September 2nd, 2010, Washington, DC–From ALG News’ Capitol Hill Correspondent Derek Baker: 
In the Senate, just a day after Sen. Murkowski conceded to attorney Joe Miller in the Alaska Republican Senate primary, she flatly stated “no comment” when asked by a reporter if she would be endorsing her rival Republican. According to Politico, a spokesman for the Miller campaign stated they were “not trying to force the matter” and allowing as much time as necessary for Murkowski to make a decision.
Sen. Orrin Hatch penned a blog post in The Hill yesterday entitled “Time to take action against portions of healthcare law.” Hatched argued that the “job-killing employer mandate and the unconstitutional, federal individual mandate” must be repealed. Hatch has introduced legislation to repeal both provisions, adding that a “straight repeal of this legislative monstrosity would be extremely tough” with a Democrat in the White House.
Bottom Line: Murkowski’s foot-dragging on endorsing Miller just makes her look bad. No problem if it takes a few days so she can lick her wounds, but then get on with it. The same would be expected of Miller.
Hatch’s efforts against ObamaCare underscores just how unpopular the healthcare bill is months after its passage. From a messaging standpoint, Hatch is also wise to focus his primary attentions on the two most egregious provisions and call for quick repeal of both. This would essentially gut ObamaCare anyway.
In the House, GOP House Conference Chair Mike Pence stated yesterday in a CNBC appearance that one of the Republicans’ primary goals should they gain the majority would be to “make it clear that no American will see a tax increase in January of next year.” Pence and many other Republicans have pointed out that Obama’s plan to extend the Bush tax-cuts only for the “middle-class” would represent one of the largest tax increases in history and would further undermine the unstable economy. Republicans support extending current law, thus not allowing tax increases on any segment of the populace. Pence further explained, “So the first thing that we will do is try to preserve the tax relief of 2001 and 2003 for all Americans – for all small businesses and family farms. But we also want to look at the kind of across the board tax relief, the kind of tax relief that will encourage capital formation, to get this economy moving again.”
On a campaign note, a Wall Street Journal article today entitled “Outlook Dimming for Democrats” chronicles several once-safe House seats that are now in jeopardy of falling into Republican hands come November. The article also cites the latest Cook Political Report that now lists 68 Democrat House seats at “substantial risk” of being flipped. Republicans need a net pickup of 39 seats to take control of the House.
Bottom Line: Pence is sending a message not only to Obama but to weak-kneed Republicans that anything short of a full extension of the Bush tax cuts is simply a tax increase that America cannot afford. Not rich Americans, not poor Americans, not any Americans. Tax increases are bad on two points: they hurt the overall economy, and the encourage Congress to spend more on unconstitutional social engineering programs.
At the other end of the Avenue, outgoing Council of Economic Advisors Chair Christina Romer called for increased federal spending and tax cuts to help the economy going forward. In her final speech as Obama’s chief economic advisor, Romer stated “the only surefire ways for policymakers to substantially increase aggregate demand in the short run are for the government to spend more and tax less.” Romer also vigorously defended Obama’s 2009 $862 billion “stimulus” bill, claiming it contributed to a “dramatic” positive turnaround in the economy, and also stated it “made the difference between a second Great Depression and a slow but genuine recovery.”
Meanwhile, federal District Judge Martin Feldman has rejected the Obama Administration’s challenge of the lawsuit against his second moratorium on off-shore drilling. In June, Judge Feldman ruled against Obama’s first offshore drilling ban, calling statements the Obama Administration made in support of the ban “misleading” and “factually inaccurate.” The White House issued a revised ban in response to the ruling, and Judge Feldman ruled this week that the second ban is essentially the same as the first and has rejected the Obama Administration’s efforts to dismiss the lawsuit against it.
Bottom Line: Regarding Romer’s (and Obama’s) grand claims about the stimulus, the safest claim a politician can make are those that are completely impossible to prove. “If we had not passed the stimulus…” is the dire and yet triumphant cry of Democrats, warning the economy “would be even worse” than the poor state it is in now, over a year later… worse actually than when the bill passed in many respects. Bravo to Romer for pointing out the obvious and calling for tax cuts, but coupling them with even more deficit spending is a recipe for disaster that Republicans say is simply not prudent or necessary.
P.S. – Check out America Speaking Out and share your thoughts on how we can return to a limited, constitutional government.
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