Tell Republicans to stop holding the payroll tax cut hostage | DCCC

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Democratic, Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell, Party leaders of the United States Senate, Payroll tax, payroll tax cut, petition, Republican, Republicans, Tax, United States Congress

This petition goes directly to the GOP leadership and tells them to quit playing politics and to do their job!  Unless the payroll tax bill is passed, most of us will see our taxes increased by a thousand dollars.  Click the link below to add your name and tell Congress to get to work for us:

Tell Republicans to stop holding the payroll tax cut hostage | DCCC.

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The Battle for Power Begins

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earmarks, Jim DeMint, Mitch McConnell, Party leaders of the United States Senate, Republican, Senate, South Carolina

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You knew it would happen after this election:  the newly-elected “Tea Party” Republicans would begin their push for control of their party up against the entrenched members who have enjoyed their power and all its benefits.

The first shots in the battle for who will ultimately rule the Republican Party in the Senate were fired over, you guessed it, earmarks…and this battle promises to be interesting pitting two powerful Senators against each other.

Earmarks, to remind you, are monies inserted into legislation for projects in a legislator’s home state…it’s a way to keep people back home happy and, until the recent financial meltdown, to make sure of re-election.

South Carolina’s Jim DeMint is proposing a ban on Senate earmarking.  Demint, in case you didn’t know, has been a big supporter of fiscal conservatism and candidates who espouse the idea of smaller government and less spending.  So it’s no surprise that six new GOP senators – five of whom DeMint supported in the elections – have already signed onto DeMint’s proposal.

On the other side is minority leader Mitch McConnell, among others, who don’t see the need to cut pet projects out of the loop.  The divide is one of many to come.

Even though the vote on banning earmarks, if it happens, will be done in secret and will be non-binding, the issue is one of principal and the outcome will define the Republicans for the next few years.

Read the details here:  Earmark dispute splits GOP senators – Politics – Capitol Hill – msnbc.com.

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• Earmark dispute splits GOP senators (msnbc.msn.com)
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McConnell Calls Out Baucus on “Gag Order”

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gag order, government, government and politics, government gag order, health care, health care reform, healthcare, Humana, Max Baucus, Mitch McConnell, Politics

Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell calls Senate Finance Chair Max Baucus out for influencing the government's decision to gag insurers. Baucus plan will cut Medicare Advantage program over 10 years.

Painting a threatening picture for American freedom in the future if a company (or an individual for that matter) “disagrees with a powerful Senator,” Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell sharply rebuked fellow Senator Max Baucus for his influence in a government decision to prohibit health insurers from providing their Medicare customers with information about how the proposed reform legislation will impact or cut their Medicare benefits.

Without referring to the Montana Democrat directly by name, but instead calling Baucus “the Chairman’s Mark” (a direct reference to Baucus’ controversial Finance Committee bill), Republican McConnell accused Baucus of violations of the First Amendment “to squelch free speech.”

Baucus’ legislation will cut Medicare Advantage benefits if it becomes law.

Humana, a provider based in McConnell’s home state of Kentucky, sent out letters to its Medicare customers warning of the cuts to their benefits if the Baucus bill passes Congress and is signed into law.

Baucus urged what he called “scare tactics” to stop and, on Monday, CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), which oversees Medicare, ordered an investigation of Humana and also warned other insurers about mailings to their customers about proposed healthcare legislation.

Although CMS says it was already investigating Humana before Baucus urged them to get involved, McConnell is not buying it.

“Is this what we’ve come to in America?” McConnell pressed his fellow Senators on the floor, “that any health provider that disagrees with a powerful Senator (referring to Baucus) will be treated?…to squelch free speech.”

Medicare Advantage is coverage provided for people who qualify for Medicare which comes through private providers.  Under Baucus’ program, this popular program will be sharply cut back, denying those who already have it or want it.  So much for the Democrats’ claim that “if you like what you have, you’ll be able to keep it.”