Jay Carney led the daily White House briefing. Most questions were related to President Obama's request to Congress for a joint session on September 7, 2011, to talk about his jobs plan, and his overall economic agenda.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Which Mitt? Romney Shifting on Climate Change
Mitt Romney lately has found himself taking hits from both Republicans and Democrats Friday over his position on climate change, which both sides say has changed over the past few months.
On Thursday, the former Massachusetts governor told voters at a campaign event in Pittsburgh that he didn't know what was causing climate change.
"My view is that we don't know what's causing climate change on this planet," Romney said. "And the idea of spending trillions and trillions of dollars to try to reduce CO2 emissions is not the right course for us."
Romney's opponents quickly noted that his stance seems to have changed, using comments Romney had made in the past to support the notion he was flip-flopping on the issue.
Perry's campaign and the Democratic National Committee highlighted a statement Romney made when speaking to voters in New Hampshire in June, when he said "I believe based on what I read that the world is getting warmer. And number two, I believe that humans contribute to that."
In a statement, Perry's spokesman said the comments reflected a substantial change in position.
The DNC produced a web video using a similar criticism, punctuated with the question, "Which Mitt?"
Romney's campaign said that the governor's full quote provided more context.
"I don't speak for the scientific community, of course, but I believe the world's getting warmer," Romney said in June. "I can't prove that, but I believe based on what I read that the world is getting warmer. And number two; I believe that humans contribute to that. I don't know how much our contribution is to that, because I know that there have been periods of greater heat and warmth in the past but I believe we contribute to that. And so I think it's important for us to reduce our emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases that may well be significant contributors to the climate change and the global warming that you're seeing."
Between the comments in June and his comments Thursday, Romney has taken a skeptical approach to climate change. On Aug. 8, Romney told a group in Nashua, New Hampshire, "I'm not a scientist. I think the Earth is probably getting warmer, but I'm not sure how much we contribute to it."
A few weeks later, on Aug. 24, Romney's expressed similar skepticism at an event in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
"Do I think the world's getting hotter? Yeah, I don't know that but I think that it is," he said. "I don't know if it's mostly caused by humans."
He continued, "What I'm not willing to do is spend trillions of dollars on something I don't know the answer to."
On Thursday, the former Massachusetts governor told voters at a campaign event in Pittsburgh that he didn't know what was causing climate change.
"My view is that we don't know what's causing climate change on this planet," Romney said. "And the idea of spending trillions and trillions of dollars to try to reduce CO2 emissions is not the right course for us."
Romney's opponents quickly noted that his stance seems to have changed, using comments Romney had made in the past to support the notion he was flip-flopping on the issue.
Perry's campaign and the Democratic National Committee highlighted a statement Romney made when speaking to voters in New Hampshire in June, when he said "I believe based on what I read that the world is getting warmer. And number two, I believe that humans contribute to that."
In a statement, Perry's spokesman said the comments reflected a substantial change in position.
The DNC produced a web video using a similar criticism, punctuated with the question, "Which Mitt?"
Romney's campaign said that the governor's full quote provided more context.
"I don't speak for the scientific community, of course, but I believe the world's getting warmer," Romney said in June. "I can't prove that, but I believe based on what I read that the world is getting warmer. And number two; I believe that humans contribute to that. I don't know how much our contribution is to that, because I know that there have been periods of greater heat and warmth in the past but I believe we contribute to that. And so I think it's important for us to reduce our emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases that may well be significant contributors to the climate change and the global warming that you're seeing."
Between the comments in June and his comments Thursday, Romney has taken a skeptical approach to climate change. On Aug. 8, Romney told a group in Nashua, New Hampshire, "I'm not a scientist. I think the Earth is probably getting warmer, but I'm not sure how much we contribute to it."
A few weeks later, on Aug. 24, Romney's expressed similar skepticism at an event in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
"Do I think the world's getting hotter? Yeah, I don't know that but I think that it is," he said. "I don't know if it's mostly caused by humans."
He continued, "What I'm not willing to do is spend trillions of dollars on something I don't know the answer to."
White House Daily Breifing (December13, 2010)
Robert Gibbs spoke to reporters and answered questions on a number of issues including the ruling by a federal judge that portions of the health care reform act was unconstitutional, Senate consideration of the new START, and congressional consideration of a deal to extend tax cuts and unemployment benefits.
Create Jobs for USA Intiative
Mark Pinsky talked about Starbucks Coffee Company teaming up with Opportunity Finance Network to launch Create Jobs for USA. Create Jobs for USA will pool donations from Starbucks customers, partners (employees) and concerned citizens into a nationwide fund for community business lending.
Iowa Still Anybodys Race to Win
Just two months before the GOP nomination voting begins, Iowa's presidential caucuses are any Republican candidate's to win. Republicans aren't really leaning toward former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney even though he's essentially been running for president since losing in the state in 2008. This time, none of his opponents have emerged as the consensus candidate of conservatives, however that could soon change.
Sensing an opening, Romney is stepping up his Iowa campaign and talking about winning the state after months of taking a more low-key approach. He probably will return to Iowa in November and hold a conference call with thousands of Iowa GOP caucus-goers.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, casting himself as the conservative option, is starting to confront Romney. With $15 million in the bank, Perry started running a TV ad last week that, without mentioning Romney challenges Romney's efforts to portray himself as the strongest candidate on the economy.
"I'll create at least 2 1/2 million new jobs, and I know something about that," Perry says in the ad that highlights Texas job creation.
Businessman Herman Cain, a political outsider enjoying a burst of momentum, has begun to focus more on Iowa, adding staff and visiting the state recently for the first time in 10 weeks. He's popular for his business background and plain-spoken speaking style. However he's far behind in building an Iowa campaign and he's under attack by conservatives for referring recently to abortion as a choice. But he trails both Romney and Perry in fundraising by the millions.
The up-for-grabs nature of the Iowa race matters nationally because the outcome on Jan. 3 will shape what happens in the states that vote next -- New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida -- and beyond.
As it stands now, Iowa reflects the Republican Party's lack of clarity when it comes to the crowded GOP field and its increasingly urgent search for a candidate who can defeat Democratic President Barack Obama next fall.
Large numbers of Iowa Republicans are undecided and just starting to tune into the race in earnest. Fewer than 20 of Iowa's 76 Republican legislators have publicly declared their support for a candidate, and no single candidate has a clear edge among those who have picked sides. At this point four years ago, nearly all lawmakers had endorsed someone. Critical groups of activists also are waiting to rally behind a candidate, too.
Iowa's evangelical pastors, influential among a part of the GOP base, are divided. So are home-school advocates.
Most of the 2012 candidates, but not Romney, courted Christian conservatives at a forum on values last weekend. The all-out effort to court social conservative is partly why Romney is recalibrating his approach toward Iowa, where he's only made three visits this year. He has been reached out quietly to past supporters and working to cast himself as the candidate with the strongest economic credentials. Unlike in 2008, he's not overtly competing for the love of social conservatives. These voters, a potent bloc in the caucuses, have had doubts about his Mormon faith and his reversals on several social issues.
Romney is the only major candidate who hasn't committed to appearing in Iowa at Tuesday's forum on manufacturing hosted by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad in Pella or the state GOP dinner Friday in Des Moines.
He has little choice given that he's lagging in state polls, facing challenges from the right and fighting with rivals for the backing of social conservatives. The former Texas agriculture commissioner and Air Force officer is trying to broad his appeal, reaching out to veterans and farmers as he looks to cobble together a winning coalition and stop Romney.
Sensing an opening, Romney is stepping up his Iowa campaign and talking about winning the state after months of taking a more low-key approach. He probably will return to Iowa in November and hold a conference call with thousands of Iowa GOP caucus-goers.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, casting himself as the conservative option, is starting to confront Romney. With $15 million in the bank, Perry started running a TV ad last week that, without mentioning Romney challenges Romney's efforts to portray himself as the strongest candidate on the economy.
"I'll create at least 2 1/2 million new jobs, and I know something about that," Perry says in the ad that highlights Texas job creation.
Businessman Herman Cain, a political outsider enjoying a burst of momentum, has begun to focus more on Iowa, adding staff and visiting the state recently for the first time in 10 weeks. He's popular for his business background and plain-spoken speaking style. However he's far behind in building an Iowa campaign and he's under attack by conservatives for referring recently to abortion as a choice. But he trails both Romney and Perry in fundraising by the millions.
The up-for-grabs nature of the Iowa race matters nationally because the outcome on Jan. 3 will shape what happens in the states that vote next -- New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida -- and beyond.
As it stands now, Iowa reflects the Republican Party's lack of clarity when it comes to the crowded GOP field and its increasingly urgent search for a candidate who can defeat Democratic President Barack Obama next fall.
Iowa's evangelical pastors, influential among a part of the GOP base, are divided. So are home-school advocates.
Most of the 2012 candidates, but not Romney, courted Christian conservatives at a forum on values last weekend. The all-out effort to court social conservative is partly why Romney is recalibrating his approach toward Iowa, where he's only made three visits this year. He has been reached out quietly to past supporters and working to cast himself as the candidate with the strongest economic credentials. Unlike in 2008, he's not overtly competing for the love of social conservatives. These voters, a potent bloc in the caucuses, have had doubts about his Mormon faith and his reversals on several social issues.
Romney is the only major candidate who hasn't committed to appearing in Iowa at Tuesday's forum on manufacturing hosted by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad in Pella or the state GOP dinner Friday in Des Moines.
He has little choice given that he's lagging in state polls, facing challenges from the right and fighting with rivals for the backing of social conservatives. The former Texas agriculture commissioner and Air Force officer is trying to broad his appeal, reaching out to veterans and farmers as he looks to cobble together a winning coalition and stop Romney.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Republican Leadership Conference
The 2011 Republican Leadership Conference held its 3-day conference in New Orleans, which brought 2,000 Republicans from around the country to listen to conservative officials, candidates, and activists, speak about new initiatives of the GOP.
Perry Set to Unveil Flat Tax Plan Sometime Next WeeK
Wanting to reinvigorate his Republican presidential campaign, GOP hopeful Texas Gov. Rick Perry is set to reveal his plan to simplify the federal tax code with a flat income tax rate. This is a proposal that has energized conservatives in the past but failed to gain mainstream support.
Perry entered the presidential race as the expected frontrunner in August but has stumbled in his first few debates. He is hoping his plan will recapture that early momentum his campaign had early on, much in the same way that Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 plan helped position him to the front of the GOP field. Lately however, Cain’s plan has come under intense scrutiny and intense criticism, forcing the former pizza executive to redefine the plan to make it fairer for the poor.
Perry campaign aides have yet to unveil details of his plan yet but Perry said this week his plan will be "flatter and fairer" than Cain's. Sarah Palin endorsed the plan, telling Fox News it’s “going to gain momentum.” But liberal groups have quickly criticized Perry's plan, saying it would raise taxes on lower- and middle-income Americans while giving breaks to the wealthiest.
While many variations exist, the main idea is to replace the current stair-step range of income tax rates with one rate, paid by everyone. Advocates typically call for eliminating some or all of the existing tax deductions, such as those allowed for mortgage interest payments, gifts to charity and some medical costs.
Perry's plan will differ from Herman Cain's so-called 9-9-9 plan because it will not call for a national sales tax. Cain, whose presidential bid has prospered lately, wants a 9 percent flat tax on personal and corporate income, as well as a 9 percent national sales tax. Criticisms of a flat tax focus on its full or partial elimination of the progressive nature of the current tax code. In a progressive system, higher earners pay higher tax rates on their income.
Under a pure flat tax, with no exemptions or deductions, individuals who earns $200,000 a year would pay exactly 10 times the amount of tax paid by someone who earns $20,000 a year. All income would be subject to one flat rate. Under a progressive system, even if there were no exemptions or deductions to help poorer people, the $200,000 earner would pay more than 10 times the amount of tax paid by the $20,000 earner. That's because he pays higher rates on the upper portions of his income.
Supporters of progressive income tax systems say the feature is important to social fairness because other taxes tend to be regressive. For instance, a 5 percent state sales tax hits lower-income people proportionately harder than high earners because they must spend a larger portion of their income on necessities. That leaves them less able to save, invest or otherwise protect their income from the sales tax. Payroll taxes, gasoline levies and other taxes also tend to be regressive because they essentially are flat.
Perry entered the presidential race as the expected frontrunner in August but has stumbled in his first few debates. He is hoping his plan will recapture that early momentum his campaign had early on, much in the same way that Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 plan helped position him to the front of the GOP field. Lately however, Cain’s plan has come under intense scrutiny and intense criticism, forcing the former pizza executive to redefine the plan to make it fairer for the poor.
Perry campaign aides have yet to unveil details of his plan yet but Perry said this week his plan will be "flatter and fairer" than Cain's. Sarah Palin endorsed the plan, telling Fox News it’s “going to gain momentum.” But liberal groups have quickly criticized Perry's plan, saying it would raise taxes on lower- and middle-income Americans while giving breaks to the wealthiest.
While many variations exist, the main idea is to replace the current stair-step range of income tax rates with one rate, paid by everyone. Advocates typically call for eliminating some or all of the existing tax deductions, such as those allowed for mortgage interest payments, gifts to charity and some medical costs.
Perry's plan will differ from Herman Cain's so-called 9-9-9 plan because it will not call for a national sales tax. Cain, whose presidential bid has prospered lately, wants a 9 percent flat tax on personal and corporate income, as well as a 9 percent national sales tax. Criticisms of a flat tax focus on its full or partial elimination of the progressive nature of the current tax code. In a progressive system, higher earners pay higher tax rates on their income.
Under a pure flat tax, with no exemptions or deductions, individuals who earns $200,000 a year would pay exactly 10 times the amount of tax paid by someone who earns $20,000 a year. All income would be subject to one flat rate. Under a progressive system, even if there were no exemptions or deductions to help poorer people, the $200,000 earner would pay more than 10 times the amount of tax paid by the $20,000 earner. That's because he pays higher rates on the upper portions of his income.Supporters of progressive income tax systems say the feature is important to social fairness because other taxes tend to be regressive. For instance, a 5 percent state sales tax hits lower-income people proportionately harder than high earners because they must spend a larger portion of their income on necessities. That leaves them less able to save, invest or otherwise protect their income from the sales tax. Payroll taxes, gasoline levies and other taxes also tend to be regressive because they essentially are flat.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)