U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has significant conflicts of interest -Affordable Health Care Act

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has significant conflicts of interest that make it impossible for him to render a fair, impartial decision in the health care case being reviewed by the Court.  Political groups determined to repeal or overturn the Affordable Care Act have been filling Thomas’s family bank account for years. His wife Virginia has been a crusader in the campaign to defeat the law. She has raised money and taken money from organized efforts to kill health reform.

 It’s time for Clarence Thomas to recuse himself – join our letter to Associate Justice Thomas TODAY. click on link below http://healthcareforamericanow.org/page/m/3560d829/5131405c/333fe647/786f0c2e/746129166/VEsH/

 Justice Thomas personally has aligned himself with political activists and organizations dedicated to thwarting the new health care law. He spoke at a secret conclave run by the billionaire Koch Brothers to raise funds for organizations like Americans for Prosperity. Seventy-four members of the House of Representatives have even taken the highly unusual step of requesting that Justice Thomas remove himself from participation in deliberations on the Affordable Care Act.

 If Justice Thomas fails to recuse himself, it will threaten the integrity of the entire Supreme Court.

It’s time to send Clarence Thomas a message: recuse yourself.

In Solidarity,
Melinda Gibson
 Health Care for America Now

What You Did This Year …Nancy Duff Campbell & Marcia Greenberger, National Women’s Law Center

…Was nothing short of amazing. Your Gift Matched                     Through December 31, every gift to the National Women’s Law Center (up to a total of $90,000) will be matched dollar for dollar.                   Because of you: Women will have access to contraception in new health insurance plans — without co-pays — and attempts to defund family planning were stopped. Because of you: Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other key social safety net programs were spared automatic cuts under the federal debt ceiling deal. Because of you: We helped secure nationwide protections against retaliation in the workplace, rights for pregnant and parenting students in Michigan, and educational equity for female student athletes in Oldham County, Kentucky. Throughout the year, we’ve been honored to work with you to expand the possibilities for women and their families so that, as President Obama said at the Center’s Annual Awards Dinner just weeks ago, our children can “go out into a world where there is no limit to how big they can dream and how high they can reach.” But we have little time to rest on our laurels — 2012 won’t be easy. Will you help? Through December 31, every gift to the National Women’s Law Center (up to a total of $90,000) will be matched dollar for dollar. The coming year will see the Affordable Care Act go before the Supreme Court, where we’ll be fighting to protect the law and ensure that being a woman cannot be a preexisting condition again. With millions of Americans living in poverty and facing long-term unemployment, powerful forces in Congress will STILL lobby for tax cuts to the wealthy at the expense of jobs and programs vital to women and their families. And of course, women STILL earn on average only 77 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts, showing the clear need for the Paycheck Fairness Act. Will you help us? Please consider a very generous contribution to the Center — your gift will be doubled by a match from the Center’s Board of Directors and Leadership 35 Committee. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be bringing you more about what we’ve done together this year and what 2012 is likely to bring. In the meantime, please help us start our 40th year stronger than ever before. Thank you again for all the help you give and all the work you do on behalf of women and families. Sincerely,

Nancy Duff Campbell Co-President National Women’s Law Center     Marcia Greenberger Co-President National Women’s Law Center   P.S. Remember, your gift will be matched thanks to the generosity of our Board and Leadership 35 Committee. Please help today!

DSCC.ORG – Our Top Senate Races in Play – Stay informed

It’s nearly 2012, and Senate campaigns are really starting to heat up across the country. As the DSCC’s political director, it’s my job to keep a close eye on all of our Senate races, find political opportunities, and do all I can to support our outstanding Democratic candidates. Read below about some of the top races we are working to win – many of which are in battleground states that will help determine the presidential race.

As always, we’ll keep you informed whenever campaign news breaks. Thanks for all you do to help Democrats win.

Crystal King

P.S. Recent polls show great opportunities for Democrats, but seizing the momentum takes money. Can you give $5 or $10 to the DSCC today? Our 500,000 donors are playing a crucial role in preventing a total takeover by radical Republicans. We can’t do our work without your help!

Races Update

ARIZONA: Democrat Richard Carmona’s entry into the race has put this red state in play, according to a new poll. Republican Rep. Jeff Flake – “one of the GOP‘s most outspoken critics of extending the payroll tax cut” – leads Carmona by just 4 points, 40-36. Carmona is receiving especially strong support from Hispanic voters, who favor him 56-19. [Full Story]

FLORIDA: A new poll of Sunshine State voters shows that Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson has a 46-35 lead over Republican Connie Mack, and an even larger lead over the rest of the GOP field. The Republican primary is shaping up to be brutal slog, and whoever emerges will most likely be damaged for the general election. [Full Story]

MASSACHUSETTS: This is a state where we have a really good shot at turning a red Senate seat blue. Elizabeth Warren is building a massive following, and in recent polls, she’s either tied with or leading Wall Street’s favorite senator, Republican Scott Brown. This is definitely a race to keep your eyes on. [Full Story]

MONTANA: A brand new Montana Chamber of Commerce poll has Democratic Sen. Jon Tester leading Republican Rep. Dennis Rehberg by 5 points – and that’s after the national Chamber of Commerce ran a slew of attack ads targeting Tester. Rehberg, if you remember, is the lawmaker who sued his hometown fire department and called Pell grants “the welfare of the 21st century.” [Full Story]

NEVADA: In Nevada, a recent poll showed Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley in a dead heat with appointed Sen. Dean Heller, 45-45. In a previous poll, Heller led by 3 points. Heller has the dubious distinction of being the only lawmaker to vote for Rep. Paul Ryan’s End Medicare Plan twice – once in the House and once after he was appointed to the Senate. [Full Story]

NORTH DAKOTA: The entry of former Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp into the North Dakota Senate race caused leading analysts to shift their prediction from Likely Republican to Tossup. And recent polling shows Heitkamp leading freshman GOP Rep. Rick Berg by 5 points, 47-42. In fact, only 28% of poll respondents gave Berg favorable marks, while 56% were thumbs down. [Full Story]

WISCONSIN: The most recent polling in Wisconsin shows a tossup, with Democratic Rep. Tammy Baldwin within the margin of error of three Republican candidates. The Republican primary in Wisconsin is hotly contested and has already become nasty, giving Baldwin the opportunity to concentrate on sharing her plan to create jobs, protect Medicare and Social Security and put middle class families first. [Full Story]

Rove, Koch, and $500 Million vs. The 99%

In 2012, Karl Rove, the Koch Brothers and others on the far-right are planning to spend nearly half a billion dollars to influence the political debate. Their goal is to make sure that the national dialogue protects their own deep pockets at the expense of the rest of the nation.

ThinkProgress is working around the clock to fight back with the truth. This past year, we traveled around the country to confront the right-wing with tough questions. We exposed their underhanded tactics, and crunched the numbers behind their radical policy schemes.

Next year, there is even more at stake and we need to work even harder. But we can’t do it without your help. We need to raise $25,000 this week to help fund our reporting for the coming year.

Please click here to pitch in $5 and help us bring the facts to the 99%. WWW.AmericanProgressAction.org

We have made a huge impact this year. A few examples:

- After Herman Cain told us in an interview he would not be comfortable with a Muslim in his cabinet, we began a campaign to fight back against Islamophobia in the conservative movement.

- We attended congressional town halls conducted by at least 20 different members of Congress, and broke the news that Paul Ryan got booed for saying the rich were taxed enough.

- In early October, we launched a new page on ThinkProgress that was solely devoted to reporting on the nationwide Occupy protests, branding it The 99 Percent Movement.
Our influence is scaring many on the right. The powerful corporate front group ALEC kicked our reporters out of a conference, and the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity launched a smear campaign against one of our writers.

We need your support now, more than ever, to keep up the fight in 2012.

Best,

Faiz Shakir
Editor, ThinkProgress.org

P.S. We never stop. Please pitch in $5 and it’ll be the hardest working $5 you’ve ever spent.

The White House blog

• The CFPB Needs Its Director

  Posted by Matt Compton on December 8, 2011 at 9:29 AM EST

  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a new agency, created just last year. They have a big responsibility — acting as a watchdog for all of us who hold a mortgage, use credit cards, or otherwise need to apply for a loan.

  The staff there has already gotten to work. Just this week, they’ve announced a project to simplify credit card agreements and make them less confusing for consumers.

  But right now, the Bureau is hamstrung by the simple fact that the Senate has so far refused to confirm Richard Cordray – the man who President Obama has nominated to be its director.

  This isn’t a question of credentials. Cordray has a wealth of experience as a public servant. He has clerked for the Supreme Court, been elected to the Ohio state legislature, and served as Ohio’s State Treasury and Attorney General. He understands the issues facing middle class families and has been a champion for consumers throughout his career.

  This isn’t really even a question of bipartisan support. Cordray has the backing of a majority of the nation’s Attorneys General. So far, 37 of them, Republicans and Democrats, from across the country, have called on the Senate to confirm Cordray. That’s a call that’s been echoed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, who have issued their own letter calling for Cordray’s confirmation.

  Instead, this is about Republicans trying to make the CFPB less effective. President Obama talked about that refusal to confirm Cordray yesterday in Kansas:

  Does anyone think the problem before that led to this crisis was too much oversight of mortgage lenders or debt collectors? Every day we go without a consumer watchdog in place is another day when a student, or a service member, or a senior citizen could be tricked into a loan they can’t afford – something that happens all the time. Financial institutions have plenty of lobbyists looking out for their interests. Consumers deserve to have someone whose job it is to look out for theirs. And I intend to make sure they do.

  Now, it appears that the Senate will finally vote on Cordray’s nomination. We’ll keep you posted as that vote unfolds.

  Learn more about , Economy

• By the Numbers: $4.2 Billion

  Posted by Megan Slack on December 7, 2011 at 5:20 PM EST
   

  Payday loans, sometimes called cash-advance loans or check-advance loans offer borrowers short‐term funds at very high interest rates that are not always clearly disclosed. On average, payday lenders charge fees of roughly $16 for a $100 two‐week loan. If borrowers miss payments, fees can begin to accumulate, resulting in extremely high total payments. Payday loan borrowers are paying nearly $4.2 billion in fees annually, according to some studies.

  Even when rates and penalties are disclosed, borrowers in desperate need of cash may agree to disadvantageous loan terms. Many times, these borrowers’ financial resources have already been depleted by an emergency, sustained unemployment, or illness. Relying on payday loans to make ends meet can create a debt‐and‐fee‐spiral that some people may find extremely difficult to exit.

  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was established to provide federal supervision and oversight over a full range of financial service providers that consumers rely on–from banks and credit unions, to payday lenders and independent mortgage brokers. President Obama has nominated Richard Cordray to head the CFPB, and the Senate will vote on his confirmation this week. Having a director in place will allow the Bureau to protect consumers from unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices from providers like those that issue payday loans.

Calling All Innovators – Health Care Innovation Challenge Open for Great Ideas

Posted by Aneesh Chopra and Todd Park on December 07, 2011 at 10:27 AM EST

 

Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services, through the Affordable Care Act, launched the Health Care Innovation Challenge, which will award $1 billion in grants to applicants who will implement the most compelling new ideas to deliver better health and improved care at lower costs to people enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)—particularly those with the greatest health care needs.

The Challenge is a signature initiative of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, and promises to catalyze new approaches that support health care delivery transformation. It offers an unprecedented opportunity for innovators and entrepreneurs who have been working tirelessly on new care improvement models but have often faced great difficulty bringing them to the patients who need them in today’s reimbursement environment. This Challenge will help us by:

1. Identifying new ways of paying for health care that improve care at reduced cost and can be scaled nationally by CMS and the Department of Health and Human Services.
2. Engaging a wide variety of innovators to help come up with new and promising ideas. Interested parties of all types are welcome to apply. Doctors, nurses and other care providers, hospitals, health systems, payers, technology entrepreneurs and other private sector organizations, faith-based organizations, local governments, and public-private partnerships are some of the professionals and organizations we expect to apply. In addition, certain organizations may apply as conveners to assemble and coordinate groups of participants.
3. Helping to create jobs. The Challenge gives priority to applicants that identify opportunities for job creation. By rewarding public sharing and rapid deployment of such ideas, the Challenge will boost our ability to deliver on the promise of health care delivery innovation. We also believe that by attracting top talent to the health care sector and identifying pathways for innovators to build rewarding careers in this industry, we will both solidify our position as the world’s most competitive healthcare workforce and also help strengthen the foundation for better health for our citizens well into the future.
4. Encouraging “enhanced infrastructure” to support more effective system-wide function. In this context, we hope this Innovation Challenge will serve as a call to action for technology and data innovators to team with care innovators to propose solutions that can be implemented with speed and have the capacity to scale.
5. Promising smart answers fast. We need your “letters of intent” by December 19^th, 2011, with full applications by January 27^th, 2012. Winners will be awarded by March 2012 with three-year grants ranging from $1 million to $30 million.

Some of the greatest transformations American healthcare has seen have come from sources outside its traditional boundaries — for example, health care has borrowed widely from the automotive, aerospace, and defense industries to innovate. So please share this post far and wide to innovative thinkers in every corner of American industry – even to those who haven’t yet actively engaged in the health care delivery sector. There’s never been a better time to innovate in health care – as more and more of the information required to power innovations that safeguard and improve health becomes available and accessible, and as the health care system begins to reward providers for keeping patients healthy and delivering value, not just volume. Answer the Health Care Innovation Challenge, and play your part in improving the nation’s health care system by proposing new ideas that deliver better health and improved care at lower costs to people with Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP.

Aneesh Chopra is the United States Chief Technology Officer and Todd Park is the Chief Technology Officer at the Department of Health and Human Services                 

 

 

Fw: Stop Anti-LGBT Violence in South Africa!

According to a new report by Human Rights Watch, violence against LGBT people in South Africa has hit a new high. Worse, it is often completely ignored by police. Tell South Africa that its LGBT citizens deserve equality and respect. » The report includes the case of one South African lesbian who was repeatedly raped by a family member, her soccer coach, and her pastor, all in an attempt to ”convert” her and show her how to be a “real” woman. Her case is just one of many instances of anti-LGBT brutality, including a series of slayings of lesbian women in South African townships. South Africa’s constitution promises equality for all of its citizens, but that promise isn’t being kept for LGBT people. Tell South Africa that the violence against LGBT people must end now. » Thanks for taking action!Kathleen ThePetitionSite P.S. Something in Seattle, Armed Forces Americas or United States Minor Outlying Islands you want to change? Care2 provides free access to the most powerful petition tools on the web today so that every person gets the chance to speak out for their cause in the Care2 community and beyond. Get started: http://www.care2.com/go/z/20132677

Stop Violence Against LGBT People in South Africa

Take action link: http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/Ag_gU/zLT5/Af7Eo

Dems – What Redistricting means to your member of Congress …

After every U.S. census, states are required to redraw the boundaries of Congressional districts. It’s not supposed to be a partisan political process, but that hasn’t stopped Republicans and some Democrats from doing everything they can to take advantage of it for their gain.

 This year, redistricting is putting two of our biggest heroes in Congress at risk: Representatives Donna Edwards and Raul Grijalva.

 Few Democrats in the House of Representatives have fought harder than Donna and Raul to stop Paul Ryan’s plan to end Medicare. They stood strong to defeat attempts to cut Social Security. And they have never backed down in the fight to restore the American Dream for everyone. But now their districts have been redrawn to make them significantly harder for a progressive Democrat to win.

 They’ve been there for us, now we need to be there for them. Please contribute $5 to each of their campaigns right now.   WWW.DemocracyforAmerica.com

 Donna Edwards is used to taking on the tough fights. She took on a corporate, right-wing Democrat and kicked him out of office in a hard fought primary. It was a classic battle for the heart and soul of our party and DFA members were there every step of the way to help her get the job done.

 Once Donna was elected, she didn’t sit back and just collect a paycheck as too many in Congress do. She joined the Congressional Progressive Caucus and became a leader working for change every day. This year she led fights to overturn Citizen United and get corporate money out of politics. She fought to create jobs and foster long-term economic development.

 And during the debt ceiling fight, the Washington Post called her “aggressive” and “a liberal leader in the House” because she said that cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid was absolutely off the table.

 Now, because of redistricting she is being challenged in a primary. I am with Donna and I hope you will be too. Please contribute $5 to her campaign today.

 Raul Grijalva is the Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Under his leadership, progressives in Congress have never been more unified, on message, or a greater force to reckon with than now.

 Raul has made sure that we don’t just stay on defense fighting Eric Cantor and John Boehner. It’s our job to be on offense and offer alternatives. So when the Republicans offered a disastrous budget plan, the CPC offered “the People’s Budget.”

 When Republicans ran from town hall meetings afraid of being attacked by seniors for trying to end Medicare, Raul traveled around the country supporting the “Good Jobs Now” tour by meeting with out of work Americans face to face and fighting to restore the American Dream.

 Now, Arizona Republicans are looking for a power grab. They’ve redrawn the boundaries of his district to remove Democrats and replace them with conservative voters. At least one conservative Democrat has already announced intentions to run against Raul in a primary. And after a tough fight last election, you can bet Republicans have no intention of sitting this election out.

 It’s up to us to deliver the resources for Raul to fight back and win. Please contribute $5 right now.   WWW.DemocracyforAmerica.com

 Donna and Raul have been there for us. Now is the time for us to stand up and be there for them.

 Thank you, for everything you’re doing to move America forward.

 -Howard

 Governor Howard Dean
Founder, Democracy for America

Congressional Budget Office: Cost Estimate for – HR3512, Monthly Budget Review

• Cost Estimate for H.R. 3512, A bill to amend the Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Coin Act to adjust how surcharges are distributed
  Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on Financial Services on November 30, 2011

• Monthly Budget Review
  Based on the Monthly Treasury Statement for October and the Daily Treasury Statements for NovemberThe federal budget deficit was close to $240 billion for the first two months of fiscal year 2012, more than $50 billion below the deficit recorded through November of last year, CBO estimates. Much of that difference occurred because roughly $30 billion in payments that would ordinarily have been made on October 1, 2011 (that is, in fiscal year 2012), were made instead in September (that is, in fiscal year 2011) because October 1 fell on a weekend. Without those shifts in the timing of payments, the decline in the deficit for the two-month period would have been about $20 billion.

Cost Estimate for S. 1944, Middle Class Tax Cut Act of 2011
Cost estimate for the bill as introduced on December 5, 2011

Red Tails …. The story of the Tuskegee Airmen – HD Movie Trailer – Lucas film Official Trailer

by movieclipsTRAILERSon Jul 29, 2011

First Public Promotional Trailer for the feature film RED TAILS.

1944. World War II rages and the fate of the free world hangs in the balance. Meanwhile the black pilots of the experimental Tuskegee training program are courageously waging two wars at once — one against enemies overseas, and the other against discrimination within the military and back home. Racial prejudices have long held ace airman Martin “Easy” Julian (Nate Parker) and his black pilots back at base — leaving them with little to do but further hone their flying skills — while their white counterparts are shipped out to combat after a mere three months of training. Mistakenly deemed inferior and assigned only second-rate planes and missions, the pilots of Tuskegee have mastered the skies with ease but have not been granted the opportunity to truly spread their wings. Until now.
As the war in Europe continues to take its dire toll on Allied forces, Pentagon brass has no recourse but to reconsider these under-utilized pilots for combat duty. Just as the young Tuskegee men are on the brink of being shut down and shipped back home, Col. A.J. Bullard (Terrence Howard) awards them the ultimate chance to prove their mettle high above. Undaunted by the prospect of providing safe escort to bombers in broad daylight — a mission so dangerous that the RAF has refused it and the white fighter groups have sustained substantial losses — Easy’s pilots at last join the fiery aerial fray. Against all the odds, with something to prove and everything to lose, these intrepid young airmen take to the skies in a heroic endeavor to combat the enemy — and the discrimination that has kept them down for so long.

Directed by: Anthony Hemingway.

Starring: Cuba Gooding, Jr., Terrence Howard, Bryan Cranston, Brandon T. Jackson and Nate Parker.

Red Tails is an upcoming film directed by Anthony Hemingway, from a script by John Ridley and story by executive producer George Lucas. It is based on the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American combat pilots during World War II, and is the first Lucasfilm Ltd. production since Radioland Murders (1994) not to be associated with the Indiana Jones or Star Wars franchises.

George Lucas began developing Red Tails around 1988. He compared it to Tucker: The Man and His Dream as “a story too good to be true”. Thomas Carter was his original choice to direct. A number of writers worked on the project until John Ridley was hired in 2007 to write the final screenplay. Lucas held discussions with Samuel L. Jackson regarding Jackson possibly directing and acting in the film. Although Jackson praised the script, he did not commit to either role. Anthony Hemingway was finally chosen to direct in 2008. In researching the film, Lucasfilm invited some of the surviving Tuskegee Airmen to Skywalker Ranch, where they were interviewed about their experiences during World War II. Lucasfilm was also given access to the original mission logbooks used by some of the pilots.
Production began in March 2009. High-definition Sony F35 cameras were used for principal photography, which took place in the Czech Republic, Italy, Croatia and England. While shooting in the Czech Republic, the actors underwent a “boot camp” program, during which they lived in similar conditions as the actual Tuskegee Airmen. Editing began while the production was in Prague. Avid editing systems were used simultaneously in a Prague studio and at Lucasfilm. A vehicle was fitted with a “technical center” so that the production could quickly move between locations. In March 2010, Lucas took over direction of reshoots, as Hemingway was busy working on episodes of the HBO series Treme. Hemingway will have final approval over the footage.

the Progress Report – the GOP

Hiding Behind Social Security

By ThinkProgress War Room on Dec 7, 2011 at 5:09 pm

The GOP’s Latest Bogus Excuse to Raise Taxes on YOU In Order to Protect Millionaires

The GOP is not shy about the fact they will absolutely raise on taxes 160 MILLION working Americans if that’s what it takes to protect just 345,000 millionaires. They’ve said they’d do so — repeatedly — and they voted to do so last week and will likely do so again tomorrow.

This strategy, however, hasn’t worked very well for them, with Sen. John McCain stating yesterday that Democrats are winning on taxes. So, first they brought up their pledgemaster, Grover Norquist, to say a $1,000 tax increase on 160 MILLION working Americans would somehow not actually count as a tax increase, at least according to the oath Republicans have sworn to him. And now after that didn’t work, Republicans have come up with a new plan: hide behind Social Security.

Let’s review the Republican record on Social Security.

The GOP is the Party Out to Get Social Security

Here are just the most recent attempts of the GOP to effectively destroy Social Security.

• 2005: President Bush launched a major White House initiative, led by none other than Karl Rove, to privatize Social Security. After a massive outcry and campaign by Democrats to stop the GOP plan to privatize Social Security, public disapproval of the president’s handling of the issue rose to 64 percent. The GOP plan was finally abandoned only after the Bush administration’s botched handling of Hurricane Katrina permanently derailed his administration.
• 2010: A ThinkProgress report documented at least 104 Republicans in the last Congress who still wanted to privatize Social Social Security, even after the financial collapse of 2008 underscored how dangerous a move that would be.
• June 2011: Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), who leads the House GOP’s election efforts, introduces a new bill to privatize Social Security. Other leading Republicans, including Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), who would later serve as the GOP co-chair of the Super Committee, take to calling Social Security a “Ponzi scheme.”
• July 2011: Some 229 House Republicans and 46 Senate Republicans vote for a radical budget plan that would result in massive cuts to Social Security (along with Medicare, Medicaid, and anything else the government spends money on).

The President’s Payroll Tax Cut Plan Will Not Harm Social Security. Period.

The long and short of the GOP argument is that by cutting the payroll tax that funds Social Security, we are undermining the solvency of Social Security. That would be true, except for the fact that the plan explicitly replaces every cent of the payroll tax cut with funds from the government’s general fund. And Democrats even pay for their plan by asking millionaires to pay a small surtax, meaning that the general funds replacing the payroll tax would also not add to the deficit. Republicans have of course rejected this plan.

Today, Social Security’s actuary wrote a letter confirming that the payroll tax cut plan would have no impact on Social Security:

The blessing is being used by supporters of the tax holiday to try to convince members worried it weakens Social Security. That perception is especially strong in the House GOP conference.

Actuary Stephen Goss sent a Tuesday letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Budget Director Jack Lew giving his thumbs up.

“We estimate that the enactment of this bill would have a negligible effect on the financial status of the Old Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program in both the near term and the long term. We estimate that the projected level of the OASI and DI Trust Funds would be unaffected by enactment of this provision,” the letter states.

The letter notes that the 3.1-percent rate reduction in payroll taxes collected from employees is offset by a transfer of funds from the general Treasury.

As Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), the Senate sponsor of the plan, noted today, this pretty much destroys the GOP’s latest bogus excuse to not support the payroll tax cut extension and expansion:

Those who would oppose my legislation now have one less excuse to block this much needed boost for the vast majority of Americans.

IN TWO SENTENCES: While Republicans claim to be the protectors Social Security, they are actually the ones that are constantly looking for ways to privatize, cut, or otherwise destroy the program. It seems Republicans will try and come up with any excuse they can to justify their willingness to raise taxes on 160 MILLION working Americans in order to protect just 345,000 millionaires from having to pay their fair share.

Evening Briefing: Important Stories That You May Have Missed

Six thousand protesters condemned the Russian parliamentary elections as Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party claimed 49 percent of the vote in a controversial election.

Newt Gingrich may need the Christian evangelical vote to claim the GOP nomination, but Gingrich has a history of keeping the evangelical movement at arms length.

Rick Santorum publicly called for covert operations against Iran and attacked Obama for “not being able to keep a secret” about the rain on Osama bin Laden’s compound after the mission was completed.

The weird logic of the tax repatriation holiday.

The fanatics of the center.

FBI takes a major step toward updating narrow definition of rape.

Wisconsin’s Catch-22 form tells people they need a photo ID to get a birth certificate, which they need to get a photo ID, which they need to vote.

Marriage equality brought $13 million in new spending to Iowa.

Former Gov. Jon Huntsman (R-UT) flip-flops on whether or not he is crazy.

Other recent Progress Reports

Dec 6, 2011: A Fair Shot v. You’re-On-Your-Own Economics

A Truly American Idea: An Economy That Works For Everyone “I hold that while man exists it is his duty to improve not only his own condition, but to assist in ameliorating mankind.” “The absence of effective State, and, especially, national, restraint upon unfair money-getting has tended to create a small class of enormously wealthy [...]

Dec 5, 2011: Senate Showdown: Consumers v. Banks

Will Republicans Side with the 1 Percent Again? Last week, there was a real moment of clarity when Republicans voted to side with just 345,000 millionaires instead of 160 MILLION working Americans. This week, we’ll get another such moment when the Senate tries take up the nomination of Richard Cordray, who President Obama has nominated [...]

Dec 2, 2011: The GOP Sides With Millionaires (Again)

GOP Plan: Protect Millionaires, Raise Taxes on 160 Million Working Americans Last night, every single Republican senator except Susan Collins (ME) voted to protect the top 0.2 percent of taxpayers — just 345,532 millionaires– from paying a small surtax on their income over $ 1 MILLION in order to extend and expand the payroll tax [...]

Dec 1, 2011: YOU Have The GOP On The Run

Back on Their Heels After the 99 Percent Fight Back What a difference two and a half months makes. The 99 Percent movement is now part of our culture, is changing the narrative, and is here to stay. The New York Times looked at just one example of the impact the movement is having: Protesters [...]