Month: August 2014

Deficit Continues to Drop But Low Corporate Tax Rates Threaten Outlook

Jon Ponder

Los Angeles Times:

The federal deficit continues to decline thanks to budget cuts and slower growth in Medicare costs, but lower than expected corporate tax revenues dimmed some of the improved outlook, according to a report Wednesday from the Congressional Budget Office…

Declining corporate tax revenues are largely to blame for a $26 billion dip in overall revenue projections from the non-partisan budget office’s April forecast, and the budget director called the change not particularly large, but “notable.”

McConnell: If GOP Wins the Senate We Will Shut Down Government

Buck Banks

So in the House and Senate, we own the budget. So what does that mean? That means that we can pass the spending bill. And I assure you that in the spending bill, we will be pushing back against this bureaucracy by doing what’s called placing riders in the bill. No money can be spent to do this or to do that. We’re going to go after them on healthcare, on financial services, on the Environmental Protection Agency, across the board (inaudible). All across the federal government, we’re going to go after it …

— Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), telling a room of conservative activists how Republicans will shut down parts of the government if they gain control of the U.S. Senate on an audio tape acquired by The Nation.

Sophie’s Choice, in Reverse

Trish

This is part of Florida’s long, proud of history of only embarrassing itself when we’re sure everyone else is watching.

— Scott Maxwell, columnist for the Orlando Sentinel, advising Floridians on how to survive the next two months, in which the contest for governor between incumbent Rick Scott and former Charlie Crist will feel like choosing, “between rug burn or road rash.”

Rand Paul Labels Hillary Clinton a ‘War Hawk’

Buck Banks

I think that’s what scares the Democrats the most, is that in a general election, were I to run, there’s going to be a lot of independents and even some Democrats who say, ‘You know what? We are tired of war. We’re worried that Hillary Clinton will get us involved in another Middle Eastern war, because she’s so gung-ho.

— Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), quoted by the Associated Press, labeling Hillary Clinton a “war hawk.”