[Aaaand the Republican faction caved. Update below.] President Obama and George Bush's mastermind Karl Rove are in agreement that the House Republicans are out of their freaking minds for blocking an extension to the payroll tax cuts enacted last year. Although 89 Senators voted in favor of the two-month extension, which affects about 160 million Americans, House Speaker John Boehner is going along with the hard-right fiscal Conservative monsters spawned by the Tea Party and refusing to call it to a vote. And thus, strange bedfellows have come together to try and shame the Republicans into passing the extension. more ›

As poll after poll shows his support eroding among independents and his base, perhaps President Obama has finally started losing some sleep. Tomorrow, Obama will propose a new tax rate for millionaires so that they will pay at least the same percentage as the 15 or so people still in the middle class. Dubbed the "Buffett Rule," after the billionaire grandpa you never had who has repeatedly said that the rich aren't taxed enough, Obama is seeking to force Republicans to choose between defending the wealthy and helping everybody else. Can you guess which side the Republicans will choose? Hint: it rhymes with "itch people." more ›

As expected, Majority Leader Harry Reid failed to keep his debt-ceiling bill alive in the Senate earlier today, but now the Times reports that Reid has approved an agreement signaled earlier today by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell that would cut the deficit by more than $2.5 trillion and raise the debt-ceiling limit through 2013, a provision that prevents this entire battle from being re-fought during the election season. If the Democrats approve, we should see a vote scheduled for the Senate this evening. more ›

After the failure by both parties to advance their catastrophe-sparing legislation to raise the debt ceiling beyond the House of Representatives, Senator Mitch McConnell told reporters this afternoon that a default on U.S. debt "is not going to happen," and that he's "confident and optimistic" of an "agreement within the very near future," based on his recent telephone conversations with President Obama and Vice President Biden. Speaker Boehner agreed, telling CNN, "In spite of our differences, we're dealing with reasonable, responsible people." HAHA he'll be here all weekend, people! more ›

As the United States' economic standing is on the brink and after House Speaker John Boehner delayed the House's vote on a debt ceiling bill last night (because he didn't have support to pass it!), President Obama addressed the nation this morning and said a bipartisan solution was needed: “I urge Democrats and Republicans in the Senate to find common ground on a plan that can get support from both parties in the House, a plan that I can sign by Tuesday." more ›

In less than a week, the United States of America will default on its monetary obligations unless the debt ceiling is raised, ether through an act of Congress or President Obama using The Force the 14th Amendment to do so. But John Boehner is probably wondering if all that 2010 Tea Party pandering was worth it. In a closed-door meeting with his caucus this morning, Boehner ordered his far-right colleagues who have resisted any increase in the debt ceiling to "get your ass in line" behind his proposed bill, which the CBO embarrassingly noted would actually save $150 billion less than the Speaker promised. Boehner needs the support of his colleagues so badly that in a GOP meeting yesterday, a clip from 2010's The Town was shown to rally the troops. That's right: the fate of the global economy now rests on a Ben Affleck performance. more ›

President Obama addressed the country tonight about the debt-ceiling crisis, expressing hope for a "balanced approach, but also expressed concern about default while blasting some members of Congress, "Unfortunately, for the past several weeks, Republican House members have essentially said that the only way they’ll vote to prevent America’s first-ever default is if the rest of us agree to their deep, spending cuts-only approach. If that happens, and we default, we would not have enough money to pay all of our bills - bills that include monthly Social Security checks, veterans’ benefits, and the government contracts we’ve signed with thousands of businesses." more ›

Are you a veteran, receiving Social Security, a government contractor, or of one of the recipients of the 70 million checks the federal government mails out every month? Your payments may be drastically affected (along with the American economy) next month if the debt-ceiling limit isn't raised in 10 days. more ›

This weekend, House Speaker John Boehner walked away from a grand bargain that would lower the deficit by $4 trillion, raise the debt ceiling, and bolster the economy, because his party can't stand to make rich people pay taxes. So Boehner flipped his lid in a closed-door meeting with House Republicans today, telling them how "pissed" he was was the president. According to Politico, Boehner said Obama "talks a good game, but when it comes time to actually putting these issues on the table, making decisions, he can't quite pull the trigger." Aww, sounds like someone could use a cigarette and a good cry. May we suggest Nights In Rodanthe and a pack of Misty Ultra Light 100s? more ›

There has been little Hope or Change in the position of our country's chief executive with regard to waging war since 2008, as Barack Obama continued to prosecute the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with vigor. With the US involvement in Libya becoming less about mere "democratic aspirations" of the Libyan people and more about how it and other Western nations think Gadhafi must "go and go for good," Congress is calling Barry on his dangerous precedent. A bipartisan group threatens to file a lawsuit against the president and House Speaker John Boehner demands an explanation as to why they haven't been consulted. Even George "We'll Smoke 'Em Out" Bush asked for a vote. For one of his wars, at least. more ›

In the wake of the additional budget cuts and teacher layoffs announced on Friday, the city's unions are warming up for Thursday's rally on Wall Street by protesting House Speaker John Boehner's remarks tonight at the Economic Club of New York. Boehner, who is in town after stumping upstate for congressional candidate Jane Corwin earlier today, is expected to speak on "creating a better environment for private-sector job growth," which to the unions is code for "trying to cut funding for the regulations designed to prevent another collapse." more ›

House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) doesn't often agree with President Obama but he backed up the White House's decision not to release the photograph of Osama bin Laden's body. Speaking today, he said, "I support the decision by the president that they should not be disclosed, they’ve got more information available to them, in terms of its impact, but I think that they’ve made a responsible decision." more ›

The House voted 402-1 to urge its ethics committee to continue investigating allegations of sexual harassment involving former Democratic Rep. Eric Massa. Republicans accused top-ranking Democrats of ignoring the allegations against the resigned southwestern New York representative who purportedly groped and tickled male staffers and interns, used "inappropriate" words in conversations with aides, and attempted to "snorkel" a former roommate. more ›

From Politico: "House Minority Leader John Boehner said Tuesday that the Obama administration’s plan to move some Guantanamo detainees to Illinois shows that the White House 'must've forgotten' about the Americans who died on Sept. 11. 'I think the administration wasn't around for 9/11,' Boehner said after emerging from a weekly meeting with House Republicans." more ›

In advance of President Obama's meeting with Republican leaders to discuss his proposed $825 billion stimulus package later today, Politico reports that House GOP leader John Boehner and whip Eric Cantor "told their rank-and-file members... during a closed-door meeting to oppose the bill when it comes to the floor Wednesday." Republicans have argued that the plan doesn't jumpstart the economy fast enough and Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) suggested there was bi-partisan dissent, "Listening to what [Obama] said he wanted, we think we may be closer to that, oddly enough, than the Democratic majority, which seems to be pulling in the direction of fewer tax — less tax relief and things like fixing up the [National] Mall. You know, most people don't think that's the way we ought to spend stimulus money." However, Boehner is appreciative that Obama is having meetings with the GOP, since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hasn't met with them at all. Guess we'll have to see about that $3.4 billion for NYC. more ›