Joe Lieberman used up another one of his political lives, after Senate Democrats
voted today to let him keep his chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee. The 2004 Democratic VP nominee, turned defeated primary candidate, turned independent senator
delivered some hard punches against Barack Obama during the presidential campaign, on behalf of his Republican friend John McCain.
Instead of truly punishing Lieberman by
stripping him of the crucial post, the Democratic caucus, including newly elected senators, voted to remove him from chair of the less-important Environmental Public Works Committee, a symbolic gesture.
Politicians have been hyping up the need to "Save Detroit" lately,
calling for a US automaker-specific rescue package to the tune of $50 billion. It looks like Motown will soon receive more taxpayer money, albeit
with strings attached. Since the government is so keen on rescuing America lately, I've created a few alternative bailout plans that might help more Americans.
Spending Surge On Financial System Pushing Deficit Towards $1 Trillion Congressional leaders and both presidential candidates are proposing billions of dollars in tax breaks and other measures to stoke economic growth, a surge in spending that could send the federal deficit soaring toward $1 trillion this year, creating the deepest well of red ink since the end of World War II. Congress could consider additional spending as soon as next month, potentially digging the nation's hole even deeper.
After signing two bills into law this week, President Bush said that he could
bypass numerous parts of the laws. In a signing statement Bush said a military authorization act and a measure giving inspectors general greater independence from the White House unlawfully constrained the president's constitutional powers.
So which parts will Bush ignore?
Oct 3 2008 - 9:44am by
Molly
Do We Call it a "Rescue"? The House Passes the Bailout Bill The US House has passed the new version of the financial Bailout Bill. In a vote of 263-171, with 91 Republicans voting "Yea" and 172 Democrats in favor, the changes in the bill put forward by the Senate combined with the news that the US job sector lost 159,000 jobs in the month of September lent a real sense of urgency to the vote.
Update: Here's
how each representative voted on the bill, by state.
Update II: In a speech from the Rose Garden, President Bush noted the effect of the Bailout Bill will "take some time." He's
expected to sign it this afternoon.
