We shoulda ditched Mitch when we had the chance.D
Monday, November 23, 2009
Democrats widen lead over Republican approval ratings in U.S. Congress.
We shoulda ditched Mitch when we had the chance.D
Friday, November 20, 2009
Higher-Income Tax may be needed to fund War says leading Democrat.
High-Income Tax May Be Needed for Afghan War Cost, Levin Says Share Business ExchangeTwitterFacebook| Email | Print | A A A
By Viola Gienger
Nov. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said higher-income Americans should be taxed to pay for additional troops sent to Afghanistan and that NATO should provide half of the new soldiers.
An “additional income tax to the upper brackets, folks earning more than $200,000 or $250,000,” could fund more troops, Levin, a Michigan Democrat, said in an interview for Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital With Al Hunt,” airing this weekend. White House Budget Director Peter Orszag has estimated that each additional soldier in Afghanistan could cost $1 million, for a total that could reach $40 billion if 40,000 more troops are added.
That cost, Levin said, should be paid by wealthier taxpayers. “They have done incredibly well, and I think that it’s important that we pay for it if we possibly can” instead of increasing the federal debt load, the senator said.
Other countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization should bear responsibility for delivering half the additional troops needed to secure the conflict zone and train Afghan forces, Levin said. He didn’t predict how many troops President Barack Obama would add.
Levin also said Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who has faced calls for his resignation from Republicans in Congress, should stay as long as he has Obama’s confidence. The six-term senator said the administration was right to move the prosecution of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, to federal court in New York from a military commission in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Troop Decision Near
On Afghanistan, Obama may decide within a few weeks whether to grant a request from the top commander in the field, General Stanley McChrystal, for 40,000 more troops to fight the Taliban, which harbored al-Qaeda before being toppled in the invasion following the Sept. 11 attacks. The U.S. contributes about 70,000 of the 110,000 foreign forces fighting the Afghan war.
Levin, who has supported adding U.S. troops to the war mainly to train the Afghan army and police to take over, said he might back an increase closer to 40,000 under certain conditions. They include the proportion that would be used for training, a plan for preparing enough Afghan troops and a “major program” to provide equipment to their forces.
“There’s a lot of other things involved in showing resolve beside just a troop level,” Levin said. A key element to gain support will be “that whatever is announced, it be part of a NATO-Afghan initiative,” he said.
* * *"
To contact the reporter on this story: Viola Gienger in Washington at vgienger@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: November 20, 2009 15:28 EST
By Viola Gienger
Nov. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said higher-income Americans should be taxed to pay for additional troops sent to Afghanistan and that NATO should provide half of the new soldiers.
An “additional income tax to the upper brackets, folks earning more than $200,000 or $250,000,” could fund more troops, Levin, a Michigan Democrat, said in an interview for Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital With Al Hunt,” airing this weekend. White House Budget Director Peter Orszag has estimated that each additional soldier in Afghanistan could cost $1 million, for a total that could reach $40 billion if 40,000 more troops are added.
That cost, Levin said, should be paid by wealthier taxpayers. “They have done incredibly well, and I think that it’s important that we pay for it if we possibly can” instead of increasing the federal debt load, the senator said.
Other countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization should bear responsibility for delivering half the additional troops needed to secure the conflict zone and train Afghan forces, Levin said. He didn’t predict how many troops President Barack Obama would add.
Levin also said Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who has faced calls for his resignation from Republicans in Congress, should stay as long as he has Obama’s confidence. The six-term senator said the administration was right to move the prosecution of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, to federal court in New York from a military commission in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Troop Decision Near
On Afghanistan, Obama may decide within a few weeks whether to grant a request from the top commander in the field, General Stanley McChrystal, for 40,000 more troops to fight the Taliban, which harbored al-Qaeda before being toppled in the invasion following the Sept. 11 attacks. The U.S. contributes about 70,000 of the 110,000 foreign forces fighting the Afghan war.
Levin, who has supported adding U.S. troops to the war mainly to train the Afghan army and police to take over, said he might back an increase closer to 40,000 under certain conditions. They include the proportion that would be used for training, a plan for preparing enough Afghan troops and a “major program” to provide equipment to their forces.
“There’s a lot of other things involved in showing resolve beside just a troop level,” Levin said. A key element to gain support will be “that whatever is announced, it be part of a NATO-Afghan initiative,” he said.
* * *"
To contact the reporter on this story: Viola Gienger in Washington at vgienger@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: November 20, 2009 15:28 EST
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Democrats lead Republicans nationwide 42% to 22%
Daily Kos Weekly State of the Nation Poll
Research 2000, Adults MoE 2%, Nov 09, 2009 - Nov 12, 2009 (last week's results in parentheses)
Full Crosstabs FAVORABLE UNFAVORABLE DON'T KNOW NET CHANGE
PRESIDENT OBAMA 56 (55) 38 (38) 6 (7) 1
PELOSI: 39 (38) 52 (53) 9 (9) 2
REID: 32 (33) 57 (56) 11 (11) -2
McCONNELL: 15 (16) 67 (66) 18 (18) -2
BOEHNER: 14 (15) 65 (63) 21 (22) -3
CONGRESSIONAL DEMS: 41 (40) 52 (53) 7 (7) 2
CONGRESSIONAL GOPS: 14 (15) 71 (70) 15 (15) -2
DEMOCRATIC PARTY: 43 (42) 49 (50) 8 (8) 2
REPUBLICAN PARTY: 22 (23) 67 (66) 11 (11) -2
Research 2000, Adults MoE 2%, Nov 09, 2009 - Nov 12, 2009 (last week's results in parentheses)
Full Crosstabs FAVORABLE UNFAVORABLE DON'T KNOW NET CHANGE
PRESIDENT OBAMA 56 (55) 38 (38) 6 (7) 1
PELOSI: 39 (38) 52 (53) 9 (9) 2
REID: 32 (33) 57 (56) 11 (11) -2
McCONNELL: 15 (16) 67 (66) 18 (18) -2
BOEHNER: 14 (15) 65 (63) 21 (22) -3
CONGRESSIONAL DEMS: 41 (40) 52 (53) 7 (7) 2
CONGRESSIONAL GOPS: 14 (15) 71 (70) 15 (15) -2
DEMOCRATIC PARTY: 43 (42) 49 (50) 8 (8) 2
REPUBLICAN PARTY: 22 (23) 67 (66) 11 (11) -2
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
It's Obama 55% and "Mitch" McConnell 16% in national job approval ratings.
Daily Kos Weekly State of the Nation Poll
Research 2000, Adults MoE 2%, Nov 02, 2009 - Nov 05, 2009 (last week's results in parentheses)
Full Crosstabs FAVORABLE UNFAVORABLE DON'T KNOW NET CHANGE
PRESIDENT OBAMA 55 (56) 38 (36) 7 (8) -3
PELOSI: 38 (39) 53 (53) 9 (8) -1
REID: 33 (33) 56 (55) 11 (12) -1
McCONNELL: 16 (15) 66 (67) 18 (18) 2
BOEHNER: 15 (13) 63 (64) 22 (23) 3
CONGRESSIONAL DEMS: 40 (41) 53 (52) 7 (7) -2
CONGRESSIONAL GOPS: 15 (14) 70 (71) 15 (15) 2
DEMOCRATIC PARTY: 42 (43) 50 (49) 8 (8) -2
REPUBLICAN PARTY: 23 (21) 66 (68) 11 (11) 4
Research 2000, Adults MoE 2%, Nov 02, 2009 - Nov 05, 2009 (last week's results in parentheses)
Full Crosstabs FAVORABLE UNFAVORABLE DON'T KNOW NET CHANGE
PRESIDENT OBAMA 55 (56) 38 (36) 7 (8) -3
PELOSI: 38 (39) 53 (53) 9 (8) -1
REID: 33 (33) 56 (55) 11 (12) -1
McCONNELL: 16 (15) 66 (67) 18 (18) 2
BOEHNER: 15 (13) 63 (64) 22 (23) 3
CONGRESSIONAL DEMS: 40 (41) 53 (52) 7 (7) -2
CONGRESSIONAL GOPS: 15 (14) 70 (71) 15 (15) 2
DEMOCRATIC PARTY: 42 (43) 50 (49) 8 (8) -2
REPUBLICAN PARTY: 23 (21) 66 (68) 11 (11) 4
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