Washington Times - President Obama on Tuesday said he will veto House Republicans’ payroll tax extension unless the GOP ditches spending cuts and instead pairs the tax cut with a tax increase on the wealthy. The threat, communicated by the White House in an official statement of policy, sets up a bruising year-end showdown that could even risk another government shutdown, since Democrats have signaled they won’t sign off on a massive spending bill to keep the government open unless the GOP agrees to their demands on the payroll tax cut.
House Republicans are still pushing ahead with a planned vote later Tuesday on their package, which would extend this year’s payroll tax cut into 2012, but couples it with a provision that would force the administration to make a final decision on the Keystone XL pipeline. The administration, caught between environmentalists who oppose the pipeline and labor unions who support it, has tried to put off a final decision until after the election. But the White House, in its veto threat, said nothing about the pipeline, instead attacking the GOP’s use of spending cuts instead of tax increases to offset the Social Security revenue lost from the payroll tax cut. Read the full story here:
News New Mexico
Obama: Will Veto Payroll Tax Cut Extension, Jobs Created by Keystone XL Pipeline
From the Santa Fe New Mexican.com - by Trip Jennings - A former deputy campaign manager with former Gov. Bill Richardson's presidential campaign and an Albuquerque restaurateur and developer appeared before a federal grand jury looking into possible wrongdoing by the state's former chief executive. But neither Amanda Cooper nor Jimmy Daskalos had anything to say as they entered and left the Pete V. Domenici federal courthouse Tuesday in Albuquerque. Cooper is the stepdaughter of U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., and worked as Richardson's deputy campaign manager during his presidential run. Cooper also worked on Richardson's 2006 re-election campaign for governor. Daskalos, who has owned Yanni's, a prominent Albuquerque restaurant, with Richardson insider Nick Kapnison, was a fundraiser for the former governor. Cooper and Daskalos were the only witnesses observed entering or exiting the grand jury room Tuesday, although other individuals had been rumored to be in line to testify. Other than a small group of journalists who greeted Cooper and Daskalos, there were no signs that anything important was happening behind closed doors at the courthouse. Read more
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