When the payroll tax was first proposed last year I thought it was an inherently bad idea. While the economy needed a stimulus, it should never have taken the form of messing with the basic social contract that is the foundation of our social safety net. Democrats supporting a cut in the payroll tax, even [...]

With Congress possibly unable to pass a debt ceiling increase by August 2nd, the push for President Obama to use the 14th amendment grew significantly today. From The Hill: Addressing the Democratic Caucus Wednesday morning, Rep. James Clyburn (S.C.) the third-ranking House Democrat, told members that Obama should veto any short-term debt-limit increase that lands [...]

I called Hoyer’s office this morning to ask if he considers cutting the COLA a benefit cut, but haven’t received a response.

The Hill is reporting that the Obama administration is flirting with the idea of taxing cars based on how many miles they drive. From the Hill: The Obama administration has floated a transportation authorization bill that would require the study and implementation of a plan to tax automobile drivers based on how many miles they [...]

As was entirely predictable, the “airstrikes only” campaign in Libya failed to bring down the well-armed and well-financed regime of Moammar Gadhafi . So, what is John McCain’s solution? Even more airstrikes. From the Hill: McCain, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the U.S. should revive its air attacks to incapacitate [...]

Recent polling has already shown that the American people are fairly divided about our war kinetic military action with Libya, but if you introduce the issue of the operation’s huge price tag likely voters overwhelmingly believe it isn’t worth the cost. A new poll from the Hill finds that, by a by a two-to-one margin, [...]

It’s official: at least one Republican senator is now committed to filibustering the raising of the debt limit unless Democrats give in to his demands. From The Hill: Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) has told supporters in Utah that he will filibuster the legislation to authorize Treasury Department officials to add to the nation’s multitrillion-dollar debt. [...]

The Hill is reporting that the cost of our latest war military action in Libya could effectively wipe out all the deficit reduction House Republicans are trying to squeeze of out of cuts to domestic programs. U.S. military operations in Libya could wipe out a significant chunk of the budget cuts won by congressional Republicans [...]

The problem with President Obama’s willingness to give into Senate Republican’s “hostage taking” tactics is that it just ends up encouraging them to take more hostages and demand even bigger ransoms. The most recent hostage taker is Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and his latest hostage is the South Korean free trade deal. From The Hill: [...]

In contrast to the analysis by Goldman Sachs and Moody’s Anlaytics–which both concluded the immediate cuts pushed for by House Republicans would significantly reduce economic growth–Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke claimed they would do little harm. The backing of such an important official should be a real boost to Republican efforts to push for immediate [...]