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GOP senators: Syria crossed Obama’s red line

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:45:00 +0000

After the Obama administration said Thursday that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons against its citizens, three Republican senators argued that this signifies that Bashar Al-Assad has "crossed the red line" that Obama marked as a game changer for U.S. involvement.

The National Journal reports:

Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Bob Corker, R-Tenn., told reporters they believe the presence of the chemical weapons signals that the Assad regime has crossed the so-called ‘red line’ the administration laid out previously that should dictate increased action by the U.S.

“It is clear that the Syrians have crossed the red line that the president said was a game changer, so it should change the game,” McCain said.

Report: Obama to propose compromise package to avoid cliff

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 16:54:00 +0000

With all of Washington in a panic about the tax hikes and spending cuts that make up the so-called "fiscal cliff," Bloomberg reports that President Barack Obama will propose a compromise in today's 3 p.m. meeting with Congressional leaders:

The scaled-back offer Obama plans to make to Republican congressional leaders includes renewing George W. Bush-era tax cuts for middle-class earners, most likely for those making $400,000 and below, according to a Senate aide close to the talks. Both aides spoke on condition of anonymity.

The plan would extend unemployment insurance benefits set to expire at the end of the year, prevent a cut in Medicare reimbursements to doctors and head off an expansion of the alternative minimum tax, said the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The plan would delay or replace part of scheduled federal spending cuts, most likely the defense portion, the aide said.

The article quotes Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) saying yesterday that he anticipated a deal but is not optimistic about its prospects. “It’s feeling very much like an optical meeting, not a substantive meeting,” he said.

For the Democrats, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) still favors a deal that would raise taxes on households earning more than $250,000.

Meanwhile, John Harwood of CNBC tweets from the other side:

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In other words, this could go on indefinitely.

Sunday show round-up: GOP Senator suggests cave on tax rates

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 16:38:00 +0000

The Sunday shows were dominated by talk of tax rates and the ongoing "fiscal cliff" negotiations. Here are the highlights:

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said on Fox News Sunday that Republicans should give in on higher tax rates for the wealthiest Americans, and use the leverage to push for entitlement reform. "I actually am beginning to believe that is the best route for us to take," he said.

“A lot of people are putting forth a theory – and I actually think it has merit – where you go and you give the president the 2 percent increase that he's talking about, the rate increase on the top 2 percent – and all of a sudden the shift goes back to entitlements,” Corker said. “And all of a sudden, once you give him a top rate on the 2 percent it's actually a much lesser tax increase than what he's been talking about."

Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., continued to argue that Republicans should accept Obama's offer to keep in place tax cuts on income below $250,000 a year, but raise taxes on the wealthy. On CNN's State of the Union, Cole said: “So just let’s make sure for the 98 percent, they know they’re not. We can continue to fight on the other two percent and the higher rates."

More top Republicans break with Grover Norquist

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 18:35:00 +0000

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., is the latest high-profile Republican to back away from Grover Norquist and his pledge not to raise taxes.

“I’m not obligated on the pledge,” Corker told Charlie Rose on CBS on Monday. “I made Tennesseans aware, I was just elected, the only thing I’m honoring is the oath I take when I serve, when I’m sworn in this January.”

Corker joins a number of other Republicans who have indicated they would consider bending on the pledge to prevent a set of automatic cuts from taking effect should budget negotiations fail.

“I care more about my country than I do about a 20-year-old pledge,” Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., told a local Georgia news station. “If we do it his way then we’ll continue in debt, and I just have a disagreement with him about that.”