How to get the money back

A plan to recoup millions of dollars of American International Group bonuses by taxing them into oblivion has put top Republicans on opposite sides of a riddle: When is a tax hike not a tax hike?

House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) said that he hasn’t made up his mind about the plan — first proposed Tuesday by senior members of the Senate Finance Committee and given a full-throated endorsement by Democratic House leaders Wednesday evening — but that he’s sure that raising taxes on AIG’s bonus recipients isn’t, you know, a tax hike.

“I don’t know [that] anybody would look at that as a tax increase,” Boehner told POLITICO Wednesday.

But Jeb Hensarling would.

The Texas Republican — who until recently was the chairman of the Republican Study Committee — said a tax hike is a tax hike, even if the taxes being hiked are on somebody you don’t like.

“You know, this is the wrong instrument to go around and say [about] people that do things that are reprehensible, ‘I’m just going to tax them,’” Hensarling said. “Who’s up tomorrow? You know, a lot of my colleagues vote on reprehensible legislation — when I’m in power, should I vote to increase their taxes 100 percent?”

Leaders of the Senate Finance Committee are putting together a bill that would impose a 35 percent excise tax on AIG on bonuses greater than $50,000, force the company to be responsible for paying taxes for foreign employees who received the bonuses, and tax by 20 percent any deferred compensation that exceeds $1 million. House leaders are moving forward with similar legislation, which could hit the floor this week.
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Tedisco downplays GOP ties

Republican Jim Tedisco is trying to shed his partisan affiliation and connect himself to President Obama in his latest ad – his first TV spot since announcing that he would be running a more positive campaign last week.

“Like the president said, in these difficult times, we’re not Republicans or Democrats, we’re Americans.” Tedisco says in his latest ad. “And that’s the team I’m on.”
We'll see if the bipartisan theme sticks: In the state Assembly, Tedisco is not just a Republican but the leader of his party. When he announced his campaign, he highlighted his record of taking on former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, and blocking some of his proposals -- particularly, his plan to give drivers' licenses to illegal immigrants.
The advertisement comes just after he announced that he would have opposed the president’s stimulus package after spending weeks refusing to take a position on the legislation.
The district, vacated by now-Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, is the most Republican district in New York based on registration figures, but gave President Obama 51 percent of the vote last year.

Tedisco is running against Democrat Scott Murphy for the special election to fill the seat, which will be held on March 31.

Museum finds "secret" message in Lincoln's watch

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A gold watch owned by Abraham Lincoln bears a message marking the start of the U.S. Civil War, but the president never knew of the "secret" inscription uncovered on Tuesday at the National Museum of American History.

The engraving, by watchmaker Jonathan Dillon, is dated April 13, 1861, and reads in part: "Fort Sumpter was attacked by the rebels" and "thank God we have a government."

The museum said it agreed to open the watch to find out if the message really was there after it was contacted by the watchmaker's great-great-grandson, Doug Stiles of Waukegan, Illinois.

The American Civil War began when Confederate troops opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, on April 12, 1861.

Forty-five years later, Dillon the watchmaker told The New York Times that he was repairing Lincoln's watch when he heard that the first shots of the Civil War had been fired.

Dillon said he unscrewed the dial of the watch and used a sharp instrument to mark the historic day on the president's watch. He told the newspaper that, as far as he knew, no one had ever seen the inscription.

"Lincoln never knew of the message he carried in his pocket," Brent Glass, director of the National Museum of American History said in a statement. "It's a personal side of history about an ordinary watchman being inspired to record something for posterity."

Lincoln was elected the 16th president of the United States in November 1860. In the leadup to the Civil War, South Carolina and six other states seceded from the Union before Lincoln's inauguration in March 1861.

End the Use of Chimps in Research

Watch Our Video, Then Take Action

A nine-month-long undercover investigation by The HSUS has exposed the mistreatment of nearly 300 chimpanzees and other primates at the New Iberia Research Center (NIRC) in Louisiana. These chimps, living lives of deprivation and misery, are among the more than 1,000 chimps languishing in laboratories across the United States. Chimps, our closet genetic relative, are complex, social, and long-lived creatures. Many chimps currently warehoused in research facilities have lived for decades behind bars. Especially heartbreaking are stories of the 26 elder chimps at NIRC, who were taken from their mothers in the wild.

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Hypocrisy Alert: 32 House Republicans Take Credit for the Economic Bills They Opposed

DCCC press:
The House Republicans' Hypocrisy Hall of Fame is getting jam-packed as even more Republicans - 32 and counting - are celebrating the benefits of President Obama's economic recovery bill and the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations bill in their districts even though they voted against it in Washington.

"While President Obama and Democrats are investing in success, more and more House Republicans are banking on failure. Republicans who say one thing in Washington and another in their districts will be held accountable," said Jennifer Crider, Communications Director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "Americans are tired of cynical Republicans playing partisan games on the economy, they want action. No wonder recent polls show that Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of the way Republicans in Congress are handling the economy."

House Republicans Hypocrisy Hall of Fame

House Republicans Voted Against the Economic Recovery Bill in DC, Praise It at Home:

• Representative Elton Gallegly (CA-24) - "Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Simi Valley, announced Thursday that Thousand Oaks will get $182,881 in community development block grants through the stimulus package... In addition to the stimulus money, Gallegly's office said money for other local projects has been included in a separate funding bill the House passed Wednesday." [Ventura County Star; 2/27/09]

• Representative Howard "Buck" McKeon (CA-25) - "Rep. Howard P. ‘Buck' McKeon (R-Santa Clarita) called the bill ‘not the example of fiscal restraint that we need right now.' Yet it includes McKeon earmarks such as $333,000 to assist Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in designing and building a helipad and $167,000 for the Autry National Center of the American West to help pay for a new Southwest museum facility." [Los Angeles Times; 3/5/09]

• Representative Jerry Lewis (CA-41) - "Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Redlands) declared: ‘I'm embarrassed by this omnibus spending bill.' Yet the top Republican on the House Appropriations Committee secured more than $18 million in earmarks." [Los Angeles Times; 3/5/09]

• Representative George Radanovich (CA-19) - "Rep. George Radanovich (R-Mariposa) issued a statement on Feb. 4 declaring that he would forego earmarks... Three weeks later, Radanovich submitted a statement to the congressional record listing nearly $6.3 million in earmarks in the omnibus spending bill." [Los Angeles Times; 3/5/09]

• Representative Tom Latham (IA-04) - After voting against the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations bill, Representative Latham issued three press releases congratulating himself for securing funds for projects at home. [Representative Latham's Press Release; 3/2/09, 2/27/09, 2/27/09]

• Representative Tom Petri (WI-06) - Representative Petri is a "strong supporter of the allocation" of $754,000 to restore and maintain navigable channels in the Two Rivers harbor, as "maintaining navigable waters in the area is essential for the local economy." [Manitowoc Herald Times; 2/27/09] Representative Petri voted against the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations bill.

• Representative Steven LaTourette (OH-14) - According to a press release from Representative LaTourette's office, LaTourette said, "I know our local departments are facing rough financial times, and there have been some department layoffs and hiring freezes across the state." It then continues to say that he "is pleased that some departments will benefit from this new COPS program." [Representative LaTourette's Press Release; 2/27/09]

• Representative Dean Heller (NV-02) - "We can ill afford to lose any jobs in Nevada, or anywhere else for that matter." [Elko Daily Free Press; 2/27/09]

• Representative Aaron Schock (IL-18) - "The biodiesel plant is ready to go. I want to call for a meeting with the state to guarantee $20 million in loans for the building of the plant. This could produce real jobs and a real stimulus in the next 30 days." [Peoria Journal Star; 2/17/09]

• Representative Mary Bono Mack (CA-45) - "This funding will provide much-needed assistance to local residents who are at risk of losing their homes or experiencing homelessness... I am pleased that our community will benefit from this funding." [Representative Bono Mack's Press Release; 2/25/09]

• Representative Dave Reichert (WA-08) - "Reichert acknowledges that the stimulus bill will deliver tangible good news to his constituents... ‘I feel a responsibility at this point to make this still work.'" [Boston Globe; 2/24/09]

• Representative Mike Coffman (CO-06) - "I see myself in two roles as a congressman. I think the first role as a policymaker in Washington and the second as an advocate for people inside this district and there are elements we'll probably be discussing - the mortgage proposal - there are probably elements that I disagree with that but if there's somebody in my district eligible for that, I'll fight to make sure they get them." [KUSA-TV; Your Show; 2/22/09]

• Representative Michael McCaul (TX-10) - "I didn't support final passage but at the same time I wanted to make sure if we are spending that kind of money that much of that gets directed to Texas." [KVUE News; 2/22/09]

• Representative Glenn Thompson (PA-05) - Thompson "said he hoped the residents within the county would benefit from the plan's massive spending and tax cuts." [Daily Collegian; 2/19/09]

• Representative Denny Rehberg (MT-AL) - "I'll do anything I can to make this work." [KULR-8; 2/17/09]

• Representative Frank Lucas (OK-03) - "We all need to work very aggressively to make sure that every community that qualifies should be a recipient of whatever we can find in that bill." [Edmond Sun; 2/18/09]

• Representative Chris Lee (NY-26) - "Rep. Chris Lee was opposed to a &787 billion stimulus package signed by President Barack Obama on Tuesday but said he would now fight for funds included in the bill for his district... ‘Now that the bill is passed, I obviously want to ensure I do fight for projects in western New York,' Lee said." [Democrat and Chronicle; 2/18/09]

• Representative Adam Putnam (FL-12) - "Nine GOP House members from Florida, all stimulus no's, joined nine of their Democratic colleagues, all yesses, in asking the feds to grant a waiver giving them access to, you guessed it, hundreds of millions in state stabilization stimulus cash." [Politico; 2/19/09]

• Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18) - "Nine GOP House members from Florida, all stimulus no's, joined nine of their Democratic colleagues, all yesses, in asking the feds to grant a waiver giving them access to, you guessed it, hundreds of millions in state stabilization stimulus cash." [Politico; 2/19/09]

• Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart (FL-21) - "Nine GOP House members from Florida, all stimulus no's, joined nine of their Democratic colleagues, all yesses, in asking the feds to grant a waiver giving them access to, you guessed it, hundreds of millions in state stabilization stimulus cash." [Politico; 2/19/09]

• Representative Tom Rooney (FL-16) - "Nine GOP House members from Florida, all stimulus no's, joined nine of their Democratic colleagues, all yesses, in asking the feds to grant a waiver giving them access to, you guessed it, hundreds of millions in state stabilization stimulus cash." [Politico; 2/19/09] "'The money's coming, Rooney said. ‘So I can sit on the sidelines or I can advocate for my constituents. I think it would be irresponsible of me not to fight for what I think is important in that money.'" [Palm Beach Post; 2/22/09]

• Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25) - "Nine GOP House members from Florida, all stimulus no's, joined nine of their Democratic colleagues, all yesses, in asking the feds to grant a waiver giving them access to, you guessed it, hundreds of millions in state stabilization stimulus cash." [Politico; 2/19/09]

• Representative Ginny Brown-Waite (FL-05) - "Nine GOP House members from Florida, all stimulus no's, joined nine of their Democratic colleagues, all yesses, in asking the feds to grant a waiver giving them access to, you guessed it, hundreds of millions in state stabilization stimulus cash." [Politico; 2/19/09]

• Representative Cliff Stearns (FL-06) - "Nine GOP House members from Florida, all stimulus no's, joined nine of their Democratic colleagues, all yesses, in asking the feds to grant a waiver giving them access to, you guessed it, hundreds of millions in state stabilization stimulus cash." [Politico; 2/19/09]

• Representative Bill Posey (FL-15) - "Nine GOP House members from Florida, all stimulus no's, joined nine of their Democratic colleagues, all yesses, in asking the feds to grant a waiver giving them access to, you guessed it, hundreds of millions in state stabilization stimulus cash." [Politico; 2/19/09]

• Representative Pete Hoekstra (MI-02) - "If you know of someone thinking of buying first home, now may be the time. Stimulus incentive is very generous! Up to 8k! Check it out." [Representative Pete Hoekstra's Twitter page; 2/18/09]

• Representative Leonard Lance (NJ-07) - "Officials are hoping more federal money will soon be flowing to the Green Brook Flood Control Project. Under the terms of the stimulus plan signed into law Tuesday by President Barack Obama, infrastructure projects that are "shovel-ready" could be the first to be funded with economic recovery money. That's the hope of Rep. Leonard Lance, R-Clinton Township...'This is a classic example of a ‘shovel-ready' project,' Lance said after the tour." [mycentraljersey.com; 2/17/09]

• Representative Greg Walden (OR-02) - "I figure my job is to try and do whatever I can to clear the hurdles and get the projects going and the people back to work using these funds." [Mail Tribune; 2/19/09]

• Representative Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-09) - "Luetkemeyer said the project is considered ‘shovel ready' and that's what the economy needs. President Darrell Krueger and Luetkemeyer discussed the educational benefits of the economic stimulus package." [KTVO-TV, 2/16/09]

• Representative Don Young (AK-AL) - "Alaskan Congressman Don Young won a victory for the Alaska Native contracting program and other Alaska small business owners last night in H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. [Congressman Don Young's Press Release; 2/13/09]

• Representative Ken Calvert (CA-44) - "All of us in the Inland Empire will do what we can to direct as much money as we can." [The Press Enterprise; 2/13/09]

• Representative John Mica (FL-07) - "I applaud President Obama's recognition that high-speed rail should be part of America's future." [Congressman John Mica Press Release; 2/13/09] Mica was also one of "Nine GOP House members from Florida, all stimulus no's, joined nine of their Democratic colleagues, all yesses, in asking the feds to grant a waiver giving them access to, you guessed it, hundreds of millions in state stabilization stimulus cash." [Politico; 2/19/09]

Background

In the past three weeks, House Republicans unanimously voted no on the very economic recovery investments that they are boasting about. [H.R.1, #46, 1/28/09], [H.R. 1, #70, 2/13/09]

AP-GfK Poll - February 12 - February 17, 2009

• A majority of respondents said they strongly or somewhat favor the economic recovery package. [AP-GfK poll, 2/12-2/17/09]

• 59 percent of respondents said they disapprove of the way Republicans in Congress are handling the economy. [AP-GfK poll, 2/12-2/17/09]

While on the FOX News program, Glenn Beck, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said, "...I'm not going to soft pedal this with you. I'm not going to try to blow smoke either. The reality of it is, you are absolutely right. You have absolutely no reason, none, to trust our word or our actions at this point. So, yeah, it's going to be an uphill climb." [FOX News, 2/13/09]

Claire Marchand, Flute!

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