Some Massachusetts lawmakers pay little or no federal income tax.
"Some state lawmakers living more than 50 miles from the State House are using an unusual loophole that allows them to deduct as much as $311 per day from their federal income tax. Federal tax law allows them to legally deduct up to that amount which, for some, could mean deducting their entire state salary, WCVB reports."
"It's fair because it's the law and that is the federal government's way of helping me cover transportation costs,'' said Sen. Stanley Rosenberg, D-Amherst, who also takes the deduction.
I disagree. It's the law so it's legal, but that doesn't mean it's fair. More details in the article.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Lawrence Lessig: Systemic Denial
Lawrence Lessig wrote Systemic Denial
"The first is that things are actually much worse than anyone ever talks about. The pivot points of our financial system -- the infrastructure that lets free markets produce real wealth -- have become profoundly corrupted. Balance sheets are 'fictions,' as Professor Frank Partnoy put it. Trillions of dollars in liability hide behind these fictions. And as expert after expert demonstrated, practically every one of the design flaws that led to the collapse of the past few years remains essentially unchanged within our financial system still. That bubble burst, but we can already see the soaring profits of the same firms that sucked billions in taxpayer funds. The cycle has started again.
But the second point was even worse. Expert after expert spoke as if the problems we faced were simple math errors. As if regulators had just miscalculated, like a pilot who accidentally overshoots the run way, or an engineer who mis-estimates the weight of cargo on a plane. And so, because these were mere errors, people spoke as if these errors could be corrected by a bunch of good ideas. The morning was filled with good ideas. An angry earnestness was the tone of the day.
There were exceptions. The increasingly prominent folk-hero for the middle class, Elizabeth Warren, tied the endless list of problems to the endless power of 'the banking lobby.' But that framing was rare. Again and again, we were led back to a frame of bad policies that smart souls could correct. At least if 'the people' could be educated enough to demand that politicians do something sensible.
This is a profound denial. The gambling on Wall Street was not caused by the equivalent of errors in arithmetic. It was caused by a corruption of the system by which we regulate those markets. "
"The first is that things are actually much worse than anyone ever talks about. The pivot points of our financial system -- the infrastructure that lets free markets produce real wealth -- have become profoundly corrupted. Balance sheets are 'fictions,' as Professor Frank Partnoy put it. Trillions of dollars in liability hide behind these fictions. And as expert after expert demonstrated, practically every one of the design flaws that led to the collapse of the past few years remains essentially unchanged within our financial system still. That bubble burst, but we can already see the soaring profits of the same firms that sucked billions in taxpayer funds. The cycle has started again.
But the second point was even worse. Expert after expert spoke as if the problems we faced were simple math errors. As if regulators had just miscalculated, like a pilot who accidentally overshoots the run way, or an engineer who mis-estimates the weight of cargo on a plane. And so, because these were mere errors, people spoke as if these errors could be corrected by a bunch of good ideas. The morning was filled with good ideas. An angry earnestness was the tone of the day.
There were exceptions. The increasingly prominent folk-hero for the middle class, Elizabeth Warren, tied the endless list of problems to the endless power of 'the banking lobby.' But that framing was rare. Again and again, we were led back to a frame of bad policies that smart souls could correct. At least if 'the people' could be educated enough to demand that politicians do something sensible.
This is a profound denial. The gambling on Wall Street was not caused by the equivalent of errors in arithmetic. It was caused by a corruption of the system by which we regulate those markets. "
Why Exactly Are Big Banks Bad?
Simon Johnson explains Why Exactly Are Big Banks Bad?
He also has five Questions for Mr. Pandit, Citibanks CEO.
He also has five Questions for Mr. Pandit, Citibanks CEO.
Best "Blue Marble" Images Yet
Universe Today writes Best "Blue Marble" Images Yet "The Goddard Space Flight Center has a Flickr account showcasing a series of images of our own home planet. Called 'Blue Marble,' these spectacular images are the most detailed true-color image of the entire Earth to date."
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Bill Halter for Arkansas Senator
MoveOn is raising money for Bill Halter. "Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln is one of the worst Democrats in Washington. But she's raised enormous sums from corporate interests and has $5 million in the bank—so Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter, who's challenging her in the Democratic primary, needs overwhelming support from grassroots progressives across the country to wage an effective campaign. Our grassroots coalition met our first goal of $500,000 in the first 12 hours—now we're going for $1 million. Can you make a contribution to Bill Halter's campaign for Senate today?"
Bunning Accepts Deal Allowing Benefits Bill to Advance
Bunning Accepts Deal Allowing Benefits Bill to Advance. "Under increasing pressure from Democrats and members of his own party, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) Tuesday night abandoned his one-man filibuster of a one-month extension to unemployment benefits and other programs.
In the end Bunning agreed to a deal allowing him one vote on an amendment to pay for the bill’s $10 billion cost. That proposal was offered by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) last Thursday at the start of his filibuster, but Bunning rejected it because he feared his amendment would not pass.
Reid has also agreed to give Bunning two votes on amendments to a larger, one-year extension bill that is currently under consideration in the Senate."
In the end Bunning agreed to a deal allowing him one vote on an amendment to pay for the bill’s $10 billion cost. That proposal was offered by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) last Thursday at the start of his filibuster, but Bunning rejected it because he feared his amendment would not pass.
Reid has also agreed to give Bunning two votes on amendments to a larger, one-year extension bill that is currently under consideration in the Senate."
The New TiVo Premiere (Series 4)
The TiVo announcement happened and based on the TiVo Premiere (Series 4) Impressions: Like IMDB On TV I don't need to go out and upgrade my Series 3. The new UI seems to waste a lot of space on images of suggestions rather than textual details of my selections. Then again, seeing it in person might change my mind if the article is right that the little details make a big difference (which was always the case with TiVo).
Though, I might have to get the optional step-up remote which apparently will work with my Series 3.
Though, I might have to get the optional step-up remote which apparently will work with my Series 3.
What Do Conservatives Want?
John Sides wrote an article in Salon about a poll of what Conservatives want to cut. There were some mistakes in the original article and the correction doesn't seem to help much. Kevin Drum's article on it, What Do Conservatives Want? is clearer (see the second chart not the first).
"The basic point still holds: conservatives aren't in favor of cutting very much. However, foreign aid is still a bogeyman, though it represents only a tiny part of the federal budget, and conservatives are in favor of cutting 'welfare' generally, though not so much in favor of cutting specific welfare programs."
"The basic point still holds: conservatives aren't in favor of cutting very much. However, foreign aid is still a bogeyman, though it represents only a tiny part of the federal budget, and conservatives are in favor of cutting 'welfare' generally, though not so much in favor of cutting specific welfare programs."
Reconciliation
Jonathan Chait writes about Reconciliation: Obsessed Or Ignorant, Pick One. First he explains how reconciliation would be used: "Now their plan is to have the House pass the Senate bill, and then use reconciliation to patch up the bill. That means enacting a handful of relatively modest changes to the Senate bill, changes that would be budget related. This would not be some unprecedented use of reconciliation. As uses of reconciliation go, it would actually be quite minor, applying small changes to a health care bill that’s already been passed."
Then he rips apart a Face the Nation exchange and Politico's reporting of it. "Look, it would be okay for reporters and pundits to be obsessed with what legislative method is employed to pass health care reform if they boned up on the issue. Alternatively, it would be okay for them not to understand it at all if they deemed it an irrelevant issue. (Which, in my opinion, it is.) But obsessed and ignorant makes for a bad combination."
Liz Halloran of NPR interviews Robert Dove, retired Senate Parliamentarian on more details of reconciliation.
Then he rips apart a Face the Nation exchange and Politico's reporting of it. "Look, it would be okay for reporters and pundits to be obsessed with what legislative method is employed to pass health care reform if they boned up on the issue. Alternatively, it would be okay for them not to understand it at all if they deemed it an irrelevant issue. (Which, in my opinion, it is.) But obsessed and ignorant makes for a bad combination."
Liz Halloran of NPR interviews Robert Dove, retired Senate Parliamentarian on more details of reconciliation.
More on Bunning
McClatchy wrote Who really gets hurt when GOP's Bunning blocks this bill? and included this graphic:
CNN Fact Check asks: Is Sen. Bunning's stand against unemployment extensions in line with his past votes?. "Senator Bunning has voted for unemployment benefit extensions that did not include budget offsets at least twice in the past. He also voted for President Bush's tax cuts, as Majority Leader Harry Reid pointed out, as well as the Medicare Drug Benefit plan which the Bush administration acknowledged would add to the deficit. Despite his push for budget constraints and against TARP spending, his stand against unemployment benefit extensions without budget offsets isn't in line with past votes."
Kevin Drum writes more on Jim Bunning and the End of Outrage. "The Republican leadership has, by all accounts, done nothing, and the rest of the caucus — or enough of it, anyway — has actually rallied around Bunning. Rallied around him! They know perfectly well he's a crackpot; they know perfectly well this is a bipartisan bill designed to provide working-class relief in the middle of a massive recession. But for guys like Bob Corker and Jeff Sessions and John Kyl it's more important to demonstrate solidarity with a crackpot than it is to help a few people out. "I admire the courage of the junior senator from Kentucky," said John Cornyn, apparently speaking for many."
CNN Fact Check asks: Is Sen. Bunning's stand against unemployment extensions in line with his past votes?. "Senator Bunning has voted for unemployment benefit extensions that did not include budget offsets at least twice in the past. He also voted for President Bush's tax cuts, as Majority Leader Harry Reid pointed out, as well as the Medicare Drug Benefit plan which the Bush administration acknowledged would add to the deficit. Despite his push for budget constraints and against TARP spending, his stand against unemployment benefit extensions without budget offsets isn't in line with past votes."
Kevin Drum writes more on Jim Bunning and the End of Outrage. "The Republican leadership has, by all accounts, done nothing, and the rest of the caucus — or enough of it, anyway — has actually rallied around Bunning. Rallied around him! They know perfectly well he's a crackpot; they know perfectly well this is a bipartisan bill designed to provide working-class relief in the middle of a massive recession. But for guys like Bob Corker and Jeff Sessions and John Kyl it's more important to demonstrate solidarity with a crackpot than it is to help a few people out. "I admire the courage of the junior senator from Kentucky," said John Cornyn, apparently speaking for many."
Ackerman Calls Romney’s Foreign Policy a Fantasy
Spencer Ackerman says Romney’s ‘No Apology’ Outlines Foreign Policy for Fantasy World. "Mitt Romney’s just-published book, ‘No Apology: The Case For American Greatness,’ is a bid to bolster the former Massachusetts governor’s nonexistent national-security and foreign policy portfolio ahead of a possible 2012 presidential run. But a glance through the remarkable conflation of conservative shibboleths, paranoid global fantasies and deterministic myopia in ‘No Apology’ makes it difficult to avoid the conclusion that the perennial GOP candidate might have been better off saying nothing at all."
New Palin Poll Numbers in Alaska
The Mudflats New Palin Poll Numbers in Alaska "The Alaska GOP’s favorite pollster Dave Dittman has come out with some new numbers about our ex-almost-one-term governor. How many of them would like to see her run for President of the United States? What percentage of Alaskans think that the woman who couldn’t even survive one term as the governor of half a million people should run the country?
It would appear that it’s 17%. That would leave 83% of Alaskans who think that’s a bad bad idea. BUT, I would submit to you that I know many progressive Alaskans who would love Palin to run for president. Their little eyes get all twinkly, and they look like someone has just asked them if they want a piece of cake. A Palin candidacy, they tell me, assures another four years of a Democratic White House."
And to those of you scared to death she'll run in 2012, "She does seem to bring in a lot of money for the candidates she supports, but she also polarizes the debate so much that she brings in just as much for the opponent. Palin is the Republican party’s gift to Democratic fundraisers across the nation."
It would appear that it’s 17%. That would leave 83% of Alaskans who think that’s a bad bad idea. BUT, I would submit to you that I know many progressive Alaskans who would love Palin to run for president. Their little eyes get all twinkly, and they look like someone has just asked them if they want a piece of cake. A Palin candidacy, they tell me, assures another four years of a Democratic White House."
And to those of you scared to death she'll run in 2012, "She does seem to bring in a lot of money for the candidates she supports, but she also polarizes the debate so much that she brings in just as much for the opponent. Palin is the Republican party’s gift to Democratic fundraisers across the nation."
A Magnetometer in the Upper Beak of Birds?
A magnetometer in the upper beak of birds?. "Specialized iron compounds in the [beak's] dendrites locally amplify the Earth magnetic field and thus induce a primary receptor potential. Most probably each of these more than 500 dendrites encodes only one direction of the magnetic field. These manifold data are processed to the brain of the bird and here – recomposed – serve as a basis for a magnetic map, which facilitates the spatial orientation. Whether this magnetic map is consulted, strongly depends on the avian species and its current motivation to do so: migratory birds, for example, show magnetic orientation only during their migratory restlessness, as could be shown in multiple behavioural experiments by Prof. Wolfgang Wiltschko, who has discovered magnetic field guided navigation in birds. The cooperation with his research team has suggested that magnetic compass and magnetic map sense are based on different mechanisms and are localized at different sites: The magnetic compass resides in the eye, the magnetometer for the magnetic map lies in the beak."
Here's Where to Start on the Health Care Debate
Grub Street writes Jamie Oliver Quizzes Kids on Vegetables They Won’t Eat. "In this sneak peek of new ABC show Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, the British chef ambushes a classroom full of innocent first graders in Huntington, West Virginia and begins showing them things they neither recognize nor eat — like an eggplant, a beet, and a head of cauliflower. While it may not be fair to expect kids in "the unhealthiest city in America" to be able to identify vegetables that even children of Berkeley chefs would balk at on a good day, we applaud Jamie in his efforts to shame educate America into eating better."
Making Your Mac as Smart as Its Owner
If you don't know about smart playlists folders and groups on your mac you might want to take a look at ATPM's Making Your Mac as Smart as Its Owner. ITunes, Finder, Mail and Address Book allow you to create groupings that update automatically based on rules you define. This can be really useful.
Note: there at least was a problem with smart groups corrupting Address Book I think in early Snow Leopard (10.6) releases though it might have been in Leopard (10.5) too. It might be fixed now or it might not. Make good backups of your Address Book (File->Export->Address Book Archive...) before trying.
Note: there at least was a problem with smart groups corrupting Address Book I think in early Snow Leopard (10.6) releases though it might have been in Leopard (10.5) too. It might be fixed now or it might not. Make good backups of your Address Book (File->Export->Address Book Archive...) before trying.
Jon Stewart on Jim Bunning
Yup, Jon Stewart did do a fun segment on Jim Bunning blocking the 30 day extension of unemployment benefits.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Senate After Dark | ||||
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Was Liz Cheney in Obama's Class?
Here's something 20 minutes of web surfing didn't answer for me. Barack Obama was a law Professor at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 until 2004. Here's a statement by the school:
"From 1992 until his election to the U.S. Senate in 2004, Barack Obama served as a professor in the Law School. He was a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996. He was a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004, during which time he taught three courses per year. Senior Lecturers are considered to be members of the Law School faculty and are regarded as professors, although not full-time or tenure-track. The title of Senior Lecturer is distinct from the title of Lecturer, which signifies adjunct status. Like Obama, each of the Law School's Senior Lecturers has high-demand careers in politics or public service, which prevent full-time teaching. Several times during his 12 years as a professor in the Law School, Obama was invited to join the faculty in a full-time tenure-track position, but he declined."
According to wikipedia, Liz Cheney "received her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the University of Chicago Law School in 1996".
So, was Liz Cheney in any of Obama's classes? How did she do?
"From 1992 until his election to the U.S. Senate in 2004, Barack Obama served as a professor in the Law School. He was a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996. He was a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004, during which time he taught three courses per year. Senior Lecturers are considered to be members of the Law School faculty and are regarded as professors, although not full-time or tenure-track. The title of Senior Lecturer is distinct from the title of Lecturer, which signifies adjunct status. Like Obama, each of the Law School's Senior Lecturers has high-demand careers in politics or public service, which prevent full-time teaching. Several times during his 12 years as a professor in the Law School, Obama was invited to join the faculty in a full-time tenure-track position, but he declined."
According to wikipedia, Liz Cheney "received her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the University of Chicago Law School in 1996".
So, was Liz Cheney in any of Obama's classes? How did she do?
Liz Cheney Group Questions Loyalty of Justice Lawyers
Politico reports Cheney group questions loyalty of Justice lawyers "Liz Cheney's group Keep America Safe, which has led the resurgent Republican attacks on President Obama's national security policies, is releasing a video this morning that questions the loyalties of Justice Department lawyers who advocated for detained terror suspects during the Bush Administration."
Liz Cheney and I have very different understandings of America. She's taking mine away from me and I want it back. See how I did the Glenn Beck vagueness thing? Clever, huh?
But of course I facts on my side. Even though she has a law degree, Liz Cheney clearly doesn't have an understanding of our legal system (you're innocent until proven guilty and you have a right to a defense attorney and a vigorous defense even if you are then found guilty) or the history of McCarthyism.
Let's trip her (and her ilk, because I like saying "ilk") up this way. In military tribunals, military lawyers represent Guantanamo detainees. Is Cheney questioning the loyalty of these soldiers? Is she suggesting our troops are terrorists?
Liz Cheney and I have very different understandings of America. She's taking mine away from me and I want it back. See how I did the Glenn Beck vagueness thing? Clever, huh?
But of course I facts on my side. Even though she has a law degree, Liz Cheney clearly doesn't have an understanding of our legal system (you're innocent until proven guilty and you have a right to a defense attorney and a vigorous defense even if you are then found guilty) or the history of McCarthyism.
Let's trip her (and her ilk, because I like saying "ilk") up this way. In military tribunals, military lawyers represent Guantanamo detainees. Is Cheney questioning the loyalty of these soldiers? Is she suggesting our troops are terrorists?
I'm So Conflicted
In this Tom Friedman op-ed, How the G.O.P. Goes Green, he describes how Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is now supporting a carbon tax! Yup, a Republican with a capital R wants to jump over cap-and-trade and go to direct pricing of carbon. I think that's a great position, but then I read why he's supporting this, "politics, jobs and legacy".
"‘I have been to enough college campuses to know if you are 30 or younger this climate issue is not a debate. It’s a value. These young people grew up with recycling and a sensitivity to the environment — and the world will be better off for it. They are not brainwashed. ... From a Republican point of view, we should buy into it and embrace it and not belittle them. You can have a genuine debate about the science of climate change, but when you say that those who believe it are buying a hoax and are wacky people you are putting at risk your party’s future with younger people. You can have a legitimate dispute about how to solve immigration, but when you start focusing on the last names of people the demographics will pass you by.’"
So he can still debate climate science, suggesting it might be completely wrong, but if college students believe it we should support it, because otherwise we'll lose elections. I guess there's one thing to be representing your constituents, but wouldn't it be nice if elected officials would do something because it's right?
And what's with the brainwashed line? Those under 30 haven't yet been brainwashed? By who? If they "believe" in climate change and they haven't been brainwashed, does that mean those that don't "believe" in climate change have been brainwashed?
Still, a carbon tax would be much better than cap-and-trade (it's like getting a single payer health care system instead of a mandated private insurance model). If Graham is willing to go there, we should just nod our heads and get there.
"‘I have been to enough college campuses to know if you are 30 or younger this climate issue is not a debate. It’s a value. These young people grew up with recycling and a sensitivity to the environment — and the world will be better off for it. They are not brainwashed. ... From a Republican point of view, we should buy into it and embrace it and not belittle them. You can have a genuine debate about the science of climate change, but when you say that those who believe it are buying a hoax and are wacky people you are putting at risk your party’s future with younger people. You can have a legitimate dispute about how to solve immigration, but when you start focusing on the last names of people the demographics will pass you by.’"
So he can still debate climate science, suggesting it might be completely wrong, but if college students believe it we should support it, because otherwise we'll lose elections. I guess there's one thing to be representing your constituents, but wouldn't it be nice if elected officials would do something because it's right?
And what's with the brainwashed line? Those under 30 haven't yet been brainwashed? By who? If they "believe" in climate change and they haven't been brainwashed, does that mean those that don't "believe" in climate change have been brainwashed?
Still, a carbon tax would be much better than cap-and-trade (it's like getting a single payer health care system instead of a mandated private insurance model). If Graham is willing to go there, we should just nod our heads and get there.
Monday, March 01, 2010
Oscar Nominated Animated Short: Logorama
Logorama is one of the better animated shorts nominated for an Oscar this year. It's 16 mins long and contains foul language and thousands of corporate logos:
A Republican Reconciles with the Rules
Good writes A Republican Reconciles with the Rules "Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH), defends the procedure known as 'reconciliation,' which allows a simple majority to pass health care reform"
Good says ""The idea that it is outside the rules to proceed within the rules is a very unique view of the rules." Indeed. The problem is that the Senate hasn't really been operating according to the rules thus far. It's been operating instead by tacit deals and gentleman's agreements. And now that the limits of the rules are being tested/exploited, the rules are revealing themselves as a little ridiculous."
Good says ""The idea that it is outside the rules to proceed within the rules is a very unique view of the rules." Indeed. The problem is that the Senate hasn't really been operating according to the rules thus far. It's been operating instead by tacit deals and gentleman's agreements. And now that the limits of the rules are being tested/exploited, the rules are revealing themselves as a little ridiculous."
Acorn Cleared, They Edited the Video
Brooklyn ACORN cleared over giving illegal advice on how to hide money from prostitution
"Brooklyn prosecutors on Monday cleared ACORN of criminal wrongdoing after a four-month probe that began when undercover conservative activists filmed workers giving what appeared to be illegal advice on how to hide money.
While the video by James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles seemed to show three ACORN workers advising a prostitute how to hide ill-gotten gains, the unedited version was not as clear, according to a law enforcement source.
'They edited the tape to meet their agenda,' said the source."
Let the apologies begin. Riiiight. Actually, I want to see the unedited tape for myself, but I'm not interested enough to seek it out.
"Brooklyn prosecutors on Monday cleared ACORN of criminal wrongdoing after a four-month probe that began when undercover conservative activists filmed workers giving what appeared to be illegal advice on how to hide money.
While the video by James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles seemed to show three ACORN workers advising a prostitute how to hide ill-gotten gains, the unedited version was not as clear, according to a law enforcement source.
'They edited the tape to meet their agenda,' said the source."
Let the apologies begin. Riiiight. Actually, I want to see the unedited tape for myself, but I'm not interested enough to seek it out.
Jim Bunning (R-KY) Blockade Leads To 21% Fee Cut For Doctors
I'm trying to understand all the hoo-ha about Bunning Blockade Leads To 21 Percent Fee Cut For Doctors "Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) is already infamous for blocking a temporary extension of unemployment and COBRA benefits for out of work Americans. But included in that package is legislation to prevent a mandatory pay cut for doctors--and by standing in it's way, he's triggered a 21 percent fee reduction to doctors seeing Medicare patients starting today."
And this video, Jim Bunning Offers Middle Finger to Reporter, is making the rounds.
But it's harder to find out what his issue is. As best as I can find, he wants the $10 billion bill paid for and not just add another $10 billion to the deficit. And given that the Senate just passed PAYGO rules, that makes some sense to me.
I did find this: ""Just a brief explanation of why we are where we're at with this extension bill, the brief extension of 30 days," said Bunning, who is not running for reelection and apparently not acting with the blessing of GOP leadership. "There was an agreement between the majority leader of the Finance Committee and the minority leader in the Finance Committee, Sens. Baucus and Grassley, on a three-month extension of these very same provisions. There were more provisions in the bill also. It cost a little more than the the $10 billion that is asked for because it was a three-month extension. Senator Reid pulled that bill from the floor of the U.S. Senate. He did it. The leader of the Democrats pulled that bill from the floor. I support extending unemployment benefits, COBRA benefits, flood insurance, highway bill fix, doc fix, small business loans, distant network television for satellite viewers. If we can't find $10 billion to pay for something that we all support, we will never pay for anything on the floor of this U.S. Senate.""
And what seems to be happening is that this $10 billion is just a temporary measure and a permanent $100 billion fix is in the works. Reid is going to go straight for that and due to some procedural rules, Bunning can't block that bill. The procedural rules in the Senate are mystifying.
And this video, Jim Bunning Offers Middle Finger to Reporter, is making the rounds.
But it's harder to find out what his issue is. As best as I can find, he wants the $10 billion bill paid for and not just add another $10 billion to the deficit. And given that the Senate just passed PAYGO rules, that makes some sense to me.
I did find this: ""Just a brief explanation of why we are where we're at with this extension bill, the brief extension of 30 days," said Bunning, who is not running for reelection and apparently not acting with the blessing of GOP leadership. "There was an agreement between the majority leader of the Finance Committee and the minority leader in the Finance Committee, Sens. Baucus and Grassley, on a three-month extension of these very same provisions. There were more provisions in the bill also. It cost a little more than the the $10 billion that is asked for because it was a three-month extension. Senator Reid pulled that bill from the floor of the U.S. Senate. He did it. The leader of the Democrats pulled that bill from the floor. I support extending unemployment benefits, COBRA benefits, flood insurance, highway bill fix, doc fix, small business loans, distant network television for satellite viewers. If we can't find $10 billion to pay for something that we all support, we will never pay for anything on the floor of this U.S. Senate.""
And what seems to be happening is that this $10 billion is just a temporary measure and a permanent $100 billion fix is in the works. Reid is going to go straight for that and due to some procedural rules, Bunning can't block that bill. The procedural rules in the Senate are mystifying.
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