Boehner: Government--i.e. Taxpayers--Should Help Pay For Oil Spill

Congressional Democrats and the White House are toying with different ways to force BP to cover the costs of damages from the Gulf oil spill. But they face stiff opposition from industry...and it seems leading Republicans. In response to a question from TPMDC, House Minority Leader John Boehner said he believes taxpayers should help pick up the tab for the clean up.

"I think the people responsible in the oil spill--BP and the federal government--should take full responsibility for what's happening there," Boehner said at his weekly press conference this morning.

Boehner's statement followed comments last Friday by US Chamber of Commerce CEO Tom Donohue who said he opposes efforts to stick BP, a member of the Chamber, with the bill. "It is generally not the practice of this country to change the laws after the game," he said. "Everybody is going to contribute to this clean up. We are all going to have to do it. We are going to have to get the money from the government and from the companies and we will figure out a way to do that".'

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Rep. Sherman: Prosecute U.S. Citizens Involved with Gaza Flotilla

On a press call hosted by a pro-Israel organization, Rep. Brad Sherman, Democrat of California, told reporters that he intends seek the prosecution of any U.S. citizens who were aboard or involved with the Freedom Flotilla.

“The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 [PDF] makes it absolutely illegal for any American to give food, money, school supplies, paper clips, concrete or weapons to Hamas or any of its officials,” Sherman said on the Israel Project call, conflating Hamas and Gaza’s civilian population. “And so I will be asking the Attorney General to prosecute any American involved in what was clearly an effort to give items of value to a terrorist organization".'

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As Obama Wavers, Congressmen Cheer Aid Ship Massacre - Foreign Affairs Chair Lauds Killings of 'Brutal' Aid Workers

President Obama’s reluctance to comment in any but the most vague terms of the massacre of 19 aid workers by Israeli commandos late Sunday night has left many wondering exactly where the US government will fall on an issue which has been blanketly condemned by virtually every government in the civilized world and virtually every government outside the civilized world.

But the lack of White House comment has opened the door for Congressmen to stake out public positions on the matter and, perhaps predictably, those that have commented have universally praised the killings.

Rep. Gary Ackerman, the House Foreign Affairs chair, praised the raid, saying he supported Israel’s decision to attack the ship and the decision of the commandos to use deadly force against the aid workers, who he said were "brutally attacking" them. He added that the whole matter was secretly Hamas’ fault.'

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US House Votes for Quadrupling of Per-Barrel Oil Tax

The US House of Representatives on Friday voted to more than quadruple a per-barrel oil tax that fills a special trust fund to pay for damages from major spills like the Gulf of Mexico disaster.

The measure called for raising the eight-cent-per-barrel tax to 34 cents, raising nearly 12 billion dollars over 10 years for the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, which currently holds about 1.5 billion dollars.

The legislation, which passed by a 215-204 margin, also aimed to raise the cap on per-incident trust fund expenditures from one billion dollars to five billion dollars.'

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Ron Paul: Inside Sources Told Me Fed Is Panicking At Mass Awakening

Appearing on The Alex Jones Show yesterday, Congressman Ron Paul revealed that through his inside sources he had learned that the people who control the Federal Reserve are panicking about the fact that Americans are waking up to the fact that the U.S. is controlled by the central bank.

“I had some information passed on to me, sort of inside information, somebody who knew somebody who was well tuned to the people at the Federal Reserve – and they said they are really really concerned about our movement to expose the Fed for what they’re doing,” said Paul, adding, “What they’re upset or worried about is the fact that more and more people are aware of the Federal Reserve now like never before,” explaining that exposure will lead to change and a reform of the Federal Reserve.'

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Senator Wants Corporate Welfare for BP

US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee member Lisa Murkowski has urged Congress not to overreact legislatively to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

On May 13, Murkowski and other Republicans blocked Senate Democratic attempts to pass the "Big Oil Bailout Prevention Liability Act" which would cap BP's liability at $10 billion, even if damages from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill surpass that figure. The company already estimates that the spill will cost $450 million to clean up.

It has been reported that Murkowski, a drilling supporter, has received at least $300,000 in campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry.'

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US House Backs Israel Missile Aid Bill

The US House of Representatives has endorsed President Barack Obama's plans to give Israel over $200 million for an anti-missile system.

The lawmakers have overwhelmingly supported the bill that gives Obama a free hand to fund Israel's plans for deploying a controversial short-range missile system called the "Iron Dome." '

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Congress Refuses to Outlaw Insider Trading For Lawmakers

Even a cynic can find Washington's hypocrisy shocking at times. The Wall Street Journal reports today a House bill that would force lawmakers to make greater disclosures on financial transactions and disallow them from trading on nonpublic information is going nowhere fast.

That's right. Members of Congress are currently allowed to profit on insider trading!'

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Congressional Hypocrites Were Betting Against Stocks As Country Collapsed

Remember all that scorn in Congress about evil shortsellers betting against America and bringing the country down?

Well, it turns out Congress-people did it, too. And they used derivatives to do it, which they now say they abhor.

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When you have a Congress that is betting their own fortunes on the collapse of the economy, then they will vote to continue the policies that have collapsed the economy.

Obama Administration Defies Congressional Subpoena on Fort Hood Documents

The Obama administration said Tuesday it would provide more information to Congress about the Fort Hood shootings but continued to defy a subpoena request for witness statements and other documents.

After days of negotiations, the Pentagon and Justice Department informed a Senate committee that they would not comply with congressional subpoenas to share investigative records from the Nov. 5 shootings at Fort Hood, Tex., which killed 13 people. The agencies said that divulging the material could jeopardize their prosecution of Army Maj. Nidal M. Hasan, the accused gunman.'

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Bring Down Goldman Sachs and Expose the Financial Coup

Have you heard the news? It’s everywhere! The SEC and Congress have all of a sudden sprung to life and are now “getting tough” on Goldman Sachs. Is this all the first phase of a long-awaited investigation that will reveal the causes of our current economic crisis, or is this just more show trials and psychological operations designed to manipulate public opinion and make the American people feel that our elected officials are finally standing up to their campaign funders on Wall Street?

First off, let’s address these SEC charges against Goldman Sachs. At first glance you might think, oh big deal, this is just a minor civil suit that only indicts a low-level Goldman employee. Goldman will just throw some money at it and it will most likely go away. After all, Wall Street firms have already thrown over $430 billion out to derail 1500 cases against them, so what will make this any different?'

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Holy Mistake! Congress Wipes Out Congressional Health Care Insurance

Legislate in haste, repent at leisure. Looks like Congress is having one of those "Holy S---!" moments; it appears they have royally mucked up their own health insurance - for all 535 members of Congress and untold congressional employees. In a hurry, they forgot to get it right and wrote it all wrong; now it's the law...

Now Congress is in the same boat they built for the rest of America, without a clue what the new health care reform will mean to them. The beauty of their delimma is pure poetic justice to some -they have written law requiring that they move into a system that doesn't yet exist.'

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It’s Yours If You Want It (To Honor Tax Slavery Day)

How do 545 people—a president, 535 congressmen, and nine judges—control a nation of over 300 million people? Certainly not by physical force. Could 545 gangsters gain control of the country by suddenly announcing that they are the legitimate government deserving of your allegiance? Obviously not, because you would not choose to grant them power over you. This example shows that the source of federal power—not right, but power—is the people’s own “consent” to be governed. The American people hold the keys to their own jail cells between their ears and can leave the prison of tyranny any time a sufficient number of them choose to be free.'

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AIPAC Confronts Its Worst Fear - Daylight

In that radical handbook on the workings of American society, the Wizard of Oz never recovered once Dorothy pulled back the curtain of her own innocence. One would like to believe that AIPAC will never recover from a brutal spring that has exposed its real interests to the American public. Even supporters of the Jewish state have criticized the American Israel Public Affairs Committee for fully taking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's side in his battle with Barack Obama over settlements, and during its recent annual conference, the lobby looked wobbly and defensive.

Yes, there was the usual procession of weak-kneed politicians professing love for Israel, not to mention AIPAC board members explaining how they cultivate "relationships" with the powerful. Yes, Sen. Chuck Schumer gave a bloodcurdling yowl, Am Yisroel Chai-the Jewish people live!-as he pledged to be Israel's guardian. But a large shift in American policy and opinion has left the lead institution of the lobby exposed, and worse, mocked.'

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Americans:Apologetic,Submissive and Complicit

Silence is complicity and Americans,so far,are flagrantly involved with US war-crimes as well as Israeli war-crimes. We can no longer say that they do not know,we can no longer brush off the tell-tale signs of ignorance while truth continuos to make itself known to us – No,this is far too simple.

Americans,regardless of their religious/secular preference,worship the god of ignorance; as long as they refuse to speak out for those who suffer under American occupation and Western imperialism they are giving the governing bodies permission to continue to pervert justice.'

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Israel's Takeover of America in it's Final Phase

America has fed this step child for far too many years. WE made them a nuclear superpower. WE made them rich beyond the wildest dreams of not only the average American, but the average person on planet earth. And how do they show their gratitude for this? They give us the middle finger. Israel has busted America flat broke, stolen our most vital national defense secrets with her thousands of spies.

Our service members are dying on a daily basis fighting two wars for these parasites and now Israel is hoping to expand the present disaster into a trifecta–meaning the US fighting Iran.'

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The Pelosi Sanction

What has become of our beloved America? Since Christmas Eve, 1913 our standard of living and quality of life has made a death spiral towards complete and utter despotism.

If you could go back in time to that fateful day when Congress met in the dark hours of the night to relinquish the sovereignty of this nation to the Federal Reserve, would you not do anything and everything within your power to make sure that never came to pass?

Today we face the same dilemma. Just three days ago, Congress yet again met under the cover of darkness to pass a draconian health care bill that will no doubt seal this countries fate. Its 1913 all over again, and the very same banking families that brought us the Federal Reserve are responsible for this latest tax scheme veiled in a façade of socialism. It will be this, combined with an almost certain carbon tax scheme that will deliver the people of this once great Republic into a bondage of the likes the world has never seen.

Every member of the House who voted in favor of this monstrosity bear an equal share of the blame for delivering a deathblow to this nation. Their names will forever be etched into our minds even after the pages of history turn yellow and parched. But of all those responsible, one name stands out from the rest.'

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Health Care Reform Bill Dooms America to Pharma-Dominated Sickness and Suffering

Today the medical mafia struck another devastating blow to the health and freedom of all Americans. With the support of an inarguably corrupt Congress that has simply abandoned the real needs of the American people, the sick-care industry has locked in a high-profit scheme of disease and monopoly-priced pharmaceuticals in a nation that can ill afford either one.

And this Pharma-funded betrayal, it turns out, was led by the Democrats. Passed on a 219-212 vote that was only accomplished thanks to closed-door, last-minute secret meetings among the last holdouts, this new legislation puts America under the stranglehold of the medical mafia while doing absolutely nothing to address real health care reform. There is no mention in the bill, for example, of vitamin D for preventing cancer, or orthomolecular medicine for preventing degenerative disease. There's not even a word about protecting health freedom or ending the century of oppression that has been waged against naturopathic practitioners by the AMA, FDA and FTC.

The new legislation does, however, lock in billions of dollars in monopoly profits for the pharmaceutical companies -- the same companies who spent millions of dollars pushing for its passage and who depend on the continuation of sickness and disease for their future profits.'

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Health Care on the Road to Neo-Feudalism

This is a fundamentally different relationship we’re talking about–one that gives corporations vast new powers. And the fact that–with one temper tantrum from Joe Lieberman–the corporations were able to dictate the terms of this new relationship deeply troubles me.

When this passes, it will become clear that Congress is no longer the sovereign of this nation. Rather, the corporations dictating the laws will be.

I understand the temptation to offer 30 million people health care. What I don’t understand is the nonchalance with which we’re about to fundamentally shift the relationships of governance in doing so.'

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US Lawmakers Furious Over Criticizing Israel

US congressmen have rebuked President Barack Obama's administration for its criticism of Israel over its illegal settlement expansions.

Eric Cantor, the number two Republican in the House of Representatives, claimed on Tuesday that the government's criticism of Israel threatened US national security.

"To say that I am deeply concerned with the irresponsible comments that the White House, vice president and the secretary of state have made against Israel is an understatement," Cantor said in a fiery tone.

He also blamed the Obama administration of trying to gain favor from the Arab world by damaging its allies and friends.

The lawmaker meanwhile stressed that any peace talks facilitated by the United States in the Middle East should be based solely on Israeli terms.'

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