ConservativeHome's The Republican

One in four Democrats wants Obama out

Natalie Gonnella
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Governor Rick Perry may hold the lead among Republicans, but when it comes to presidential preferences on the other side of the political aisle, a growing number of liberal-leaning voters say they want Obama out.

In the same CNN/ORC poll analysis confirming Perry's new found status as the GOP front runner, 27% of Democrats said they would like to see their party nominate a 2012 candidate other than Barack Obama.

While survey results from earlier this year placed Obama in a stronger position among, despite the growing disapproval among Democratic voters it remains highly unlikely that the President will face be challenged for his party's nomination.  But, as Byron York points out in the Washington Examiner:

The new poll is still a matter of concern to Democrats, because it is yet another indication that there is significant disillusionment with the president within his own party.  Whether those disaffected Democrats will come around to supporting Obama next year is an open question -- and perhaps the most worrying of the president's re-election bid.

Obama scores a hat trick: CBO projects the third straight $1 trillion deficit under the current administration

Natalie Gonnella
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As if a credit downgrade and an unemployment rate of 9% weren't enough, the dismal economic news just keeps building this month for American voters.

According to today's budget update from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the federal government is on target to run another $1.3 trillion deficit in fiscal year 2011, easily erasing the $917 billion in savings secured in the recently signed Budget Control Act.

According to the Washington Times:

The deficit marks the third-largest shortfall in history, and the third straight $1 trillion deficit under President Obama, though next year’s deficit is projected to dip just under that mark, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Still, over the next decade, the federal government will rack up nearly $6 trillion in new deficits, the CBO said — far outstripping the $1.5 trillion in future savings the new deficit super committee is charged with recommending to Congress.

And the nonpartisan agency now projects that unemployment will remain higher than average for years, including a rate of 8.5 percent in the final quarter of 2012, just as Mr. Obama and Congress go back to face voters.

With a $1 trillion deficit hat trick and with 14 million Americans currently out of work, it will be quite interesting to hear what President Obama has to say in September when he finally offers his 'highly touted' jobs plan to the American public.

What they're saying: Conservatives take on Maxine Waters

Natalie Gonnella
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President Obama may have called for an end to incendiary rhetoric earlier this year, but if Democrats' recent behavior against the Tea Party is anything to go by, it seems his own party may have missed the message.

Still awaiting an apology from Vice President Biden (and a growing list of liberals) here's a look at what a number of conservatives have had to say in response to Rep. Maxine Waters contentious remarks from this past weekend:

Former Senator and 2012 hopeful Rick Santorum:

She’s a caricature of what’s wrong with Congress...She’s one of these real nasty anti-basic traditional and fundamental values of this country (types), so I’m not surprised that she would say to a group of folks who stand up and defend the constitution of this country, who stand up and defend the declaration and our founding principles, that she finds these people folks that should be condemned...This is the left in America...They absolutely despise the founding principles of this country that believe in free people and believe in limited government.

Jenny Beth Martin and Mark Meckler, co-founders, Tea Party Patriots:

We’ve had Democrats calling American citizens ‘terrorists’ and ‘hostage takers,’ and now an elected Democratic representative says that we can ‘go straight to hell..The president and all leaders of the Democratic Party, who have called for civility in the past, are neglecting to censure their own. Is civility only required from their opponents? Perhaps it’s time for a new-NEW era of civility. ... The president’s silence on these latest violations of civility has been deafening, but not surprising.

Ryan Rhodes (Iowa Tea Party Co-Founder who confronted Obama at the Iowa State Fair about Vice President Biden's 'terrorist' comment):

I think it's this type of the stuff that President Obama as the leader of his party has to come out and say something about or I encourage Tea Partyers across the country to continue asking him how we come to middle ground, how we have civility when their telling us that they basically want us to die...it's just not acceptable language 

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich:

The people who are attacking Tea Parties have noting to offer. They have no solution, and they are creating no jobs, they are presiding over the worse unemployment since the Great Depression, the largest deficits in American history, and therefore the only thing they can do is smear their opponents...I think it's a sad commentary on the American left that it has no new thinking it has no willingness to be inventive.

Washington Post Columnist Charles Krauthammer:

Look, they are very upset because they lost the debate; they weren't even in the debate on the debt ceiling. But I do think that it works for liberals to talk to liberals in that kind of dismissive and sort of angry tone about Tea Party, it's sort of accepted on the Upper West Side. But it doesn't work in the general election. And I think that's why you get less of that out of the White House. Tea Party involves a lot of independents, a lot of disaffected Democrats. And when you insult it or really get vile about it, you are alienating people you are gonna need if you want to win.

The Weekly Standard's Steve Hayes:

I do expect to see the Democrats do quite a bit of this in the campaign because they don't have a positive argument to make on behalf of the policies that the White House and fellow Democrats have made. But if this were effective, we wouldn't have a Republican majority in the House. I mean this is exactly what Democrats did all throughout the summer and throughout the fall of 2010 and Republicans won in record numbers. Simply beating up the Tea Party is not a good electoral strategy for Democrats.

American politics according to YouTube

Natalie Gonnella
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Barely into it's second presidential election cycle, new media has already had an astoinishing impact on American politics, and YouTube is ready to celebrate. 

Commemorating five years of an ever-increasing presence in the US political arena, here's a look at how the video site has so far made it's mark on Washington:

GOP leaders announce their picks for debt super committee

Natalie Gonnella
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A week after the dramatic passage of the Budget Control Act, Republican leaders have officially announced their picks for the highly anticipated bipartisan super committee charged with cutting over $1 trillion from the federal deficit.

From the House of Representative, Speaker John Boehner has selected:

• House Republican Conference Chairman Jeb Hensarling (TX) 
• House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (MI)
• House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (MI)

Congressman Hensarling is also to serve as a co-chair of the joint committee.

And from the Senate, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has selected:

• Senator Pat Toomey (PA)
• Senator Rob Portman (OH)
• Senator Jon Kyl (AZ)

Speaker Boehner issued the following statement in regards to the appointments:

Our debt and deficits are a threat to our economy, and America cannot achieve long-term job growth until we take action to address this crisis. In the weeks ahead, a serious, bipartisan committee of lawmakers will begin the hard but necessary work of making the tough choices needed to rein in mandatory and entitlement spending, which are the drivers of our debt.  The lawmakers I have appointed to serve on this joint committee are proven leaders who have earned the trust and confidence of their colleagues and constituents.  They understand the gravity of our debt crisis and I appreciate their willingness to serve on this panel.

The two parties have fundamental differences about government and its proper role in our society.  Where we've been able to agree, we have acted, and in a way consistent with the American people’s desire for a smaller, less costly, and more accountable government.  Still, the differences remain, and so does the urgent work of returning our economy to creating jobs and lifting the crushing burden of debt that threatens our children’s future.  This joint committee presents an opportunity for both parties to bring to the table their best ideas, debate them on the merits, and ultimately come together to do what’s best for our country.  With all that’s at stake, I expect that the joint select committee will conduct its work in the open and transparent manner the American people deserve.

The six Republicans will join Democratic Senators Patty Murray (WA), Max Baucus (MT) and John Kerry (MA) on the committee. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is expected to announce her selections shortly.

Barely eight months into the current term, vast majority of voters say it's time to cut current members of Congress

Natalie Gonnella
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With soaring unemployment, stagnated growth, and the first ever US credit downgrade, it's no surprise that Americans are disappointed with their elected leaders (President Obama included).

And after a tumultuous month of debt debate, barely eight months into the current term, according to Gallup, registered voters are already looking for a change when it comes to the 112th Congress.

In the latest congressional approval poll, just 21% of registered voters feel that most lawmakers deserve reelection - the lowest percentage on record in the 20 year history Gallup has asked this question.

But while Americans' collective view of Congress has rapidly deteriorated, when it comes to their own district, Americans appear far more forgiving (likely due to more localized support). Overall, more than half of likely voters say their Representative deserves re-election. But while this seems more encouraging, Gallup does note that:

Even though a majority believes their own representative should be re-elected, the current percentage is on the low end of what Gallup has measured historically. The lowest readings were 48% in October 1992 and 49% on two occasions in 2010.

As lawmakers ready for their return to Washington in September, with concern growing over the upcoming super committee and the subsequent effects of the S&P downgrade, it will be interesting to see how voters' views will change (for better or worse) as the next phase of the budget battle gets underway.

The full analysis from Gallup's latest congressional poll is available to view here.

The latest Obamacare 'oops': $50 billion a year in understated costs

Natalie Gonnella
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Nancy Pelosi famously said 'we have to pass the (health care) bill so that you can find out what is in it,' and according to the latest analysis on Obamacare costs, unfortunately the surprises just keep coming.

As Neil Munro notes in the Daily Caller today:

Federal payments required by President Barack Obama’s health care law are being understated by as much as $50 billion per year because official budget forecasts ignore the cost of insuring many employees’ spouses and children, according to a new analysis. The result could cost the U.S. Treasury hundreds of billions of dollars during the first ten years of the new health care law’s implementation.

“The Congressional Budget Office has never done a cost-estimate of this [because] they were expressly told to do their modeling on single [person] coverage,” said Richard Burkhauser in a telephone interview Monday...

Employees and employers can use the rules to their own advantage, he said.  “A very large number of workers” will be able to apply for federal subsidies, “dramatically increasing the cost” of the law, he said.

Richard V. Burkhauser, Sean Lyons and Kosali I. Simon, who worked on the analysis, recently published a working paper on the topic at the National Bureau of Economic Research (available to view here).

WIth an unprecedented credit downgrade, soaring economic pessimism, and the latest news of $50 billion a year in ACA hidden costs, it's shaping up to be quite the week for the Obama Administration (and it's only Tuesday!) 

What they're saying: Reacting to the US credit downgrade, GOP freshmen once again make the case for 'Cut, Cap, Balance'

Natalie Gonnella
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After a dramatic conclusion to Washington's latest budget battle, Americans ended the week with the unfortunate and unnerving news that despite the latest debt deal the US has lost its AAA credit rating.

And with the ever present possibility of further downgrades, lawmakers have been quick to weigh in on the unprecedented move, with many Republican freshmen once again raising their voices on behalf of the 'Cut, Cap, Balance' proposal.

Advocating for substantial spending reform and offering 'we told you so's' as Washington contends with the possibility of further economic decline, here's a look at what a number of GOP newbies had to say in response to Friday's downgrade announcement:

Congressman Mike Pompeo:

Since Obama has been President, we have accumulated an unprecedented $4 trillion in new deficits.  After 3 years, the President has yet to produce a plan to decrease spending or improve our economy.  I've seen enough.  As a result, I voted for a plan passed by the United States House of Representatives that would have trimmed almost $6 trillion in spending—Cut, Cap and Balance. 

Sadly, the Senate and the President mocked this plan.  Worse still, they refused to take action by even considering it in the Senate.  Cut, Cap and Balance is a credible plan that would begin to properly right the ship..The American people get it—cut the spending—I pray the President finally understands.

Congressman Joe Walsh:

Heeding the warnings of the rating agencies, Republicans in the House of Representatives took a different path and passed Cut, Cap and Balance legislation which would have brought structural change to the way Washington borrows and spends money. Regretfully, the Administration responded by calling the legislation an "empty political statement" and the President threatened a veto."

Simply put, if President Obama and Democrats in Congress had embraced Cut, Cap, and Balance and if the President were sincerely focused on the severe financial challenges facing the country instead of his re-election, this action by Standard and Poor's could have been avoided.

Senator Rand Paul:

There is plenty of blame to go around. Both parties have contributed to our $14 trillion debt. But it is hard to say this crisis wasn’t predictable, because it was. House and Senate conservatives clearly predicted this, and also offered the only solution that could have prevented our downgrade with our Cut Cap and Balance plan...We must rescue our finances through a Balanced Budget Amendment, and we must do it soon. We must cut spending immediately. And we must get new leadership, and put in place people who have seen problems coming and offered credible solutions, rather than those who continue to misdiagnose and mismanage our economy.

Congressman Reid Ribble:

Our legislation passed the House of Representatives on a bipartisan basis but was flippantly rejected by both Senator Reid and President Obama as being ‘draconian.’

In Washington, where some seem to act like rhetoric matters more than facts, spin more than substance, and misdirection more than problem solving, I wonder how the Democrat deficit doubters will react to these S&P analysts. I urge Senator Reid to give Cut, Cap and Balancethe full and proper debate that it deserves before our economy veers more dangerously toward crisis. Alarms are sounding for a reason...because our fiscal house is at risk of burning down.

Congressman Chris Gibson:

Given S&P's downgrade of our credit last night, I'm calling on the Senate and President to reconsider their position and pass this legislation. By passing "Cut, Cap, and Balance," and enacting comprehensive tax reform that closes "loopholes" allowing for lower marginal tax rates to grow the economy, we will solve the current fiscal crisis putting us on firm footing to make the the 21st century our best yet.

Senator Kelly Ayotte:

This is a blow to the United States, and it is a grim signal that we cannot continue to delay addressing our crippling debt. One of the reasons I opposed the recent deal to raise the debt ceiling was because it still left us vulnerable to the threat of a downgrade. The President and Congress must end business as usual in Washington and finally confront our debt crisis in a meaningful way with real cuts, serious budget reforms and entitlement reform.

Preventing Obama's recess appointments

Natalie Gonnella
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GOP lawmakers have already adamantly resisted a number of President Obama's proposed administration appointments, and although Congress is now in recess for the month of August, House Republicans aren't taking any chances.

Outlining a series of 'pro forma' sessions over the current break, GOP Representatives aim to effectively block the White House from implementing any recess appointments.

Freshman Congressman Jeff Landry said of the plan:

Throughout the August recess, my colleagues and I will preside over pro forma sessions in the House – preventing Congressional recess and Presidential recess appointments...We have taken up the call of the American people who want an open, accountable government. And we are ready and willing to take these extraordinary measures in order to return transparency to Washington and sanity to political appointees.

Meeting every third day until the first week in September, here's a look at the tentative schedule for the ad hoc sessions:

Congressman Jeff Duncan (August 9, 2011)

Congressman Jeff Landry (August 12, 2011)

Congressman Jim Jordan (August 16, 2011)

Congressman Mick Mulvaney (August 19, 2011)

Congressman Jeff Denham (August 23, 2011 )

Congressman Trey Gowdy (August 26, 2011)

Congressman Steve Strivers (August 30, 2011)

Congressman Andy Harris (September 2, 2011)

Congressman Allen West (September 6, 2011)

Following the House plan, in a similar move this week Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that Senate Republicans will also hold a series of informal sessions over the course of the next month.

Majority of Americans believe Washington needs a pay cut

Natalie Gonnella
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After weeks of dramatic debate, poor approval ratings and the threat of fiscal default, an overwhelming majority of Americans feel that until the federal budget is balanced elected leaders are in need of serious cut in pay.

According to the latest telephone survey from Rasmussen Reports

82% [of Likely Voters] believe members of Congress should take a 25% pay cut until the federal budget is balanced. Only 14% disagree. 

In August of last year , 75% of Likely Voters said more generally that Congress should cut its own pay until the federal budget is balanced. 

 Nearly half of voters (48%) also believe the president should take a 50% pay cut until the federal budget is balanced. But 41% don’t share that view, while 11% more are undecided.

And when it comes to federal pensions, Americans remain less than impressed. Overall, regardless of whether the budget is ever balanced, almost two-thirds of voters don't believe lawmakers should receive a government pensions upon leaving office. And when it comes to the Commander in Chief just over half of Americans are also against the nearly $200,000 a year pension granted to US presidents.

Interestingly, although there is no partisan disagreement over whether Congress should take a pay cut, when it comes to the president, 57% of Democrats think a reduction in revenue is a bad idea.

As Washington prepares for the next phase of the budget battle, the full results of latest Rasmussen survey are available to view here.