Dems Finish Frustrating Year in DC

In face of Super PACs, Obama cuts off committees

(NEWSER) - For Democrats who President Obama showered with cash in 2008 and 2010, well, they'd better get ready to raise their own darn money this time around. As in the last two election cycles, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi recently asked the Obama for America campaign and the Democratic National Committee for $30 million for the Democrats' senatorial and congressional campaign committees, Politico reports. But in meetings last week with top Obama aides, Reid and Pelosi were told that this time they were out of luck. More»

House Republicans revolt, call for conference committee

(NEWSER) - House Republicans didn’t hold their expected vote on the Senate’s two-month payroll tax cut extension last night, a hairpin turn so abrupt that Politico ’s story on it is headlined, “Has John Boehner Lost Control?” The House had planned to vote down the Senate bill and push for a full-year extension, but members objected that doing so would compromise their pledge against voting for tax hikes. Instead, the House will hold a procedural vote this morning to send the matter into a conference committee with the Senate. More»

Harry Reid meanwhile reportedly upset about Obama's jobs bill

(NEWSER) - Is President Obama facing a revolt from his Democratic generals? Nancy Pelosi certainly doesn’t seem happy. She offered a surprisingly blunt critique of the president and his team recently, buried within this Howard Kurtz Newsweek piece on Obama’s newfound populist punch. “I think you need to talk about how poorly they do on message,” Pelosi grouses. “They can’t see around corners; they anticipate nothing." More»

(NEWSER) - John Boehner was a late addition to Fox News Sunday today, and painted a two-step deal as the only alternative left. "It's not physically possible to do all of this in one step," Boehner told Chris Wallace, advocating a short-term fix through early next year; President Obama has vowed to veto any deal that doesn't extend to 2013. "I know the president is worried about his next re-election, but, my God, shouldn’t we be worried about the country?" Boehner said. The speaker said he'll put forth a plan based on the House's Cap, Cut, and Balance plan, and said Republicans are "prepared to move on our own." He added that his last offer to the White House of $800 billion in revenue was "still on the table." Elsewhere on the Sunday debt-ceiling dial, as per Politico: More»

Sides will have just enough time to talk at each other

(NEWSER) - After weeks of delays, Barack Obama will finally sit down with Republican leadership this morning, but it won’t be the relaxed beer-summit-esque session he’d hoped for. Instead, Obama, accompanied by Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and others will meet with Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, and others for somewhere between 60 and 90 minutes—which, Politico observes, is “scarcely enough time for Obama and the congressional leaders, all known for their prolixity, to make their opening statements.” More»