What Pro Israel Means What Pro Israel Means
The other J Street founder Jeremy Ben-Ami takes to the pages to the Washington Post to itemize 5 Myths on Who's Really Pro-Israel. Amidst the latest bout of mid-east nonsense in ...
May 14, 2008 / Chris Hayes
Drugging U.S. Detainees Drugging U.S. Detainees
Last month, Congressional Quarterly reported that there was little doubt that the government--under John Yoo's 2003 memo--had approved the use of mind-altering drugs to weaken the...
May 14, 2008 / Chris Hayes
“Says He’s a Christian” “Says He’s a Christian”
A lot of people wrongly believe Barack Obama is a Muslim. As I documented in a cover story for the magazine, this is largely due to a viral internet rumor that's been spread via e...
May 13, 2008 / Chris Hayes
Collapse of the Middle Class Collapse of the Middle Class
One of the few national politicians willing to speak unflinchingly about how the so-called "robust" U.S. economy has failed vast swaths of America, last month, Sen. Bernie Sanders...
May 12, 2008 / Chris Hayes
Softball Softball
Oh man. How awesome are Josh Marhsall's readers? As part of the FOIA related to DoD's "news analyst" program uncovered by the Times, the Pentagon has disgorged a massive amount o...
May 12, 2008 / Chris Hayes
What Turnout Means What Turnout Means
Travel day for me, so light posting. (O'Hare on the day after Mother's day is not a place you want to be) But if you read one piece of campaign commentary today, read this fascin...
May 12, 2008 / Chris Hayes
This Week on Tap This Week on Tap
This week, the House debates the $300-billion farm bill, which contains key funding for various food programs, but meanwhile--in a time of food crisis and record farm income expec...
May 12, 2008 / Chris Hayes
Friday Capitol Letter Friday Capitol Letter
In the House....On Thursday, members approved a housing package that would expand Federal Housing Administration-backed mortgage guarantees by $300 billion, as well as offer first-time home buyers a $7,500 tax credit. CBO reports the proposal would cost $2.7 billion and assist 500,000 homeowners. Members also backed a $15-billion program to assist with the state purchase of foreclosed homes; only the tax-credit proposal has the votes to override Bush's threatened vetos.
This week, House leadership planned to attach Sen. Webb's GI bill to the pending war supplemental, but Blue Dogs -- arguing it would violate "pay-go" -- scuttled the deal, and the scheduled vote was pulled. Apart from veterans' benefits, a $15.6 billion extension of unemployment benefits was the second-biggest domestic item that had been slated for inclusion. Bush has maintained any such spending will trigger his veto.Also this week, in attempt to fix one of the U.S. terror blacklist's more conspicuous oversights, members voted to eliminate Nelson Mandela's name from the rolls. The House further adopted a proposal to begin manufacturing cheaper copper-plated steel pennies and steel nickels, a move expected to save $100 million a year.
In the Senate...Attempts to fund and overhaul the U.S. aviation system thudded to a halt over procedural squabbles and GOP opposition to non-aviation provisions in the bill, including an amendment that would have granted New York the $1.7 billion remainder of Bush's pledged September 11th recovery aid. Also this week, despite appeals by senators from Louisiana and Mississippi, lawmakers voted 73-19 against adding wind coverage to the federal program that provides flood insurance. While post-Katrina, private insurer managed to dodge claims by arguing damages resulted from flooding and not wind, the GAO raised sharp concerns about the proposal's fiscal impact. Senate members also passed a resolution demanding that the Burmese junta lift restrictions on foreign aid.
After months of frustrated anticipation, House and Senate negotiators delivered a $300-billion, disappointing deal on the farm bill. The current bill's incarnation still permits couples with joint incomes of up to $2.5 million to qualify for subsidies. Meanwhile, despite spiraling food prices, negotiators spurned Bush's appeal to allow 25% of U.S. food aid to go towards the purchase of local food supplies. (Currently, aid must be purchased primarily from U.S. producers and shipped overseas--creating overhead costs that absorb 65% of food-aid expenditures.) It remains unclear if Bush plans to exercise his threatened veto.
May 9, 2008 / Chris Hayes
Obama’s Party Obama’s Party
Stoller makes the case. Micah Sifry replies here with his own thoughts. (Whoops! Accidentally posted this originally as a blank post with just the title "Obama". This occasione...
May 8, 2008 / Chris Hayes
Dept of Small Victories Dept of Small Victories
Yesterday, I blogged about a Pakistani couple that had been detained by Immigrations and Custom Enforcement for apparently no good reason. Today comes word they've been released...
May 8, 2008 / Chris Hayes