Congress

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Cuomo Dismisses GOP Calls for Clinton Probe As 'Spitball Contest'
November 14th, 2017 4:35 PM
On Tuesday's New Day, CNN host Chris Cuomo and Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan got into a contentious debate over whether the Justice Department should appoint a special counsel to investigate Hillary Clinton over the Uranium One deal, and over the issue of the Clinton campaign seeking out information on Donald Trump from Russia. Cuomo was dismissive of the Republican effort, calling it a "…

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Morning Joe: Republican Tax Reform ‘Biggest Heist in History’
November 13th, 2017 3:43 PM
On Monday’s Morning Joe, the panel brought on liberal economist Jeffrey Sachs to talk about the Republican tax reform bill currently making its way through Congress. Somewhat predictably, Sachs used his platform to attack the plan as a form of “theft,” the “biggest heist in history,” and a plot by America’s “richest gazillionaires” to “bankrupt” the country for their own personal enrichment.…

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Fox Biz Host Scolds Dem Over Talking Points; He Vows Not to Return
November 11th, 2017 11:56 PM
On the Fox Business Network on Tuesday, Happening Now host Melissa Francis would not let her Democratic Party guest get away with refusing to answer her question about tax reform. Eventually, she goaded former Clinton adviser Simon Rosenberg into acknowledging that he was refusing to answer her question (then why did he appear in what he knew was a discussion segment?); when she wouldn't move on…

Paul's Neighbors Push Back Against Media Reports About 'Altercation'
November 9th, 2017 12:58 PM
Many of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul's neighbors are hotly disputing Louisville Courier Journal and New York Times reports which characterized the Friday assault on the Republican Senator as being the result of "petty arguments over misplaced lawn trimmings and branches" and "a landscaping dispute," respectively. Among their objections: The Courier Journal's Thomas Novelly described the attack,…
Ignorance Versus Stupidity
November 8th, 2017 12:32 AM
One of the most challenging and important jobs for an economics professor is to teach students how little we know and can possibly know. My longtime friend and colleague Dr. Thomas Sowell says, "It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance." Nobel laureate Friedrich August von Hayek admonished, "The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little…

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MSNBC's Heilemann Slams 'Giant Scam' NRA, 'Cowardice' of Congress
November 7th, 2017 11:06 PM
Appearing as a panel member on Tuesday's Deadline: White House, MSNBC national affairs analyst John Heilemann griped about the National Rifle Association as he accused the gun rights group of acting like a "giant scam" by competing for money with other groups that are "crazier" than they are. He further complained about what he viewed as "cowardice" by members of Congress for not opposing the…

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CNN's Camerota Nearly Begs Jeff Flake for More Gun Laws
November 6th, 2017 11:14 PM
On Monday's New Day, as Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake appeared as a guest, CNN host Alisyn Camerota spent nearly five minutes repeatedly pushing in favor of more gun laws in the aftermath of recent mass shootings, lamenting that it seems "hopeless" to expect Congress to take action.

Print Media Omit Paul Surviving VA Shooting from Assault Coverage
November 5th, 2017 1:44 PM
Friday afternoon, Republican Senator Rand Paul suffered a minor injury when he was attacked as he was mowing the lawn at his home. Most press coverage thus far has failed to note that Paul was present at the baseball practice where Congressman Steve Scalise of Louisiana and three others were shot in June, or that the FBI reportedly believes that yesterday's attack on Paul was politically…

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CNN Decries GOP Double Standard on Shootings Vs Muslim Terrorism
November 2nd, 2017 9:46 PM
On Thursday's New Day, CNN hosts and commentators devoted a substantial portion of the show to fretting over President Donald Trump and Republicans having a double standard in not wanting to pass new gun laws after shootings, but being eager to pass new immigration restrictions after terrorism by Muslim radicals who trace back to other countries.

Mueller-Focused Evening Shows Still Haven’t Covered Bob Menendez Trial
October 31st, 2017 2:02 PM
ABC, CBS and NBC evening news shows have not reported on the corruption trial of Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Menendez at all since September 6 when the trial began. The Senator from New Jersey is charged with accepting bribes from a wealthy friend in exchange for political favors.

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Steyer's 'Impeach Him' Ad Appears Before Stirring Game 5 Anthem
October 30th, 2017 1:27 PM
If timing is everything, billionaire far-left environmental alarmist Tom Steyer may have been snookered by Fox TV. Before Sunday night's World Series Game 5 broadcast in at least some TV markets, Fox carried Steyer's unhinged ad. It was soon followed by country music artist Clay Walker's stirring rendition of the national anthem — and from all appearances, there wasn't a kneeler or a raised fist…

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Rubin Sees 'Disgraceful' Gillespie, Conservatives 'Spreading Nonsense'
October 29th, 2017 1:23 PM
On Saturday's AM Joy, Joy Reid hosted over a panel of five MSNBC Republicans to discuss the week's political news. True to form, allegedly right-leaning Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin was trashing conservatives as she derided Virginia GOP gubernatorial nominee Ed Gillespie's campaign as "disgraceful" and complained that the "conservative media" are "spreading nonsense to the American…

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Brokaw Decries ‘Chaos’ in Washington; Recalls Lewinsky, Watergate
October 27th, 2017 11:39 AM
In a report for Friday’s NBC Today, special correspondent Tom Brokaw bemoaned the “turmoil” and “chaos” in Washington following Republican Senators Jeff Flake and Bob Corker blasting President Trump. The former Nightly News anchor seized the chance to compare the current contentiousness to the Monica Lewinsky, Iran-Contra, and Watergate scandals that threatened past presidencies.
A Taxing Situation
October 26th, 2017 6:27 PM
Federal income tax was first introduced under the Revenue Act of 1861 to help defray war costs. Congress repealed the tax in 1871 when the need for government revenue declined, only to restore it in 1894 as part of the Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act. The public policy debate surrounding the constitutionality of income tax has been going on ever since.