So who does it come down to? Whether or not the Dems push through a vote on the Obama Plan middle class taxes comes down to a few dozen Democratic House members. About thirty of them have said they support extending all the tax cuts from 2001. But that’s not the only question. The real question is how many would vote with the Republicans to prevent Pelosi from even allowing a vote.
Just to be clear how this works, when the Democratic leadership in the House brings the bill to the floor, the Republicans can push a “motion to recommit.” If they win that vote, the bill gets sent back to committee. The bill itself never even gets voted on. Of course, the Republicans are in the minority. So they need a lot of Democrats to vote with them.
Again, it’s one thing to support extend tax cuts for everyone. It’s another thing not even to vote with the Republicans to prevent the rest of the caucus from even getting a chance to vote on the bill they support.
So who stands where? Here’s a list of 50 House Democrats who are the ones who it’s going to come down. One question is which tax cut plan they support. But the important one is whether they’ll allow the Obama Tax Cut Plan to even come to the floor.
If you’ve heard where any of these Reps stands on that question, let us know.
Okay, sort of a stupid question, I admit. But we’re looking for a photographer to take new face shots of our reporters who work out of our New York office. And we’re going to need the same for our staff in DC. Anybody got a good recommendation?
Maybe someone can check my recollection on this. But as far as I can remember, starting in 1995-96, Newt Gingrich was ‘planning to’ or ‘considering’ running for president in every cycle except for 2004, when George W. Bush was the incumbent running unopposed. And of course he never actually runs since he’s obviously unelectable.
I know he non-ran in 1996 and 2008. And he’s non-running in 2012. The only cycle I’m not certain about is 2000 — which was of course soon after his 1998 electoral humilation and resignation. And in 2000 he divorced his second and married his third wife. So maybe he just laid low. Anyone remember?
Could it really be true that the House is going to adjourn this week and doing nothing on taxes at all? That, of course, would deprive all congressional Democrats of a galvanizing issue and also allow the Republicans to argue that all Democrats had “raised taxes” on everyone. I have a hard time believing this is more than an unfounded rumor. But it would be a good way to knock 10 or 20 more seats out of next years House Democratic caucus.
Bonus Tax Debate Goodness: Where do the key House Dems stand on pushing through the Obama Plan tax cuts? Help figure out who is where on the key question.
There’s been an interesting settling in a number of Senate races around the country with embattled Democratic incumbents. Patty Murray, who seemed at risk, suddenly to have retaken a substantial lead. Barbara Boxer appears to have stabilized a tiny lead against Carly Fiorina. But out of the blue, Sen. Russ Feingold, who most had assumed wouldn’t have too much trouble, looks to be in real trouble. Read our story.
Colbert on Christine O’Donnell: “Who in their youth wasn’t a little, you know, Beelzebu-curious?” Watch.
Tea Party Express dropped almost $600,000 on Joe Miller’s campaign in the lead up to his victory over Lisa Murkowski.
Could the Dems actually lose Bob Byrd’s old seat. Gov. Manchin’s entry into the race was supposed to make it a certainty that Dems would hold the seat. But the latest PPP poll has him running 3 points behind.
Yet more polling evidence that it should be a no-brainer for the Dems to hold that tax cut vote before the November election.