When the Music’s over … Turn out the Lights
Posted: December 21, 2011 Filed under: Republican politics 15 CommentsNotice the link sources and you’ll get the drift of the title.
“The GOP’s Payroll Tax Fiasco: How did Republicans manage to lose the tax issue to Obama? ”
Rove: Republicans should fold in payroll tax cut standoff : Interview with Karl Rove at Fox News
and my final offering:
Boehner’s office cuts off C-SPAN cameras as GOP takes verbal beating
Any one heard of a speaker doing that before?
A strange thing happened Wednesday morning on Capitol Hill.
As Rep. Stenny Hoyer (D-MD) attempted to call for a vote to extend a payroll tax cut to middle class and working Americans, his Republican colleagues adjourned the House and walked out of the chamber. And if that weren’t odd enough, it got even stranger: As Hoyer railed against them for failing to help working Americans, footage from C-SPAN went silent, then cut away.
Moments later, C-SPAN took to the Internet to explain that it wasn’t their doing, but someone working for House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH).
The incident occurred mere moments after the House went into session. Hoyer made a motion for a vote on the Senate’s payroll tax cut extension, which would extend the lower rates for another two months, but the Republican presiding over the House did not acknowledge the motion. He instead adjourned the House, then got up and walked out.
“As you walk off the floor, Mr. Speaker, you’re walking away, just as so many Republicans have walked away from taxpayers, the unemployed, and very frankly, as well, from those who will be seeking medical assistance from their doctors, 48 million senior citizens,” Hoyer can be heard saying.
“We regret, Mr. Speaker, that you have walked off the platform without addressing the issue of critical importance to this country, and that is the continuation of the middle class tax cut, the continuation of unemployment benefits for those at risk of losing them, and a continuation of the access to doctors for all those 48 million seniors who rely on them daily for help.”
And that’s when the audio cut out. Seconds later, footage faded to a shot of the capitol from outside.
Moments later, someone at C-SPAN took to Twitter and explained: “C-SPAN has no control over the U.S. House TV cameras – the Speaker of the House does.”
It’s for reasons just like this, one might infer, that Boehner told C-SPAN back in February it would not be allowed control its own cameras.
Some times you just have to let an event just politics flow all over you. (Apologies to the script writers of the Big Chill.)
peej
Carissa
bostonboomer
ecocatwoman
mablue2
Mama Lopez
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
Elephant brawls are too entertaining.
I think Boehner isn’t in charge of his caucus.
He’s definitely not in charge. I’ll bet he’s about to pull his hair out over the asshats he has to deal with. He’s gotta be miserable.
He’s tap dancing as fast as he can. My dad bought the meme on doing it for 12 months instead of 2 since it would disturb the ‘Job Creators’. I had to tell him they about the other hundred or so poison pills in the house version. He had no idea. Evidently fox news must be doing their job still.
That “job creator” junk just won’t go away. It’s been discredited and discredited and the msm just keeps spewing that bull. Yep, Fox is not gonna quit.
They just keep on flogging these dead horses but creating zombie memes. My dad’s a diehard republican and he just wants to believe them.
That’s an interesting turn of events. Has anyone checked the Federal Register?
I may do some checking. According to CSPAN, Boehner asked to have their feed switch turned over to him when he took office so it must not have been going on during the Pelosi years.
I don’t know. I think they have had it under their control to direct and edit, since C-Span was taken over and is now delivered by “for profit” distributers as an extra to DISH and CABLE subscribers. It would be the same as removing an unruly citizen from the gallery.
OT but this story has everything. Tales of romance, sacrifice, and one of the more bizarre domestic tableaux ever uncovered by FBI wiretaps. It’s a potboiler.
After Resigning, Tearful Senator Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes
I need some help understanding how anyone is a winner with this payroll tax cut. Seems to me the best course of action is reinstatement of this particular tax to its pre 2011 levels. How does this help anyone but the Norquist types, who are going to get their wish when the social security fund really is empty. I have not had time to pay close attention lately, but it certainly seems to me that we have gone down the rabbit hole.
The funds are being replaced directly from the general funds. Norquist was against this because the really rich don’t pay most of their income into the trust. it isn’t pulling either fund down. It is just using funds from the general budget instead of contributions from workers. It is also not the entire contribution but about a third.
The Social Security fund isn’t empty either. Far from it.
OK, so if I understand you correctly, the Payroll Tax Cut that has been in effect and just renewed simply makes the contribution to the SS fund from the general tax fund. So, assuming I earned the same amount in both 2010 and 2011, the contribution made on my behalf is the same for both years. It’s just that the 1/3 (using your approximation) did not come from my pay checks in 2011. Correct?
yes