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true
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Veteran Wins American Flag Case

Posted by Defend America on Tuesday, December 08, 2009 9:44:56 PM

AP

Virginia neighborhood group drops demand that 90-year-old Medal of Honor recipient remove flagpole from yard.
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Heavily Favored Democrat Martha Coakley Wins Democrat Primary and Scott Brown Wins Republican Primary

Posted by Defend America on Tuesday, December 08, 2009 9:08:26 PM

Coakley, Brown Win Respective Primaries, Battle for Kennedy Seat

AP

Attorney General Martha Coakley and State Sen. Scott Brown win primaries in the race to succeed the late Sen. Edward Kennedy

BOSTON  -- Attorney General Martha Coakley defeated three other candidates to win the Democratic nomination in the race to succeed the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.

The 56-year-old Coakley is vying to be the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts. She defeated Rep. Michael Capuano, City Year co-founder Alan Khazei and Boston Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca.

Coakley laid the groundwork for her campaign well before Kennedy died -- hiring campaign staff, printing signs and securing Web addresses.

On the Republican side, State Sen. Scott Brown defeated attorney Jack E. Robinson.

The two face off in a general election Jan. 19 for the seat once held by John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster and John F. Kennedy.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/08/scott-brown-wins-massachusetts-senate-republican-primary/


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Like This will Hold in the House

Posted by Defend America on Tuesday, December 08, 2009 8:59:37 PM

Democratic Senators Agree to Drop Government-Run Insurance Option

AP

Democratic senators say they have a tentative deal to drop a government-run insurance option from health care legislation.

WASHINGTON  -- Democratic senators say they have a tentative deal to drop a government-run insurance option from health care legislation.

No further details were immediately available.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/08/democratic-senators-agree-drop-government-run-insurance-option/

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Gay Marriage Bill Passes in Senate Committee in New Jersey on Monday

Posted by Defend America on Tuesday, December 08, 2009 8:36:33 PM
The vote was 7-6. Democrats were able to pass this gay marriage bill through committee due to one Republican, Bill Baroni, who voted with the Democrats to give them a one vote advantage. The bill will come to the floor on Thursday. Democrats are trying to pass the bill quickly and let "Lame Duck" Governor Corzine to pass the bill before he leaves office and Governor-Elect Chris Christie takes over. I will follow what happens and post any results if a vote takes place.
Tags: marriage  
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What Kind of Republicans are Senators Snowe and Collins of Maine?

Posted by Defend America on Tuesday, December 08, 2009 8:32:06 PM
I know we can just count on nowadays Senators Collins and Snowe to vote with the Democrats most of the time, which got me thinking. It started to think about what kind of Republican these two Senators from Maine are. They are not fiscally responsible or socially conservative, so that eliminates being a conservative, they are not a "neoconservative" whatever that word means, they are not compassionate conservatives like Bush because Bush was socially conservative. But, maybe they are compassionate conservatives minus the socially conservative part. If I kind of ever have a chance to interview Snowe and Collins, I would just like to know from them why they call themselves Republicans and what they believe a Republican is. It is not a harsh or demeaning question, it is just that I am very confused about what they think Republicans are and what makes them a Republican to fit that mold. If anybody has any answers, please comment because like I said before I am very confused and would like some clarification.
Tags: Snowe   Collins  
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Boxer: If You Cover Viagra, You Have to Cover Abortions

Posted by Defend America on Tuesday, December 08, 2009 7:50:43 PM

Boxer: Cover Viagra? Then cover abortion

By Eric Zimmermann - 12/08/09 03:39 PM ET

If healthcare reform covers Viagra, it should cover abortion services, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said yesterday.

Boxer suggested there was a double standard underlying proposals to restrict abortion coverage. Under those amendments, women would have to buy separate policies, known as "riders," if they wanted insurance for abortions.

"The men who have brought us this don't single out a procedure that's used by a man, or a drug that is used by a man, that involves his reproductive health care and say they have to get a special rider," Boxer said on the Senate floor.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/71217-boxer-cover-viagra-then-cover-abortion

As Allahpundit, a blogger at Hot Air, points to a poll newly released by Gallup that shows that more women are actually pro-life than pro-choice.

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Also, it is interesting to note on the new polling on abortion from Gallup for the first time a majority of adults are pro-life since Gallup started to ask this question in 1995.


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http://www.gallup.com/poll/118399/more-americans-pro-life-than-pro-choice-first-time.aspx

 


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Gibbs Blames Gallup for Obama's Poor Numbers

Posted by Defend America on Tuesday, December 08, 2009 7:46:13 PM

Gibbs Bashes Gallup Daily Tracking Poll

December 08, 2009 1:46 PM

ABC News' Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller report:

President Obama's presidential job approval rating in the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update is 47%  -- a record low.

The president's job approval rating is below 50% in several other polls, but White House spokesman Robert Gibbs today, when asked about the Gallup results, called them meaningless.

"If I was a heart patient and Gallup was my EKG I'd visit my doctor," Gibbs said. "If you look back I think five days ago we were, there was an 11 point spread, now there's a one point spread."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/12/gibbs-bashes-gallup-daily-tracking-poll.html

Frank Newport, Editor in Chief of Gallup, responds to Mr. Gibbs' claims about the "poor" job Gallup is doing:

The Value of Daily Tracking

It’s not unusual for politicians to react to polls. I’ve certainly seen it many times over the years, particularly when elected representatives or candidates are confronted with poll results they don’t like.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was asked Tuesday about Gallup Daily poll results showing a drop in President Obama’s job approval rating. According to news reports, Gibbs responded with some critical remarks and unusual analogies.

I’m certain Gibbs didn’t intend to impugn the value of presidential job approval polls in general. It appears he was reacting more to the fact that the president’s approval numbers are not stable, but, in fact, in a period of some change. More specifically, Gibbs was reacting to our report Monday highlighting the fact that, while there was a short-term positive uptick in Obama’s job approval ratings after his Afghanistan speech last week, his ratings through the weekend fell back.

But this type of movement is the nature of the beast. Gibbs said that if Gallup were his EKG, he would visit his doctor. Well, I think the doctor might ask him what’s going on in his life that would cause his EKG to be fluctuating so much. There is, in fact, a lot going on at the moment -- the healthcare bill, the jobs summit, the Copenhagen Climate Conference, and Afghanistan.

http://pollingmatters.gallup.com/2009/12/value-of-daily-tracking.html
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Abortion Amendment is Tabled by a Vote of 54-45 in the Senate

Posted by Defend America on Tuesday, December 08, 2009 7:26:22 PM

Anti-Abortion Measure Fails

Amendment to Senate health bill would have banned federally backed insurance plans from covering abortions

9 Democrats (Bayh, Casey, Conrad, Dorgan, Kaufman, Nelson, and Pryor) voted with the majority of Republicans to not table the amendment, while of course our two favorite Maine Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe voted with the Democrats to kill the amendment.

Here is the roll call:

YEAs ---54
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Begich (D-AK)
Bennet (D-CO)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Burris (D-IL)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Collins (R-ME)
Dodd (D-CT)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Franken (D-MN)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
 Hagan (D-NC)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kirk (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
 Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (D-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Udall (D-CO)
Udall (D-NM)
Warner (D-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)
NAYs ---45
Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Casey (D-PA)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Conrad (D-ND)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
 Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kaufman (D-DE)
Kyl (R-AZ)
 LeMieux (R-FL)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Wicker (R-MS)
Not Voting - 1
Byrd (D-WV)

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Some Democrats Would Say a Deficit is Good

Posted by Defend America on Tuesday, December 08, 2009 4:01:37 PM

U.S. already $292 bln in the red this year - CBO

WASHINGTON, Dec 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. government racked up a gaping shortfall in the first two months of this fiscal year after posting a record budget deficit last year, congressional analysts said on Friday.

In October and November, the government spent $292 billion more than it took in, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0418093920091204

Tags: deficit  
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Social Security Operating in the Red

Posted by Defend America on Tuesday, December 08, 2009 4:00:12 PM

Social Security's Grim Milestone: Half a Year in the Red

Data recently made public by the Social Security Administration confirm that in October, 2009, the program reached a grim milestone:  six consecutive months of operating cash deficits.  This is the first time Social Security has faced this situation over the entire time period, dating back through 1987, for which SSA posts the monthly data online.

http://www.economics21.org/commentary/social-securitys-grim-milestone-half-year-red


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Possible Downgrade from Moody's

Posted by Defend America on Tuesday, December 08, 2009 3:55:10 PM

Credit Downgrades Spook Stocks

Stocks suffered a broad decline Tuesday, tumbling into the red for December as investors worried about several countries' creditworthiness.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was recently down 113 points, or 1.1%, at 10277.27, trading about 68 points below last month's close of 10344.84.

Investors were spooked after Moody's Investors Service cut its ratings on a raft of Dubai government-controlled companies and Fitch Ratings downgraded its credit rating on Greece to triple-B-minus from single-A-minus, highlighting "concerns over the medium-term outlook for public finances given the weak credibility of fiscal institutions and the policy framework in Greece."

Moody's also said the U.S. and U.K. may test the boundaries of their triple-A sovereign ratings due to deteriorating public finances, although Moody's said it doesn't see an immediate threat to the ratings of any of the 17 nations for which it has a triple-A rating.

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748703558004574583503247415592-lMyQjAxMDA5MDAwODEwNDgyWj.html

Tags: US   economy  
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