CBS and ABC Ignore Biden ‘Terrorist’ Dust Up, NBC Only Promotes His Denials
August 2, 2011 No Comment
On Monday, Politico reported that “several sources” in a private meeting of House Democrats confirmed that Vice President Joe Biden accused Tea Party Republicans of having “acted like terrorists.” CBS and ABC completely punted the story on their evening and morning newscasts. NBC made mention of the controversy, but only to further Biden's denial of having made the comment. CBS's omission was particularly stunning given that Evening News anchor Scott Pelley interviewed the Vice President on Monday. Politico noted that Pelley actually did ask about the 'terrorist' remark: “'I did not use the terrorism word,' Biden told CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor Scott Pelley.” However, Pelley's question and Biden's denial were completely scrubbed from the portion of the interview aired on Monday's Evening News or Tuesday's Early Show. What part of the interview did make the cut? This exchange in which Pelley invited Biden to decry incivility in Washington: SCOTT PELLEY: Having watched all of this over the last few weeks, has Washington lost its ability to make deals and talk to each other? There has been so much name-calling, so much finger-pointing. JOE BIDEN: This is a cycle. This is a cycle. I predict to you that a lot of those new members who came here with 'My way or the highway,' they'll either be on the highway or they'll learn that they have to have compromise. Meanwhile, on ABC's World News, correspondent Jon Karl simply noted that Biden “came to Capitol Hill to close the deal, giving House and Senate Democrats a much-needed pep talk.” Good Morning America similarly ignored the terrorist comment. On NBC's Nightly News, Capitol Hill correspondent Kelly O'Donnell reported: “…the Vice President was in a heated meeting with liberal Democrats in the House, many of them were throwing around terms like 'terrorist' and 'hostage takers,' referring to the Tea Party. Tonight, the Vice President's office says he didn't use those words and doesn't believe it's appropriate fo political discourse, but members did.” She failed to point out Politico's “several” Democratic sources claiming otherwise. In addition, in the taped report that followed, O'Donnell declared: “The Vice President met privately for hours with House and Senate Democrats to take the heat and cool some tempers.” On Tuesday's NBC Today, O'Donnell didn't even mention Biden's denial, but simply explained that he had gotten “caught up in that conversation” of House Democrats calling Tea Party members of Congress terrorists.
Continue reading …Once Again, The Long-Term Unemployed Get The Shaft – Because ‘It Wasn’t A Big Enough Deal’ To Include Them
August 2, 2011 No CommentDemocrats couldn’t be bothered to lock a significant deal down when they still had control of both houses. Remember when I called all those congressional offices, and was told “there’s no political will for another tier of benefits”? I can’t tell you how much that still irks me. Despite being in the middle of a major economic meltdown, but the thought of demanding additional unemployment benefits terrified them and they curled up in the fetal position instead: WASHINGTON — The long-term unemployed have been left out of a deal between congressional negotiators and the White House to enact massive spending cuts and raise the nation’s debt ceiling before its borrowing limit is reached on Tuesday. Under the so-called grand bargain President Obama tried to strike with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), federal unemployment benefits would have been extended beyond January 2012, when they are set to expire. But those negotiations collapsed in July. On Sunday, congressional leaders and the administration crafted a not-so-grand bargain that will cut spending without raising taxes or preserving stimulus programs like federal unemployment insurance. Asked Sunday night why spending to help the unemployed had been left out of the deal, a White House official said, “because it had to be part of a bigger deal to be part of this.” In other words, Democrats need significant leverage to get Republicans to agree to additional spending on the unemployed. Federal unemployment insurance programs, which kick in for laid off workers who use up 26 weeks of state benefits, cost a lot of money: Keeping the programs through this year required an estimated $56 billion. In December, Democrats only managed to keep the programs alive for another 13 months by attaching them to a two-year reauthorization of tax cuts.
Continue reading …Once Again, The Long-Term Unemployed Get The Shaft – Because ‘It Wasn’t A Big Enough Deal’ To Include Them
August 2, 2011 No CommentDemocrats couldn’t be bothered to lock a significant deal down when they still had control of both houses. Remember when I called all those congressional offices, and was told “there’s no political will for another tier of benefits”? I can’t tell you how much that still irks me. Despite being in the middle of a major economic meltdown, but the thought of demanding additional unemployment benefits terrified them and they curled up in the fetal position instead: WASHINGTON — The long-term unemployed have been left out of a deal between congressional negotiators and the White House to enact massive spending cuts and raise the nation’s debt ceiling before its borrowing limit is reached on Tuesday. Under the so-called grand bargain President Obama tried to strike with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), federal unemployment benefits would have been extended beyond January 2012, when they are set to expire. But those negotiations collapsed in July. On Sunday, congressional leaders and the administration crafted a not-so-grand bargain that will cut spending without raising taxes or preserving stimulus programs like federal unemployment insurance. Asked Sunday night why spending to help the unemployed had been left out of the deal, a White House official said, “because it had to be part of a bigger deal to be part of this.” In other words, Democrats need significant leverage to get Republicans to agree to additional spending on the unemployed. Federal unemployment insurance programs, which kick in for laid off workers who use up 26 weeks of state benefits, cost a lot of money: Keeping the programs through this year required an estimated $56 billion. In December, Democrats only managed to keep the programs alive for another 13 months by attaching them to a two-year reauthorization of tax cuts.
Continue reading …George Stephanopoulos Worries That Tiny 2012 Budget Cuts Will ‘Hurt’ the Recovery and ‘Cost Jobs’
August 2, 2011 No Comment
Apparently, cutting the budget by $21 billion hurts the economy. Talking to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner on Tuesday, Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos worried about the just-agreed to debt deal: ” But, don't you think that any deficit reduction now will hurt the attempts of the economy to recover ?” The former Clinton White House official turned journalist highlighted “economists who say cuts like this will make our weak economy weaker and cost Americans jobs.” In total, Stephanopoulos raised the question three times, wondering, “So, this won't cost us jobs?” Of course, the anchor didn't point out that there's almost no spending cuts before 2014, a mere $ 21 billion in 2012 and $42 billion in 2013. The GMA host didn't even challenge Geithner's assertion that if the economy regresses into recession, it could be the fault of Republicans who opposed increasing the debt limit. Geithner claimed that the “spectacle” Americans witnessed in Washington really damaged “the confidence, caused a lot of damage to confidence. ” To this, Stephanopoulos could only manage to mildly respond, “To the point where it could cause a double dip?” The journalist also didn't mention that the economy expanded at 1.3 percent in the second quarter or that this was prior to the debt debate. This isn't the first time, the network anchor hit Geithner from the left. On April 22, 2010 , he pressed the Treasury Secretary on financial reform, wondering why the “big banks” shouldn't be “broken up.” A transcript of the August 2 segment, which aired at 7:09, can be found below: GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: And now that the deal is all but done we face the big question of what it means for the economy and whether it's strong enough to preserve America's AAA credit rating. I put those questions to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner in an exclusive interview and began by getting his response to economists who say cuts like this will make our weak economy weaker and cost Americans jobs. TIM GEITHNER: Well, let's start with what this deal does. The most important thing is it creates more room for the private sector to grow because although it locks in some very substantial long-term savings, the near-term costs are very modest. STEPHANOPOULOS: But, don't you think that any deficit reduction now will hurt the attempts of the economy to recover? GEITHNER: Part of governing is recognize we live with- we don't have unlimited resources and we inherited and are left with unsustainable deficits long term and the President understands for the sake of the economy long term it's very important to demonstrate to the American people, to people around the world that we can get our arms around it. STEPHANOPOULOS: So, this won't cost us jobs? GEITHNER: No, it will not. Now, if we put this behind us, then we can turn back to the important challenge of trying to find ways to make sure that we do everything we can to get more people back to work, strengthen growth.
Continue reading …Since we’ve already set the precedent of negotiating with hostage-takers, I think we all know how this one will probably end: House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Republicans have backed Democrats into a corner: Surrender Tuesday or the FAA stays shut for the rest of the summer. House members left town Monday evening after passing their default-dodging debt limit deal. And they did it with an impasse between the two sides of the Capitol over a temporary Federal Aviation Administration authorization bill unresolved. The Senate is still in town, set to vote on the debt deal Tuesday. That means the only options left on the FAA are either for the standoff to last until Congress returns in September, or for the Senate to cave. And the Senate says it isn’t budging. Earlier Monday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood traveled to New York’s LaGuardia airport to unleash a blistering critique of the congressional stalemate, and to implore Congress not to go on vacation before the funding dispute was resolved. LaHood says 4,000 FAA workers have been furloughed and 70,000 construction workers idled. The FAA also said some airport inspectors are being required to go to work — but can’t be paid until the funding issue is settled. To recap, the GOP-controlled House two weeks ago passed a temporary authorization extension for the FAA. But the bill included a tweak taking a bite out of federal subsidies for just a small handful of regional airports. Senate Democrats refused to swallow the bill, instead insisting on a “clean” extension. The FAA, and nearly 4,000 furloughed workers, have been sitting in the crossfire ever since. In the background of all this is a partisan dispute over federal union rules. A longer-term FAA authorization bill is currently stalled in House-Senate talks because GOP lawmakers want to repeal an Obama Administration rule making it easier for workers at airlines and rail companies to organize. Senate Democrats, led by Rockefeller, have accused Republicans of using the short-term FAA bill as leverage over the union issue. On Monday, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-Va.), chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, tried to clear a pair of FAA bills through the Senate. One was the “clean” extension Democrats have been bucking for, the other was a new package of about $71 million dollars in regional airport subsidy cuts, far larger than the cuts Republicans are pushing. A Rockefeller spokesman said Monday that it was unclear whether jammed Senate Democrats would accede to the House FAA bill and reopen the agency .
Continue reading …Among House Democrats who crossed the aisle to vote in favor of tonight’s debt ceiling bill was one for whom those steps were unthinkable just months ago: Rep. Gabrielle Giffords made her return to Washington today to vote in favor of the measure, reports Politico. “Gabrielle has returned to Washington…
Continue reading …Both Bonnie and Clyde would be proud. Cops say a woman drew a beard on her face and wore men’s clothes to rob a bank in Alabama. She allegedly told tellers at the Bank of Tuscaloosa in Cottondale she had a bomb, placed a device on the counter, and asked…
Continue reading …John Boehner’s House of Representatives tonight voted convincingly in favor of the hard-fought, eleventh-hour deal on the debt ceiling, reports the Wall Street Journal , in a 269-161 vote. Democrats split 95 to 95 over the measure, while hardline conservatives made their objections known, with 66 Republicans voting nay. But the…
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The US House of Representatives has passed by 269 votes to 161 a last-gasp deal to avoid a federal debt default. The legislation must now be passed by the Senate and approved by President Barack Obama to become law. It would raise the debt ceiling by up to $2.4tn (£1.5tn) – from $14.3tn – and make savings of $2.3tn over 10 years. There were cheers as Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords made her first appearance on Capitol Hill since she was shot in Tucson in January. After months of bitterly partisan deadlock, House Republican and Democratic leaders swung behind the bill on Monday, ratifying a deal sealed the…
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The House has passed legislation designed to keep the government from defaulting on its debts. The measure also sets a course for reducing the federal deficit in the future. (Aug. 2)
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