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Flap’s Links and Comments for April 7th on 09:17

These are my links for April 7th from 09:17 to 09:38:

  • Budget Veto Threat From the White House – The White House has issued a veto threat against a Republican plan that would extend the federal budget for one week, make $12 billion in cuts and fully fund the military for the rest of this fiscal year.

    Here is the release from the White House Office of Management and Budget.

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    STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

    H.R. 1363 – Department of Defense and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011

    (Rep. Rogers, R-Kentucky)

     

    The Administration strongly opposes House passage of H.R. 1363, making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2011, and for other purposes. As the President stated on April 5, 2011, if negotiations are making significant progress, the Administration would support a short-term, clean Continuing Resolution to allow for enactment of a final bill.

    For the past several weeks, the Administration has worked diligently and in good faith to find common ground on the shared goal of cutting spending. After giving the Congress more time by signing short-term extensions into law, the President believes that we need to put politics aside and work out our differences for a bill that covers the rest of the fiscal year. This bill is a distraction from the real work that would bring us closer to a reasonable compromise for funding the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011 and avert a disruptive Federal Government shutdown that would put the Nation’s economic recovery in jeopardy. The Administration will continue to work with the Congress to arrive at a compromise that will fund the Government for the remainder of the fiscal year in a way that does not undermine future growth and job creation and that averts a costly Government shutdown. It is critical that the Congress send a final bill to the President’s desk that provides certainty to our men and women in military uniform, their families, small businesses, homeowners, taxpayers, and all Americans.  H.R. 1363 simply delays that critical final outcome. 

    If presented with this bill, the President will veto it.

  • George Allen asks Craig Melvin his position (UPDATE: And apologizes) – NBC 4’s reporter-anchor Craig Melvin is a tall African-American. Which apparently led to this exchange with former Sen. George Allen, according to Melvin’s Twitter account Tuesday night:

    “For the 2nd time in 5 months, fmr. gov. and sen candidate George Allen asks me,”what position did you play?” I did not a play a sport.”

    And we’re off!

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    Obviously, the Washington Post does not like George Allen but jeez how about a race card playing hit piece.

    Shame on WAPO and Craig Melvin for being a tool of the Democrats

  • Democrats fundraising off threat of government shutdown – A fundraising appeal from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee warns supporters that "Tea Party Republicans are threatening to shut down the government on Friday unless we surrender to their outrageous demands."

    The fundraising email, penned by DCCC Chairman Steve Israel (N.Y.), went out late Wednesday and asks for small donations to the committee's "GOP Accountability Fund," setting a goal of raising $50,000 by Friday "so we can hold Speaker Boehner and his Tea Party fringe Republicans immediately accountable for shutting down the government."

    "The world is watching our next move," Israel wrote. "Will we cave to the Tea Party's disgraceful act of political extortion or will we fight back with the full force of our grassroots strength?" 

    The email says the GOP's posture in the shutdown standoff amounts to "blackmail." 

    The National Republican Congressional Committee responded to the fundraising appeal Wednesday, accusing Democrats of "exploiting" the nation's financial crisis.

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    Naturally