Democratic National Convention 2012 Schedule of Events: Speakers, Performers Lineup, Live Stream Information

The Democrat Convention has started... under the cloud of a House Investigation into stimulus funds being given to leftist news outlet MSNBC (NBC and parent company GE) for Obama’s ‘Green Jobs’ Initiative Ads; the national debt clock clicked over to $16 Trillion just an hour before the DNC Convention began… which certainly explains why they have no debt clock up at the event like the GOP had; and the jobs report to be released just hours after President Obama’s speech on Thursday is expected to be negative… again.

Also Just released: The Dems have taken out any and all references to Israel from their platform. The platform used to say that Israel was America’s (the Dems) strongest ally… The designation of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, has also been removed.  Everyone interviewed about the changes on Israel said the party went along with President Obama’s lead and beliefs. The word ‘God’ also no longer appears anywhere in the Democrat platform. Wake up Americans and wake up American Jews!

(Photo : DemConvention) Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The 2012 Democratic National Convention just kicked off in Charlotte, North Carolina where the party will nominate President Barack Obama and Vice President Biden for President and Vice President candidates.

I waited until the last minute to post this hoping the DNC would post a final or at least comprehensive schedule… they never did. Perhaps it is because they are still making changes???

The three-day convention is expected to draw tens of thousands of people including nearly 6,000 delegates from across the country. Performers include the Foo Fighters, Mary J. Blige and Marc Anthony.

During the first two days at the Time Warner Cable Arena, First Lady Michelle Obama, Keynote Speaker and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro and former President Bill Clinton are expected to speak. DJ Cassidy, Ledisi, Amber Riley, former American Idol contestant Jessica Sanchez and Branford Marsalis will also take the stage. The Dems have been much less forthcoming than the Republicans as to details about their convention.

About 15,000 people are expected on the first two days, according to the convention's website.

High-profile speakers include Chicago Mayor and former Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, Senate Candidate Elizabeth Warren.

On Thursday, Obama will accept the nomination at the Bank of America Stadium which has capacity to seat over 73,000 people. Marc Anthony will sing the National Anthem and other musicians performing are the Foo Fighters, Mary J. Blige, Earth Wind and Fire, James Taylor, Delta Rae and Inspire the Fire.
Live Streaming will be available on the Democratic National Convention 2012 website www.demconvention.com/live in English and Spanish.

Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney accepted his party's nomination Thursday night amid heavy fanfare but people wonder if the Democrat's big party will diminish his momentum.  "Whatever there is, I think we can blunt that pretty quickly," an official with President Obama's campaign told CNN.

Most politicos from both parties are saying that while the Republican National Convention was overall positive, with only intermittent barbs at President Obama, that they expect the Democratic convention to be much more negative and full of attacks on Romney and Ryan.

FULL LIST OF SPEAKERS:

Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin
Congressman Xavier Becerra of California
Newark Mayor Cory Booker
Congressman G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina
Former President Jimmy Carter (via video)
San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, who will be the first Latino keynote speaker at a Democratic National Convention
Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee
Congresswoman Judy Chu of California
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri
Former President Bill Clinton
Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina
Former Republican Governor of Florida Charlie Crist
Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina Walter Dalton
The Honorable Arne Duncan
Congresswoman Diana DeGette of Colorado
Former Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Tammy Duckworth
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois
Congresswoman Donna Edwards of Maryland
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel
Georgetown Law School Graduate Sandra Fluke
Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx
Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts
Former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt
Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm
Congressman Charlie Gonzalez of Texas
U.S. Senator Kay Hagan of North Carolina
California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper
Congressman Steny Hoyer of Maryland
Former Governor of North Carolina Jim Hunt
DCCC Chairman Congressman Steve Israel of New York
Montana State Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau
Former Virginia Governor Tim Kaine
Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy (ret.)
Congressman John Larson of Connecticut
Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California
Congressman John Lewis of Georgia
CarMax co-founder and former CEO Austin Ligon
President of NARAL Pro-Choice America Nancy Keenan
Caroline Kennedy
U.S. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts
Women's rights activist Lilly Ledbetter
Obama Campaign Co-Chair Eva Longoria
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy
Delaware Governor Jack Markell
Boston Mayor Tom Menino
The Honorable Karen Mills
U.S. Senator Patty Murray of Washington
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter
U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, together with the women of the U.S. Senate
Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi will also lead a presentation of the women of the House: Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney of New York Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez of New York Congresswoman Gwen Moore of Wisconsin Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz of Pennsylvania Congresswoman Donna Edwards of Maryland Candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives Joyce Beatty of Ohio Candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii
California Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez
Congressman Jared Polis of Colorado
Congressman David Price of North Carolina
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada
President of Planned Parenthood Action Fund Cecile Richards
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak
The Honorable Ken Salazar
Journalist Cristina Saralegui
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer of New York
Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer
The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius
Costco co-founder and former CEO Jim Sinegal
Former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland
Congressman Chris Van Hollen
Los Angeles Mayor, Democratic Convention Chair Antonio Villaraigosa
The Honorable Tom Vilsack
Senate candidate from Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren
DNC Chair Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida
Congressman Mel Watt of North Carolina

Tuesday, September 4 (Time Warner Cable Arena)

DJ Cassidy, LedisiAmber Riley (national anthem)

Wednesday, September 5 (Time Warner Cable Arena)

DJ Cassidy, Jessica Sanchez, Branford Marsalis (national anthem)

Thursday, September 6 (Bank of America Stadium)

Foo Fighters, Mary J. Blige, Earth, Wind and Fire, James Taylor, Delta Rae, Inspire the Fire and Marc Anthony (national anthem)

IS MT. RUSHMORE NEXT?

Three artists need 15 tons of sand to create an Obama sand sculpture ahead of the DNC

A torrential downpour that struck Charlotte Saturday afternoon damaged the Mount Rushmore-style sand sculpture bust of President Obama — an ominous beginning to what many fear is a plagued convention.

Workers were trying Saturday afternoon to reform the base of the sculpture, built from sand brought in from Myrtle Beach, S.C., pounding and smoothing out the sand that had washed off the facade of the waist-up rendering of the chief executive.

The sand sculpture was protected from above, and Mr. Obama’s face didn’t see too much damage. But the storm was so strong that its heavy winds blew the rain sideways, pelting the president’s right side and leaving the sand pockmarked and completely erasing his right elbow.

Don’t count on too much truth from MSNBC or the mainstream media about the Democrat National Convention… During the Republican National Convention MSNBC purposely cut away almost every time there was a person of color speaking and away from many of the women to make it look like the GOP was nothing but white men and to support Democrat fake war on women concept.

Related:

Mitt Romney gains traction among Latino voters… They are not fooled by DNC political games

RNC boosts Romney among the GOP women

Remember Jumah… The Muslim Prayer Event Listed as an Official Event at the Democrat National Convention….

Mitt – A Big Hearted Caring and Decent Guy… Who Can Fix the Economy

Mitt Romney Gets Personal in Fiery and Poignant Speech – Gave America a True Choice

Team Obama to unions: Bail out our convention, will ya? And While you are at it… bus in and pay people to attend

Welcome to Charlotte and the 2012 Democrat National Convention

Israel: Time’s Up

Romney Tells Israel: “You Built That!”

Monday was National Empty Chair Day!

Famous Painter Jon McNaughton’s Controversial painting… Obamanation

The Hope and Change Movie – A Must Watch! - 40 Democrats and Independents who voted for Obama in 2008 but won’t in 2012

You Know It Is Over When Michael Moore Says: "I Think People Should Start To Practice The Word’s President Romney"

Shocking Newsweek Cover: ‘Hit the Road, Barack – Why We Need a New President’ – Updated

Sometimes It Is the Small Things That Tell You the Real Truth… Obama’s Already Planning Move to Hawaii and Hillary is MIA for Convention

Technorati Tags: DNC,Democrat National Convention,Obamaland,Election 2012,2012 Eelction,Jon McNaughton,Unvetted,Obamanation,jobs,national debt,Israeli American relations,Israel,God,Mitt Ronney in 2012,Romney-Ryan

Biden Spends $1 Million Annually for Weekend Trips

Tighten your belts America… just don’t expect Team Obama or Washington to do the same…

Newsweek:

Ronald Kessler reporting from Washington, D.C. — Last June, President Obama appointed Vice President Joe Biden to root out wasteful government spending. But behind the scenes, it’s a different matter.

Every Friday, Biden takes a helicopter designated as Marine Two from the vice president’s residence to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and then hops on Air Force Two to fly back to his home in Delaware. At the end of the weekend, he returns on Air Force Two, usually a Boeing C-32.

Vice President Biden boards Air Force Two.
(AP Photo)

During warm weather, Biden regularly returns to Andrews on the airplane on Saturdays to play golf at the Air Force base with President Obama. After the golf game, he flies back to Delaware and returns to Washington on the plane on Sunday evening — all at taxpayer expense.

The cost of flying Air Force Two is $22,000 an hour, so each half-hour trip to or from Delaware costs about $10,000. Each golf game costs taxpayers $20,000. At that rate, the annual cost to taxpayers of Biden’s weekend trips is well over $1 million.

In addition, the Secret Service rents more than 20 condominiums in the Wilmington, Del. area for agents who must accompany Biden when he returns to his home state.

Biden’s press office had no immediate comment.

“Biden leaves every Friday from Joint Base Andrews, so he gets lifts from the observatory via Marine Two to Andrews Air Force Base, takes off via Air Force Two, lands in Delaware, and stays the weekend and then comes back on Sunday nights,” says a Secret Service agent familiar with the trips.

Biden has been a long-time proponent of train travel.
(AP Photo)

“Every three or four weeks when it’s warm, he gets up there on Saturday and then will fly back on Air Force Two,” the agent says. “While Air Force Two is sitting on the tarmac at Andrews, he goes and plays golf with the president at Andrews Air Force Base, gets back on the plane, and flies back to Delaware. Let me tell you something, that is egregious.”

Besides that, “The Secret Service rents condos in Wilmington because his schedule is so fluid and never concrete enough to properly prepare for his visits to Delaware,” the agent says. “So they keep a fully staffed Secret Service advance team in Delaware in condominiums that we lease so that when he does these things back and forth to D.C., they’re up there ready for him to arrive.”

The Boeing C-32 that usually flies as Air Force Two is a specially configured Boeing 757-200 commercial jet which typically requires a crew of 18.

As a U.S. senator, Biden was proud of the fact that he commuted daily by train from his home in Delaware to Washington during the week. Amtrak named the newly renovated Wilmington station the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Railroad Station. But after taking office as vice president, a Secret Service agent says Biden began the pattern of commuting on Air Force Two on weekends, costing taxpayers close to $4 million so far.

As recently as May 12, Biden flew back to Andrews to play golf with Obama and with Biden’s second son Hunter and White House trip director Marvin Nicholson. They played 18 holes of golf for four and a half hours.

Biden also plays golf at a country club he belongs to in the Wilmington area. The Secret Service agent says that since Air Force Two parks at Andrews, Obama is obviously aware that Biden is running up a huge government tab for each game of golf he plays with him.

Asked if President Obama thinks these costs are appropriate, why he has not questioned Biden flying to play golf with him at a cost of $20,000 per game, and in view of these costs of $1 million a year for weekend trips, whether the vice president should no longer be in charge of cutting government waste, the president’s press office had no immediate comment.

In addition to his salary as vice president of $230,700, Biden has free use of the vice president’s residence at the Naval Observatory. The vice president’s residence is a handsome 9,150-square-foot, three-story mansion overlooking Massachusetts Avenue NW in Washington.

Complete with pool, pool house, and indoor gym, the white brick house was built in 1893 as the home of the superintendent of the U.S. Naval Observatory. Congress turned it into the official residence of the vice president in 1974 and gave it the address One Observatory Circle.

During the day, at least five Navy stewards attend to every personal need of the second family, including cleaning, cooking, shopping for food, and doing the laundry.

Biden has portrayed himself as a regular Joe, a product of a working class family who takes on millionaires and Republicans who are said to be out of touch with middle-class Americans.

Last June 13, Obama placed Biden in charge of a Campaign to Cut Waste, which will “hunt down and eliminate misspent tax dollars in every agency and department across the federal government,” according to the White House website.

In an email, Biden told supporters that he was the “new sheriff in town.” He said that “particularly at a time when we’re facing tough decisions about reducing our deficit, it’s a no-brainer to stop spending taxpayer dollars on things that benefit nobody.”

By Ronald Kessler - chief Washington correspondent of Newsmax.com. He is the New York Times bestselling author of books on the Secret Service - In the President's Secret Service, FBI - The Secrets of the FBI, and CIA - Inside the CIA.

The one thing you can bet on is that the Obama White House is not interested in sharing in your sacrifice!!  Make you mad?  It should!!  Remember this in November~

Technorati Tags: Joe Biden,White House,CIA,FBI,Secret Service,Air Force Two,national debt,stop spending,Obamaland,cut waste,wasteful spending

Exclusive: U.S. lets China bypass Wall Street for Treasury orders

(Reuters) - China can now bypass Wall Street when buying U.S. government debt and go straight to the U.S. Treasury, in what is the Treasury's first-ever direct relationship with a foreign government, according to documents viewed by Reuters.

The relationship means the People's Bank of China buys U.S. debt using a different method than any other central bank in the world.

The other central banks, including the Bank of Japan, which has a large appetite for Treasuries, place orders for U.S. debt with major Wall Street banks designated by the government as primary dealers. Those dealers then bid on their behalf at Treasury auctions.

China, which holds $1.17 trillion in U.S. Treasuries, still buys some Treasuries through primary dealers, but since June 2011, that route hasn't been necessary.

The documents viewed by Reuters show the U.S. Treasury Department has given the People's Bank of China a direct computer link to its auction system, which the Chinese first used to buy two-year notes in late June 2011.

China can now participate in auctions without placing bids through primary dealers. If it wants to sell, however, it still has to go through the market.

The change was not announced publicly or in any message to primary dealers.

"Direct bidding is open to a wide range of investors, but as a matter of general policy we do not comment on individual bidders," said Matt Anderson, a Treasury Department spokesman.

While there is been no prohibition on foreign government entities bidding directly, the Treasury's accommodation of China is unique.

The Treasury's sales of U.S. debt to China have become part of a politically charged public debate about China's role as the largest exporter to the United States and also the country's largest creditor.

The privilege may help China obtain U.S. debt for a better price by keeping Wall Street's knowledge of its orders to a minimum.

Primary dealers are not allowed to charge customers money to bid on their behalf at Treasury auctions, so China isn't saving money by cutting out commission fees.

Instead, China is preserving the value of specific information about its bidding habits. By bidding directly, China prevents Wall Street banks from trying to exploit its huge presence in a given auction by driving up the price.

It is one of several courtesies provided to a buyer in a class by itself in terms of purchasing power. Although the Japanese, for example, own about $1.1 trillion of Treasuries, their purchasing has been less centralized. Buying by Japan is scattered among institutions, including pension funds, large Japanese banks and the Bank of Japan, without a single entity dominating.

Granting China a direct bidding link is not the first time Treasury has gone to great lengths to keep its largest client happy.

In 2009, when Treasury officials found China was using special deals with primary dealers to conceal its U.S. debt purchases, the Treasury changed a rule to outlaw those deals, Reuters reported last June. But at the same time it relaxed a reporting requirement to make the Chinese more comfortable with the amended rule.

Another feature of the U.S.-China business relationship is discretion: The Treasury tried to keep its motivation for the 2009 rule change under wraps, Reuters reported.

Documents dealing with China's new status as a direct bidder again demonstrate the Treasury's desire for secrecy -- in terms of Wall Street and its new direct bidding customer.

To safeguard against hackers, Treasury officials upgraded the system that allows China to access the bidding process.

Then they discussed ways to deflect questions from Wall Street traders that would arise once the auction results began revealing the undeniable presence of a foreign direct bidder.

"Most hold the view that foreign accounts only submit 'indirect bids' through primary dealers. This will likely cause significant chatter on the street and many questions will likely come our way," wrote one government official in an email viewed by Reuters.

In the email, the official suggested providing basic, general answers to questions about who can bid in Treasury actions.

"For questions more extensive or probing in nature, I think it prudent to direct them to the or Treasury public relations area," the official wrote.

The granting to China of direct bidder status may be controversial because some government officials are concerned that China has gained too much leverage over the United States through its large Treasury holdings.

For example, economist Brad Setser, who is a member of the National Economic Council and has also served on the National Security Council, has argued China's large Treasury holdings pose a national security threat.

Writing for the Council on Foreign Relations in 2009, Setser posited that China's massive U.S. debt holdings gave it power over U.S. policy via the threat of a swift, large sale of U.S. debt that could send the market into turmoil and drive up interest rates.

But Treasury officials have long maintained that U.S. debt sales to China are kept separate from politics in a business relationship that benefits both countries. The Chinese use Treasuries to house the dollars they receive from selling goods to the United States, while the U.S. government is happy to see such strong demand for its debt because it keeps interest rates low.

A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to calls and emails seeking comment.

The United States has, however, displayed increasing anxiety about China as a cybersecurity threat. The change Treasury officials made to their direct bidding system before allowing access to China was to limit access to the system to a specially designed private network connection controlled by the Treasury.

China is among the most sensitive topics for bankers and government officials who court the country as a financial client because of its size and importance, and none would agree to comment on the record for this story.

A former debt management official at the Treasury who did not want to be identified said that as China's experience in the U.S. Treasury market has deepened over time, Chinese officials may have felt more comfortable taking the reins in the management of their holdings.

Their request to bid directly, in his view, came from a confidence that their money managers could buy U.S. debt more efficiently on their own than through Wall Street banks, which can often drive up the price of Treasuries at an auction if they know how much large clients are willing to pay. Such a practice that is not specifically illegal, though most traders would deem it unethical.

Evidence of China's growing sophistication as a money manager in the U.S. markets is clear in its expansion of operations in New York. Its money management arm, the State Administration for Foreign Exchange (commonly called SAFE), has an office in Midtown Manhattan and a seasoned chief investment officer -- former Pacific Investment Management Co derivatives head Changhong Zhu -- in Beijing.

A woman who answered the phone at SAFE's New York office said no one in the office was authorized to talk to the media.

(Editing by Martin Howell and Steve Orlofsky)

Related:

WHY IS CHINA OUR NATION’S NATIONAL BANK

Technorati Tags: banking,CFR,CHINA,globalists,national debt,New Economic World Order,Obamaland,radicals in the White House,Timothy Geithner,Treasuries,Treasury Department,U.S. economy,U.S. policy,U.S. Treasury Bonds,Wall Street,watch the other hand

United States Budget Dilemma

Video:  United States Budget Dilemma

Tax loophole costs billions

 Loophole Video

Millions of illegal immigrants are getting a bigger tax refund than you. Eyewitness News shows a massive tax loophole that provides billions of dollars in tax credits to undocumented workers and, in many cases, people who have never stepped foot in the United States. And you are paying for it!

Note: This is part one in a two-part series. Read part two here.

INDIANAPOLIS - Inside his central Indiana office, a longtime tax consultant sits at his desk, shaking his head in disbelief.

"There is not a doubt in my mind there's huge fraud taking place here," he said, slowly flipping through the pages of a tax return.

The tax preparer does not want you to know his name for fear of reprisal, but he does want you to know about a nationwide problem with a huge price tag.

He came to 13 Investigates to blow the whistle.

"We're talking about a multi-billion dollar fraud scheme here that's taking place and no one is talking about it," he said.

The scheme involves illegal immigrants -- illegal immigrants who are filing tax returns.

How it works

The Internal Revenue Service says everyone who is employed in the United States – even those who are working here illegally – must report income and pay taxes. Of course, undocumented workers are not supposed to have a social security number. So for them to pay taxes, the IRS created what's called an ITIN, an individual taxpayer identification number. A 9-digit ITIN number issued by the IRS provides both resident and nonresident aliens with a unique identification number that allows them to file tax returns.

While that may have seemed like a good idea, it's now backfiring in a big way.

Each spring, at tax preparation offices all across the nation, many illegal immigrants are now eagerly filing tax returns to take advantage of a tax loophole, using their ITIN numbers to get huge refunds from the IRS.

The loophole is called the Additional Child Tax Credit. It's a fully-refundable credit of up to $1000 per child, and it's meant to help working families who have children living at home.

But 13 Investigates has found many undocumented workers are claiming the tax credit for kids who live in Mexico – lots of kids in Mexico.

"We've seen sometimes 10 or 12 dependents, most times nieces and nephews, on these tax forms," the whistleblower told Eyewitness News. "The more you put on there, the more you get back."

The whistleblower has thousands of examples, and he brought some of them to 13 Investigates. While identifying information such as names and addresses on the tax returns was redacted, it was still clear that the tax filers had received large tax refunds after claiming additional child tax credits for many dependents.

"Here's a return right here: we've got a $10,3000 refund for nine nieces and nephews," he said, pointing to the words "niece" and "nephew" listed on the tax forms nine separate times.

"We're getting an $11,000 refund on this tax return. There's seven nieces and nephews," he said, pointing to another set of documents. "I can bring out stacks and stacks. It's just so easy it's ridiculous."

20 kids = $30,000

WTHR spoke to several undocumented workers who confirmed it is easy.

They all agreed to talk with WTHR investigative reporter Bob Segall and a translator as long as WTHR agreed not to reveal their identity.

One of the workers, who was interviewed at his home in southern Indiana, admitted his address was used this year to file tax returns by four other undocumented workers who don't even live there. Those four workers claimed 20 children live inside the one residence and, as a result, the IRS sent the illegal immigrants tax refunds totaling $29,608.

13 Investigates saw only one little girl who lives at that address (a small mobile home). We wondered about the 20 kids claimed as tax deductions?

"They don't live here," said the undocumented worker. "The other kids are in their country of origin, which is Mexico."

He later explained none of the 20 children have ever visited the United States – let alone lived here.

So why should undocumented workers receive tax credits for children living in a foreign country, which is a violation of IRS tax rules?

"If the opportunity is there and they can give it to me, why not take advantage of it?" the worker said.

Other undocumented workers in Indiana told 13 Investigates the same thing. Their families are collecting tax refunds for children who do not live in this country. Several of the workers told WTHR they were told it was legal for them to claim the tax credit for a child who does not live in the United States.

IRS was repeatedly warned

"The magnitude of the problem has grown exponentially," said Russell George, the United States Department of Treasury's Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).

And he says the IRS has known about the problem for years.

George has repeatedly warned the IRS that additional child tax credits are being abused by undocumented workers. In 2009, his office released an audit report that showed ITIN tax filers received about $1 billion in additional child tax credits. Last year, the inspector general released a new report showing the problem now costs American tax payers more than $4.2 billion.

"Keep in mind, we're talking $4 billion per year," he said. "It's very troubling."

What George finds even more troubling is the IRS has not taken action despite multiple warnings from the inspector general.

"Millions of people are seeking this tax credit who, we believe, are not entitled to it," said the inspector general. "We have made recommendations to [IRS] as to how they could address this, and they have not taken sufficient action in our view to solve the problem."

Other information obtained from the TIGTA audits include:

· Claims for additional child tax credits by ITIN filers have skyrocketed during the past decade, from $161 million in 2001 to $4.2 billion in tax year 2010.

· Undocumented workers filed 3.02 million tax returns in 2010. 72% of those returns (2.18 million) claimed the additional child tax credit.

· In 2010, the IRS owed undocumented workers more in claimed additional child tax credits than it collected from those workers in taxes.

Agency responds – sort of

What does the IRS have to say about all this?

The agency sent WTHR a statement, defending its policy of paying tax credits to illegal immigrants.

"The law has been clear for over a decade that eligibility for these credits does not depend on work authorization status or the type of taxpayer identification number used. Any suggestion that the IRS shouldn't be paying out these credits under current law to ITIN holders is simply incorrect. The IRS administers the law impartially and applies it as it is written," the statement said.

George disagrees with that position and believes the IRS should be doing more to prevent undocumented workers from getting billions in US tax dollars.

"The IRS is not doing something as simple as requesting sufficient documentation from people seeking this credit," he said. "Once the money goes out the door, it's nearly impossible for the IRS to get it back."

Over the past month, WTHR has tried to ask the IRS more questions about its efforts to prevent abuse involving additional child tax credits.

Despite repeated phone calls, e-mails and a visit to IRS headquarters in Washington, the agency said none of its 100,000 employees had time to meet with 13 Investigates for an interview. An IRS spokeswoman said all staff were too busy because of the tax filing deadline in mid-April.

Apparently, the IRS doesn't have time to respond to some tax preparers, either.

Last year, our whistleblower noticed dozens of undocumented workers had used phony documents and false income to claim tax credits. He reported all of it to the IRS.

"These were fraudulent, 100% fraudulent tax returns, but I got no response; absolutely none. We never heard a thing," he said. "To me, it's clear the IRS is letting this happen."

The IRS tells WTHR it can do nothing to change the current system unless it gets permission from Congress. In other words, according to the IRS, closing the loophole would require lawmakers to pass a new law specifically excluding illegal immigrants from claiming additional child tax credits.

The big questions now: Is Congress willing to do that?

What's next

Tomorrow night, 13 Investigates will show you how lawmakers are reacting to WTHR's investigation and what they plan to do about. You'll also hear why some undocumented workers say the credits are essential and should be left intact. Our investigation continues Friday night at 11:00.

Full statement to WTHR from the Internal Revenue Service

The law has been clear for over a decade that eligibility for these credits does not depend on work authorization status or the type of taxpayer identification number used. Any suggestion that the IRS shouldn't be paying out these credits under current law to ITIN holders is simply incorrect. The IRS administers the law impartially and applies it as it is written. If the law were changed, the IRS would change its programs accordingly. The IRS disagrees with TIGTA's recommendation on requiring additional documentation to verify child credit claims. As TIGTA acknowledges in this report, the IRS does not currently have the legal authority to verify and disallow the Child Tax Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit during return processing simply because of the lack of documentation. The IRS has procedures in place specifically for the evaluation of questionable credit claims early in the processing stream and prior to issuance of a refund. The IRS continues to work to refine and improve our processes.

Obama creates "green jobs"--in other countries

President Obama's reckless Stimulus spent billions of our tax dollars to create "green jobs"--in foreign countries like Mexico, Finland, and China.

The American people deserve to know what's going on--and that our tax dollars are being wasted on handouts to other countries, instead of creating jobs for 13 million unemployed Americans.

With the DNC admitting to their top donors that this ad could cause "serious damage" to the Left's agenda, and President Obama dedicating yet another TV ad to attacking AFP activists, they're more desperate than ever to keep the truth hidden.

There's a reason this ad has the Left shaking in fear. And with your help today, we can make sure this ad stays on the air and reach as many Americans as possible. After viewing "Obama's Wasteful Spending," make sure to send your most generous donation in the form to your right to keep this ad on the air:

AFP  Wasteful Spending Ad Video

The Seven Most Disturbing Moments So Far in Barack Obama's Presidency

Tuesday, April 17, 2012 9:26:59 PM · by Typical_Whitey · 6 replies - townhall.com | 4/17/2012 | John Hawkins – h/t to MJ

Picking out the most disturbing moments of Barack Obama's presidency is kind of like trying to choose the wettest parts of the ocean. Other than his "Even a blind squirrel sometimes gets a nut" moment where he said "yes" when the SEALS asked if they were allowed to kill Osama Bin Laden, his entire presidency has been one long, slow motion bamboo shoot sliding under the country's fingernails. So, everyone reading will probably be able to think of a few national nightmares that aren't included.

7) Obama bows to a Saudi King: Had Obama spent his childhood entirely in the United States, he probably would have known that real Americans don't bow. Unfortunately, since that's a lesson Obama hasn't learned, Americans have had to endure their President humiliating himself and by extension, the rest of the country, by servilely bowing to foreign leaders. Perhaps the worst of these was the tyrannical, fanatical Saudi king. As Newt Gingrich has said, "I want America to become so energy independent that no American president ever again bows to the Saudi king." No American President should have ever bowed to him in the first place.

6) Obama sides with a foreign leader against an American state: It's bad enough that Obama has been persecuting Arizona for enforcing illegal immigration laws when his administration won't do the job. However, in a despicable display Barack Obama held a joint press conference at the White House with Mexican President Felipe Calderon that featured both of them criticizing Arizona's immigration law. If only there had been someone there to represent America at that event.

5) Obama shoves through history's single most wasteful spending bill. The very first thing Barack Obama did after he was elected was push through the largest and most wasteful spending bill in human history. Most calculations of the cost of the bill came in somewhere between 800 billion and 1.2 trillion dollars. The whole purpose of the bill was supposed to be to create jobs and the Obama Administration claimed the bill would keep unemployment below 8%. Conservatives almost universally said the bill wouldn't work and it received no GOP votes in the House along with only 3 in the Senate (Snowe, Collins, and Specter -- before he changed parties). So, who turned out to be right about a bill that cost more than FDR’s New Deal AND the war in Vietnam combined in today's dollars? Not Obama. We've now had 38 straight months of above 8% unemployment, the longest streak since the Great Depression.

4) The manned space program comes to an end: Putting a man on the moon is one of America's greatest accomplishments and the catalyst for a wide range of scientific achievements. Under Obama, America's Space Shuttle program was ended and in a twist so bizarre you wouldn't buy it if you saw it in a movie, NASA's mission has been changed to getting children excited about math and science, expanding international relationships, and doing Muslim outreach.  As former Astronaut said yesterday, “Discovery’s Final Flight “Tugged on My Heartstrings”as it did for many people.

3) Paul Ryan alerts Tim Geithner that the economy ends in 2027: In one of the most amazing exchanges in the history of American government, after Tim Geithner presented the Obama Administration's stratospherically high long-term budget projections, Ryan showed off a chart created by the CBO estimating that America's economy will shut down in 2027 because of out-of-control government spending. In other words, in 15 years life as you know it in America is over because of the Obama Administration's spending and Obama has absolutely no intention of doing anything about it.

2) Obamacare passes: Never before in American history has one party been arrogant and paternalistic enough to push through a massive entitlement program that was wildly unpopular with the American people and had zero votes from the opposing party. If it isn't stopped, Obamacare will destroy America's health care system by dramatically driving up the cost of care, rationing care, instituting death panels, driving tens of millions of Americans off their health care policies, adding trillions to the debt, and dramatically reducing the number of doctors available to treat patients. Of course the future of medicine in this country could be worse....well, that is if any of those zombie movies turn out to be right. (Even retiring Progressive Barney Frank, who was very much part of the ObamaCare cram down, now admits it was a mistake… just not for the right reasons, but little by little everyone who understands what is in the Affordable Care Act bill and the consequences thereof realizes if it is not over turned it will be the death nail for America.)

1) America loses its AAA rating: Despite the fact that Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner assured Americans that there was "no risk" America would lose its AAA credit rating, America did indeed lose its rating for the first time since 1917 because of Barack Obama's adamant refusal to cut spending. It's worth noting that another credit rating company, Egan-Jones, downgraded the United States AGAIN just a couple of weeks ago from AA+ to AA. Unless something changes, historians will point to the Obama downgrade as the very moment when America started to come down like the Hindenburg.

Stumped: Axelrod Can’t Explain Why Senate Dems Won’t Pass A Budget

Video: Stumped: Axelrod Can't Explain Why Senate Dems Won't Pass A Budget

Maybe he should have talked to Jeff Sessions before the interview?

Video:  Dem Leaders Run From Budget Deadline As Health Law Threatens Nation's Finances

WASHINGTON, March 18--Appearing on FOX News' "America's News HQ" today, Sen. Sessions discussed the nearing legal deadline for Senate Democrats to produce a budget (the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 requires the Senate Budget Committee to complete action on a resolution by April 1, and requires passage by the full Senate by April 15). Despite this unambiguous statutory requirement, the Budget Committee has taken no action to even begin work on a budget. In fact, it has now been 1,054 days--nearly three years--since Senate Democrats have produced a budget at all.

This stands in sharp contrast to the record of House Republicans, which passed a budget last year and which is set to introduce this year's budget next week.

Rather than confront the nation's debt threat, Senate Democrats have resorted to political tactics on unrelated matters, as well as attacks on the House Republican budget even in the absence of a plan of their own.

Sessions also addressed new cost projections for the president's health law, which the Congressional Budget Office last week found will cost nearly twice what the president originally promised, or nearly three times the promised amount once the law is fully implemented.

Rick Santelli Looks at What the Latest Debt Ceiling Increase Will Cost Each Person Living in the US

CNBC ‘s Rick Santelli has been credited with delivering the February 2009 rant heard ‘Round the World’ that many have said was the spark that led to the Tea Party movement. Following a somewhat unnoticed vote to allow the President to raise the debt ceiling last week, Santelli is at it again.

To largely less outcry than the ‘debt crisis’ that broke out within the beltway this past summer, the Senate on Thursday voted to allow President Barack Obama to increase the debt ceiling by $1.2 trillion to ensure that the federal government can pay its bills through the November elections. With the political discussion of late largely focusing on the GOP primary and income inequality chastised by “the ninety-nine percent,” many media commentators have seemed to forget the mounting US debt that will weigh heavy on the backs of each and every American.

Rick Santelli hasn’t forgotten, and he’s quantified just how much each person will be on the hook for with the latest rise in the debt ceiling.

Santelli hashed out the population and debt numbers on CNBC Friday, where he determined that the additional increase from Thursday alone places “$3, 834 for every man, woman and child,” and if you take into account the August increase $10, 545 each. To look at the total picture, the new debt ceiling is now at $16.4 trillion for the 312 million people in the US, which equals $52, 409 per American.

“I can’t even think of a clever way to close this other than a gulp,” said Santelli said on CNBC Friday. “I don’t know that my mike is that good. How much have we heard about this last debt ceiling increase? zero.”

Watch the fiery Chicagoan go off HERE at the Blaze.

Video:  The National Debt Roadtrip – A Must See Video!

Drunken Ben Bernanke Tells Everyone At Neighborhood Bar How Screwed U.S. Economy Really Is

Bit of a language alert…

The intoxicated Federal Reserve chairman informs bar patrons of the dangers of reckless spending.

SEWARD, NE — Claiming he wasn't afraid to let everyone in attendance know about "the real mess we're in," Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke reportedly got drunk Tuesday and told everyone at Elwood's Corner Tavern about how absolutely ‘fucked’ the U.S. economy actually is.

Bernanke, who sources confirmed was "totally sloshed," arrived at the drinking establishment at approximately 5:30 p.m., ensconced himself upon a bar stool, and consumed several bottles of Miller High Life and a half-dozen shots of whiskey while loudly proclaiming to any patron who would listen that the economic outlook was "pretty goddamned awful if you want the God's honest truth."

"Look, they don't want anyone except for the Washington, D.C. bigwigs to know how bad shit really is," said Bernanke, slurring his words as he spoke. "Mounting debt exacerbated—and not relieved—by unchecked consumption, spiraling interest rates, and the grim realities of an inevitable worldwide energy crisis are projected to leave our entire economy in the shitter for, like, a generation, man, I'm telling you."

A drunken Bernanke attempts to find the Aerosmith song "Back In The Saddle" on the bar jukebox.

"And hell, as long as we're being honest, I might as well tell you that a truer estimate of the U.S. unemployment rate is actually up around 16 percent, with a 0.7 percent annual rate of economic growth if we're lucky—if we're lucky," continued Bernanke, nearly knocking a full beer over while gesturing with his hands. "Of course, if everybody knew that, it would likely cripple financial markets across the entire fucking globe, even in various emerging economies with self- sustaining growth."

After launching into an extended 45-minute diatribe about shortsighted moves by "those bastards in Congress" that could potentially exacerbate the nation's already deeply troublesome budget imbalance, the Federal Reserve chairman reportedly bought a round of tequila shots for two customers he had just met who were seated on either side of him, announcing, "I love these guys."

Numerous bar patrons slowly nodded in agreement as Bernanke went on to suggest the United States could pass three or four more stimulus packages and "it wouldn't even matter."

"You think that's going to create long-term economic growth, let alone promote job creation?" Bernanke said. "We're way beyond that, my friend. There are no jobs, okay? There's nothing. I think that calls for another drink, don't you?"

While using beer bottles and pretzel sticks in an attempt to explain to the bartender the importance of infusing $650 billion into the bond market, the inebriated Fed chairman nearly fell off his stool and had to be held up by the patron sitting next to him.

Another bar-goer confirmed Bernanke stood about 2 inches from her face and sprayed her with saliva, claiming inflation was going to "totally screw" consumer confidence and then asking if he could bum a smoke.

"Sure, we could hold down long-term interest rates and pursue a program of quantitative easing, but c'mon, we all know that's not going to make the slightest bit of difference when it comes to output, demand, or employment," Bernanke said before being told to "try to keep [his] voice down" by the bartender. "And trust me, with the value of the U.S. dollar in the toilet, import costs going through the roof, and numerous world governments unprepared for their own substantial debt burdens, shit's not looking too good for us abroad, either."

"God, I'm so wasted," added Bernanke, resting his head on the bar.

Later in the evening, Richard Kampman, a truck driver who was laid off in 2010, said Bernanke approached him in the men's restroom and attempted to strike up a conversation about various factors contributing to the current financial crisis.

"He stumbled up to the urinal and started mumbling on about the depressed housing sector or something," said Kampman, who claimed Bernanke had to use both hands on the wall to steady himself. "Then after a while he just sort of stopped and I couldn't tell if he was laughing or crying."

"Then he puked all over the sink and the mirror," Kampman added.

Customers at the bar told reporters the "shitfaced" and disruptive Bernanke refused to pay for his drinks with U.S. currency, claiming it was "worthless." Witnesses also confirmed that near the end of the evening, Bernanke put money into the jukebox and selected Dire Straits' "Money For Nothing" to play five times in a row.

"This is what it's all about," said Bernanke, who reportedly danced alone in the middle of the dark tavern. "Fucking love this song."

Source:  The Onion  -  AUGUST 3, 2011 | ISSUE 47•31

Related:

Dow Falls Through the Floor at the Opening Bell

Lieberman Says We Need to Cut Social Security to Pay for Defense 

(Send This Letter to Your Congressman and Senator)

Government Losses to Top $1 Billion After Congress Fails to Reach Deal on FAA

Taxpayers Will Pay for Obama Bus Tour of Battleground States, Says White House

Simpletons Shocked to See Debt Deal Had No Impact on Anything

Scenes from Obamaville's Malaise

Videos:

"Work Being Suspended Involving Tens Of Thousands Of Construction Workers..." Pres Obama -  August 03, 2011 News Corp

We're Losing 200 Million Dollars A WEEK! With The FFA Shutdown - August 03, 2011 CNBC

Massive Hacking Attack Hits U.S. & U.N. Speculation That China Is Involved - August 03, 2011 CNN

"There's No Reason To Blame Us! THEY'RE CRAZY!" Senator Hatch - August 03, 2011 CNN

Are Sarah Palin & Donald Trump The Answer To The Country's Problems? - August 03, 2011 CNN

The Latest on the Debt Crisis Deal and Some Input From Marco Rubio

Rubio on the Senate floor regarding our debt crisis (the ease with which he delivers a smackdown to John Kerry is a nice added bonus):

Rubio: 07.30.11

YouTube Video | Senator Marco Rubio | Sen. Rubio: “Save The Whole House or It Will All Burn Down”

I would love nothing more than compromise. But I would say to you that compromise that’s not a solution is a waste of time. If my house was on fire, I can’t compromise about which part of the house I’m going to save. You save the whole house or it will all burn down. We either save this country or we do not. And to save it, we must seek solutions.

That, my friends, is what hitting it out of the park looks like. Here is the complete text of Sen. Rubio’s remarks (as provided by Rubio’s press office):

Senator Marco Rubio

U.S. Senate Floor Speech

July 30, 2011

Sen. Rubio: “Thank you, Mr. President.

“I rise here on the Senate floor today to speak on the tremendous issue that’s captivated, and rightfully so, the attention of our country.

“Let me start by saying that I do not enjoy nor relish the partisan role of attack dog. I never found any fun in that. I don’t think it’s constructive. I don’t intend to become that here in the Senate.

“I also have only been here for seven months, which means I haven’t been here long enough to think any of the stuff that’s going on is normal. And I certainly don’t think any of the stuff that goes on around here too often is normal. So I think the fact that I’ve been here seven months has served me well in that regard.

“Let me begin if I can. One of the things that I’ve noticed this week is that Washington is full of people from all over the world and all over the country that have traveled here this week to come and watch their government at work and see the monuments of the city and found themselves in the middle of this debate.

“So I think it’s important to remind people what we’re debating because although it is a difficult and important issue, it is not a complicated one to understand. It’s pretty straight forward.

“And here’s the way I would describe it the United States of America more or less — these are rough numbers but they’re accurate – spends about $300 billion a month. It has $180 billion a month that comes to the federal government through taxes and other sources of revenue and that means that in order to meet its bills at the end of every month it needs to borrow $120 billion.

“Now, for much of the history of this country, there have been increases in the debt limit and the ability to borrow money. But what has happened over the last few years is that it’s no longer a routine vote because the people who give us our credit rating are saying too much of the money that you spend every month is borrowed and we want you to show us how over the next ten years you are going to borrow less as a percentage of what you spend.

“And so that’s why, for years, where the debt limit was routine vote, it no longer can be. It’s not something that was made up in some conservative think tank. But the reality that we cannot continue to borrow 40% to 41% of every penny that the government spends has brought us to this point.

“So you would think that seeing that, our government and our leaders here in both parties would react to that immediately and work on it.

“And I’ve heard lot of talk today about delaying tactics and delaying votes. I would argue to you that this issue has been delayed at least for the last two and a half years.

“In the two years before I even came here, this chamber neither proposed nor passed a budget. It is a startling figure that for the last two years this government has operated without a budget. So think about that. Two years have gone by without a budget. The first two years that the President was the president, no budgets.

“Some people would say, well, that’s because of partisanship in Washington. Well, that’s not true. In the two years before I got here, both the House and Senate were controlled by members of the Democratic Party, which are the President’s party. In fact, in this chamber for at least one of those two years, 60 votes, 60 out of the 100 members here caucused with the Democrats. And as you recall, on Christmas Eve of the year 2009, they were able to pass a health care bill that was very controversial because they had the 60 votes in the President’s party.

“Over two years, no budget. In fact you know how long it has been since this chamber proposed a budget? Forget passed a budget, proposed a budget? 822 days. That’s a long time. A lot of things have happened in the last 822 days, but proposing a budget is not one of them out of this chamber.

“So then I got here – and we got here in January, seven months have passed, still no budget. Again, not budget passed, proposed, offered. Here’s our budget. Still no budget. 822 Days and every single day that I’ve been here.

“Now, in the last seven days on this debt debate, we have finally seen a proposal from the esteemed senator from Nevada, the majority leader. You would think, has he brought it to the floor to vote? Not until last night. So, again, offered a proposal over the weekend and still for six days we sat around and what did we do around here? Nothing. It was never brought to a vote.

“You would think these issues would have been worked on in January, February, March — nothing. This chamber has done nothing. You talk about delay tactics? They’ve been delaying for two and a half years.

“Now the President doesn’t have the luxury of some of these things. He has to propose a budget by law, and he did. Let me tell you how ridiculous the budget was. Not a single member of this Senate voted for it, including the Democrats. It is a budget that didn’t lead with the debt limit; in fact, it increased the debt. That’s how absurd the budget was.

“Where is the President plan? We haven’t seen it. We haven’t seen it. Here’s the President’s plan: a blank sheet of paper. He doesn’t have a plan. He hasn’t offered a plan. Again, if this were a Republican president, I would say the same thing.

“I do not understand how an issue of this magnitude, of generational importance, the President of the United States has not offered a plan. If someone has seen the president’s plan, please send it to me because no one else has seen it. It does not exist.

“So this has been the plan all along, by the way. The plan all along was not to take a position, to let the days count down until we got to this point with 72 hours to go and then force a vote on something that they wanted. I believe that that has been the plan the entire time. And you can see it carrying itself out.

“You want to know why people all across America get grossed out about politics? It’s by watching this kind of stuff happen.

“And instead let me tell you what we’ve seen for the last few days. First of all, for today and for much of this time I have heard all these attacks and name-calling. If we had $1 billion for every time I heard the words “tea party extremist,” we could solve this debt problem.

“So all this name-calling, so I said let me read some quotes about this debt limit and I found some pretty extremist quotes.

“Here’s one.

“It says, “The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. I, therefore, intend to oppose the effort to increase America’s debt.” A quote from a tea party extremist, right? No. This is a quote from March 16 of 2006 from Senator Barack Obama of Illinois.

“I found another extremist quote. This one says, “Because this massive of accumulation of debt was predicted, because it was foreseeable, because it was unnecessary, because it was the result of willful and reckless disregard for the warnings that were given and for the fundamentals of economic management, I am voting against a debt limit increase.” Well, that must be from a tea party extremist member of the House, right? No. This is March 16, 2006, from Senator Joe Biden of Delaware.

“And last but not least, here’s a quote from September 27 of 2007. It says, “I find it distasteful and disturbing to increase the debt limit yet again. Clearly we need to change course and this debt limit bill is just another reminder of that.” And that is from the distinguished Senator from Nevada, the majority leader. On that date in 2007.

“And yet now these same quotes in this context, what we’re talking about raising the debt limit more than has ever been raised in one vote, is extremism? This name-calling is absurd and it sets this process back.

“The other thing I hear — oh, it is not reasonable. This is a waste of time. This bill can’t pass the Senate when they talk about the House bill. So now it disqualifies the bill the fact that it can’t pass in the Senate.

“Well, guess what? The Senate bill can’t pass in the Senate — the Senate bill can’t pass in the Senate.”

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA): “Will the Senator yield for a question?”

Sen. Rubio: “Yes, I’ll yield.”

Sen. John Kerry: “I thank the Senator for doing that. That’s become somewhat unusual in the Senate today. So I truly appreciate it.

“I would ask the Senator, as ironic as it may be that on occasion people in the past have indeed voted against a debt limit — both Republicans and Democrats alike — is it not true that in those situations those votes did not hold the nation hostage, did not come at a moment of enormous economic fragility as we are in today, and did not run the risk of default because it was going to pass overwhelmingly every time?

“Is that not true?”

Sen. Rubio: “To the Senator from Massachusetts, I would say two things.

“The first is that those votes — put it to you this way. If the Senator from Illinois at the time, Senator Obama, had had his way, we’d be in the same position we are in now. Because he had voted against the debt – and I recognize the President has now said that the debt limit is — he made a mistake and he wouldn’t have said that were he here today.

“My point, I would say to the Senator from Massachusetts, is that rhetoric two years ago was not considered extremist language and now that rhetoric, which by the way I have not found. I think it is a myth. There may be a handful of people in the building both in the House and Senate perhaps that believe that the nation doesn’t have to raise the debt limit. But by and large everyone recognizes that something must be done about the debt limit.

“What we have also said – I speak for myself. Let me not speak for any other member of this chamber or the next.

“What I have also said is that it would be a terrible mistake to lose this opportunity to do something meaningful about the debt. And that the debt limit gives us an opportunity to do something meaningful about the debt, because the crisis that America faces is not one that I have defined.

“But one that has been defined by the rating houses and rating agencies who have said if you do not get your spending in order, we don’t care whether you raise your debt limit or not, we will downgrade you.

“And what that means for every American is an increase in their interest payments.”

Sen. John Kerry: “Will the Senator further yield for a question?”

Sen. Rubio: “Yes.”

Sen. Kerry: “Mr. President I appreciate what the Senator is saying. I would just say first of all that everybody understands the danger of the rating agencies right now.

“The problem is, we got to reach across the aisle and negotiate. We’ve got to come to agreement. Right now there’s not a lot of negotiating going on.

“I would ask the Senator, if he doesn’t agree that there is an enormous difference between — the Senator a moment ago said if he had gotten his way. But the whole point is, everybody knew he wasn’t about to get his way. That was a truly symbolic vote.

“Today, however, is it not true we are on the brink of a default and the absence of negotiation or the absence of a settlement presents us with a far more serious consequence to the unwillingness to raise the debt ceiling today?”

Sen. Rubio: “To the Senator from Massachusetts I would say it’s impossible to negotiate with someone who doesn’t offer a plan. How do you negotiate with someone who will not offer a plan and will not put it on the table?

“But the finger pointing of who has a plan and who doesn’t have a plan is relevant, but it’s not the central issue here.

“I would also say that in March of this year, March 30 to be exact of this year, I wrote an op-ed piece that ran in The Wall Street Journal and it outlined the things I was looking for to be a part of this debate. And I was told on March of this year that we didn’t have enough time to do all those things. Although later on we found out perhaps we did, this grand bargain and I am prepared, as I stand here today, if there is a meeting going on right after this, I’d love to be a part of it.

“I am prepared to discuss the things that I believe we need to do not just to raise the debt limit. Raising the debt limit is the easiest thing. That’s one vote away. The hard thing is to show the world we are serious about putting our spending in order so we can show people we’ll able to pay our bills down the road.

“And that is a combination of things that I have outlined very clearly, not just on March of this year inThe Wall Street Journal, but in repeated speeches on this floor.

“And those are the things, we need to do two things.

“Number one is we need to grow our economy because while the debt is the biggest issue in Washington, jobs are the biggest issue facing America. And if we could get more people back to work, we would have more people paying taxes, and if we had more people paying taxes, we’d have more revenue for government.

“And so that is the first thing we need to do, is figure out how to create jobs in America and I think there is bipartisan agreement on things we can do to do that.

“The President himself mentioned regulatory reform as a necessity in the State of the Union. Let’s do it.

“We’ve all talked about tax reform. Flattening and simplifying our tax code. And if there are things in that tax code that do not belong there because they are the product of good lobbying instead of good policy, then let’s go after those things. We’ve talked about that. Let’s talk about that.

“I think we all agree that there has to be some changes in discretionary spending, but we also agree that doesn’t solve the problem. That’s a small piece of our overall budget. That we have to save Medicare because it goes bankrupt if we leave it the way it is. That we have to save Medicaid because it goes bankrupt if we leave it the way it is.

“And I can tell you that history will back up what I’m about to say and that is that there is no government run by conservatives, Republicans, put whoever you want there, if you give government the opportunity to spend more money than it has, it will do it. It will do it every time.

“That’s why I believe there are at least 20 members of the Senate in the other party who have supported some version of the balanced budget amendment and yet it’s something we cannot even get a vote on much less discuss in the Senate.

“So I believe there can be compromise on those outlines but here’s the last thing I would say.

“I believe my time is about to expire so let me close with this.

“Compromise is fantastic.

“I would love nothing more than to leave this building tomorrow night having said the republic still works. I was able to stand shoulder to shoulder with people from states far from mine with views different from mine but who love their country so much that we were able to come together and save it when it faced this catastrophe.

“I would love nothing more than compromise. But I would say to you that compromise that’s not a solution is a waste of time.

“If my house was on fire, I can’t compromise about which part of the house I’m going to save. You save the whole house or it will all burn down.

“We either save this country or we do not.

“And to save it, we must seek solutions.”

Cross-posted at Sunshine State Sarah and the Minority Report

The latest deal, hyped as the great compromise, provides for exactly $4 billion in savings this year. That’s right, $4 billion… essentially nothing! It promises fantasy cuts in future years, which will never happen. It guts defense spending with budget cuts to be shared 50-50 between the Department of Defense and entitlement programs, though entitlement programs are close to three times the size of the defense budget.

There will be a ‘Super’ committee to propose more cuts down the road. The House side will have three Republicans and three Democrats. Earth to John Boehner. You have a majority in the House. Why the hell don’t you have a majority on that committee?

The debt ceiling deal provides for the immediate raising of the debt ceiling, thus fueling the continuing, endless increase in the size of government.

And do you realize that if we don’t repeal ObamaCare, every penny we are saving in this pathetic bill without the guarantee of a balanced budget. will be eaten up with those increases alone? Plus Moody’s wanted at $4 Trillion in spending cuts bill… and this one would only reach $3 Trillion if they really did everything they promised… so we might lose out AAA credit rating anyway. And maintaining our AAA credit rating was the only reason to even consider raising the debt level.  Also, the Dem’s keep saying there are no tax hikes in the latest “Grand Compromise”, but in reality, word is that Obama just plans ‘not’ to extend the Bush tax cuts next time around… to they’ll get their tax hike too.  So finally, if the American people are to get anything out this, the GOP needs to demand a yay vote on the separate Balanced Budget Amendment before passing any version of this… After all the Dems, including Obama, keep saying they are all for balancing the budget and that they would vote for a balanced budget amendment in a separate bill… so let’s do it now, FIRST!

Chances are that this bill will not pass both the House and Senate. Neither the right nor the left is happy. And again… they are asking congress to pass and the American people to accept a bill that nobody will time to read. Didn’t we learn our lesson on that trick?!?

As Rubio mentions, this plan of no plan, so the Dems and Obama could push through whatever they wanted at the last hour was always the plan!  And let us not forget the elephant in the room… Obama’s plan, in his own words has always been to fundamentally transform America.  He just left off the the words: into a second rate country!

Wow… a Palin-Rubio ticket is sure looking good to me… but he’d be a great addition to any ticket!!

Next Round in Debt Crisis Battle

Video:  Boehner to Dems:  Put Something On the Table

House Approves Speaker Boehner's Revised Debt Plan

Senate plans to vote to kill House bill as early as tonight

The U.S. House has passed its version of a bill to raise the debt ceiling.  The final vote was 218 to 210.  22 Republicans voted against it, because Boehner’s either bill didn’t go far enough in cuts or a guaranteed trigger for them to support it, and no Democrats voted in favor of the plan.

Here are the Republicans who voted against the bill (Freshman members are in bold):  Amash (MI), Bachmann (MN), Broun (GA), Chaffetz (UT),Cravaack (MN), DesJarlais (TN), Duncan (SC), Graves (GA) Gowdy (SC), Huelskamp (KS), Johnson (IL), Jordan (OH), King (IA), Latham (IA), Connie Mack (FL), McClintock (CA), Mulvaney (SC)Ron Paul (TX), Tim Scott (SC), Southerland (FL), Walsh (IL), Wilson (SC).

This was the third version of a debt plan House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) produced this week in an attempt to garner enough Republican votes to pass it. The bill now heads to the Senate, where Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has said he has enough votes to table, or discard, it immediately. And, if the Senate successfully tables Boehner’s bill, the body is likely to move onto Sen. Reid’s version, which lifts the debt ceiling through 2012 and cuts $2.2 billion in spending.

Senate Democratic leaders said they could hold a procedural vote on Senator Reid's proposal to lift the debt ceiling as early 1 am ET Sunday.

In remarks this morning, President Obama said Mr. Boehner's bill "does not solve the problem." The President pointedly called out Speaker Boehner's efforts to appease members of the Tea Party. "What’s clear now is that any solution to avoid default must be bipartisan.  It must have the support of both parties that were sent here to represent the American people -– not just one faction," he said.

Today's sequence of events came after the House was minutes away Thursday evening from voting to lift the debt ceiling and cut $900 billion in spending. But Republican leaders pulled the bill from the floor after Speaker Boehner spent the evening attempting to finalize support for his bill but fell short.

The road to lifting the debt ceiling has been rocky. Negotiations between a bipartisan group of lawmakers and Vice President Biden failed. So did talks between the President and Speaker Boehner, as did subsequent talks between the President and Congressional leaders.

No agreement between Republicans and Democrats and the House and Senate means the path forward is still uncertain with the August 2^nd deadline imposed by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner fast approaching. 

House Democrats encouraged the President to invoke the 14^th amendment to the U.S. Constitution to unilaterally lift the debt ceiling without Congressional authorization. The White House continues to reject that option.  (This is a completely unviable option considering that the 14^th Amendment does not apply here. Per Judge Andrew Napolitano: The provisions in the 14th Amendment were written to deal with unique issues caused by the Civil War and the execution of the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves. The left keeps distorting the facts and the Constitution and wrongly applies the provisions to allow them to do whatever they want… not what is legal, Constitutional or what the American People want!! Read more at: Review: The Debt Ceiling and Economic Crisis Debate Rages On.)

July 28, 2011

Curious to know the impact Obama’s budget would have on America’s fiscal future? The chart below provides a rather painful preview of the next decade under the President’s budget alternative.

Picture this — Obama’s budget for America

As Heritage’s Mike Brownfield explains, ”Obama’s budget would set America on a dangerous fiscal course that leads to massive deficits well into the future—hitting $1.2 trillion in 2012 and, after dipping slightly, rising back to $1.2 trillion again by 2021.”

According to the Congressional Budget Office’s projections, the President’s budget would more than double the national debt in 10 years – totaling approximately $9.5 trillion.

Paul Ryan Destroys Reid Bill in Blistering Speech; ‘Let’s Cover the Moon with Yogurt!’

Live Blog:  The U.S. Debt Battle

The tea party… which means “We the People” are not happy.  A Balanced Budget Amendment and no raising of the debt ceiling is what most people want.  That is what they voted for in 2010.  The problem is when you only control half a branch of government, it is a tough battle and when you have people like Harry Reid and the President running interference, telling tales and controlling the mainstream media it is even tougher!!

75% of Americans support a balanced budget Amendment

66% of American support Cut, Cap and Balance

Most people say they don’t care if we go into so-called default, mind you we won’t really go into default… there are funds to pay what is most important to Americans as well as the interest on our debt.

And the powers that be feel that America’s Credit Rating will be down-graded from AAA status to AA status even if we raise the debt-ceiling.

Regardless whether you are happy or not with the outcome… the GOP has passed 3 plans in the House and Boehner, like the results or not, tried his best to work a compromise.  (And Republican Senator Mitch McConnell has another last ditch bill ready in the Senate.)  The Dems have passed nothing, finally proposed one bill that is a ruse and have run interference for the President… who also has put ‘no’ deal on paper.  If we lose our AAA credit rating and go into pseudo default it will be President Obama and the Democrats fault… not the GOP’s and not the tea party’s.

If we keep letting Obama spend and up the national debt… it is all our faults!

Within hours after the House passed their second bill dealing with the debt crisis in about a week, Harry Reid again tabled the discussion and the vote on this bill.  My question is, if you are so sure you are right and the people and your party are with you, Harry… why won’t you allow a vote on these bills?  And if Obama really wanted to make this go away, all he and the Dems needed to agree to was to begin the process of a balanced budget amendment that 75% of the American people want.  So why not do it?  After all Obama will either be long out of office before that amendment goes into affect, or he will be a dictator and it won’t matter anyway.

So, why not? Because destroying the the economy of the United States has always been part of Obama and his handlers’ plan! And that is the elephant in the room that nobody is willing to discuss!!

Best Quote I’ve heard this week is: “The tea party is the Dem’s new George Bush, so no matter what you don’t like… it’s their fault!”

Ask Marion~

Tweets of the Day:

• If 3rd World Dictator Obama is pres after Jan-20, 2013, an AA rating will be a memory
• How can they put a man with Dementia in charge of the Senate?
• Rubio: "Compromise that's not a solution is a waste of time."

Related:

As the Party of Socialism tries to convince the GOP that is it not the Party of Reagan, but the Party of Surrender, Harry Reid is desperately searching for sixty votes in the Senate so he can get his “I want to destroy the American economy bill” passed.

Can it be passed? - The Search for 60

House Defense: Hardliners Slam Reid Debt Plan, Obama - Video: Reid’s Gimmicks Unmasked

Harry Reid Filibustering His Own Bill?

NYT: Coming Soon: ‘Invasion of the Walking Debt’

RS: In Defense of Holding the Line

Congressional Leaders Struggle to Work Out Bi-Partisan Debt Deal

Balanced Budget… Balanced Budget Amendment… The Only Sane Idea

Thomas Sowell: Ideals Versus Realities

Reid Wants to Give Obama Blank Check for Rest of Presidency

Debt Crisis: NYT’s Graph Glitch

Senator Tea Party: DeMint Drives Conservative Direction on Debt and Deficit

As Predicted: Call for Obama’s Impeachment on the Table

Video: Michele Bachmann on the debt limit. I like her! Left hates her because fights like a democrat!

Video: Screw Congress… I’ll Do It On My Own - The really scary part is all the clueless fools in the audience chanting, “Yes You Can!”

Obama called out GOP again today to compromise… Because $14.5 Trillion is not enough!!!!!!! Compromise!, and I guess neither were Boehner’s attempts?!?

No budget in 800 days? Liberals saying Democrats had a budget this year. Obama… that was rejected by all? Clueless how budgets get passed? However he is not clueless about raising the debt ceiling… without meaningful matching cuts and or a balanced budget amendment! Obama knows it would be another nail in the coffin of America and another step toward his plan to fundamentally transform America… into a second rate nation!

Many, including Trump, feel that the GOP doesn't know they are in the driver's seat. All they have to do is sit back & wait for Senate & Obama to pass #CCB. Tick, tick, tick... Time for the GOP to play poker!

Last Update: 07.30.11: 4:07p.m. ET - Reid’s Debt Ceiling Increase Bill defeated in the house. The vote was 246-173. Senior official confirms Pres Obama has summoned Dem Leaders Reid and Pelosi to WH meeting on debt limit stalemate… no Republicans. So Speaker Boehner and Senate Minority McConnell just appeared together in short press conference:

Pres. Obama needs to tell us what he can sign. We're in those discussions now. –McConnell

Boehner: It's time for the POTUS to tell us what he's for.

McConnell: "I think we all know that if the president decides to reach an agreement w/ us, the Democrats...will fall in line."

Boehner says POTUS has driven Congress into cul-de-sac

Former Fox News White House Correspondent Major Garrett: Remember that driving metaphor from POTUS and 2010 campaign (reverse/forward)? The press would be a lot more credible if they treated POTUS the way they treat Boehner and McConnell. Amen

**Unnamed conservative reporter at Boehner/McConnell press conference said it appears that Obama and Reid might be getting the message that the tide is changing and they they will get the deserved blame for this debacle they’ve created, so my be talking compromise now.**

***At the end of the day, the most amazing thing to me is how many people are still completely disengaged… clueless. Jon Stossel went out in the street… Leno Jay-Walking style and asked people what the debt ceiling was, how much it was and who John Boehner is and most didn’t have a clue and many said they did care. I can only pray that those people choose not to vote!!***

Ask Marion~