NBC’s Kyle Inskeep notes that this 112th Congress is headed to achieve a dubious distinction: the least productive Congress since 1947 (which first earned the moniker “Do-Nothing” Congress). With just...
30 Nov 2012
30 Nov 2012
What Would Lincoln Do?
What can Steven Spielberg’s Oscar buzz-generating new film Lincoln teach us about politics in the modern age? Plenty, writes National Journal’s Jill Lawrence. The movie depicts how far Lincoln, exalted...
30 Nov 2012
Quotes Of The Day On Fiscal Cliff
Negotiations (thanks Playbook) From a top Republican: "The deal is falling apart, as deals always do before they get done. The collapse will allow everyone to get to a small-scale...
30 Nov 2012
Cliff Notes
Thursday late Politico reported that negotiations to resolve the nation’s fiscal crisis came to a virtual standstill as congressional leaders and the White House dug deeper into their partisan positions,...
30 Nov 2012
A Laughing Matter?
After Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner’s individual meetings yesterday with congressional leaders in the so-called “fiscal cliff” negotiations, Republicans leaked to reporters, per NBC's Luke Russert, what the Obama White House...
30 Nov 2012
Just About A “Fait Accompli”
(French for “done deal”) Taxes are going up for people making north of $250,000 — and most likely, tax rates, too. So what does the final tax hike look like?...
30 Nov 2012
The Coming Entitlement Cuts
Democrats involved in the process said the chest-pounding by liberals is just that — they know they will ultimately cave and trim entitlements to get a deal done. “A lot...
30 Nov 2012
Working On A Unified Republican Message
Representative Tom Cole, (R-OK) told the Republican leadership’s team (and the world) that the party should give in and pass legislation extending expiring Bush-era tax cuts for the 98% of...
30 Nov 2012
Aid For Long-Term Unemployed
We’ve heard about the tax increases. We’ve heard about the spending cuts. But expiring emergency aid for the long-term unemployed is also part of the fiscal cliff, and analysts have...
30 Nov 2012
Grover Over?
When Republicans signaled a willingness to break with Grover Norquist’s anti-tax pledge, it triggered speculation that the longtime small-government crusader had lost his leverage with the GOP. But reports of...
