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Politics:

Obama, Congress Maneuver to Extend Unemployment Benefits in Exchange for Current Tax Rates

After Senate Republicans, with the help of a few Democrats, refused to cave on extending tax rates for the wealthy next year, a deal to extend unemployment benefits in exchange for White House agreement on continuing everyone's current rate appears to be gaining traction. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Sunday that it's clear to him taxes will not be raised for anyone next year -- and that unemployment compensation for those jobless beyond 99 weeks could be extended. McConnell did not say how long tax rates would be extended though unemployment compensation could last another year.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/05/mcconnell-confide...

Politics:

Administration to Fed Workers: Don't Read WikiLeaks

In a case of closing the barn door after the horses are out, federal employees are being warned not to look at documents leaked by WikiLeaks website, noting that despite their wide release, the hundreds of thousands of stolen papers are still classified by the U.S. government. An internal memo sent late last week from the Office of Management and Budget and obtained by Fox News says that federal employees and contractors are "obligated to protect classified information pursuant to all applicable laws, and to use government information technology systems in accordance with agency procedures so that the integrity of such systems is not compromised."

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/05/administration-fe...

Politics:

Senate Kills Obama's Tax Plan

The Senate blocked President Obama's and Democratic leaders' tax cut plans Saturday in a foreordained symbolic vote that now sends both sides back to the negotiating table to work out a viable deal. A bipartisan filibuster, led by unified Republicans and joined by four Democrats and one independent, proved there isn't enough support to back Mr. Obama's preferred option to extend income tax cuts for couples making less than $250,000 and tax increases for those making more than that. With that vote out of the way, attention turns back to the high-level working group Mr. Obama and congressional leaders set up this week to try to work out a solution. That group met three times already, but Sen. Jon Kyl, Arizona Republican and one of the negotiators, said it was clear to him that Democrats weren't going to negotiate until they had gone through the votes to prove to their political base that raising taxes on the wealthy wasn't viable.

Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/4/senate-blocks...

Politics:

Top Democrats defect, join unified GOP

The Senate on Saturday rejected President Obama’s proposal to let tax rates rise for the highest-income Americans, as Republicans held firm in their push to continue all of the expiring Bush-era tax cuts. The White House and Congressional leaders are now discussing a deal to extend the reduced tax rates at all income levels, at least temporarily, perhaps for two years. But with Senate Democrats and the White House badly splintered, and some lawmakers increasingly angry at the idea of sustaining President George W. Bush’s economic policies, the prospects of a compromise remained uncertain.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/us/politics/05cong.html?_r...

Politics:

Texan calls for jail time for enforcing Obamacare

Texans take their rights seriously. A bill that has been prefiled for the 2011 state legislative session creates penalties of up to $5,000 in fines and up to five years in jail for anyone guilty of the "felony" of attempting "to enforce an act, order, law, statute, rule or regulation" of Obamacare, the president's plan that effectively nationalizes the health-care decision making process. The plan by Texas Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, effectively would nullify the federal health care legislation in his state. At least, that is what the bill that "relates to federal health care legislation" says

Source: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=235757

Politics:

Arguments set on courts' 'hostile takeover of marriage'

Arguments are scheduled Monday before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the federal court challenge to the decision (made twice) by voters in California to define marriage in their state constitution as being between one man and one woman, only. And lawyers say that the issue is far bigger than just a single state law affecting benefits, rights and the advance of a regional homosexual social agenda. "What's at stake in this case is bigger than California and bigger even than marriage," said Brian Raum, a senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, which is part of the team arguing on behalf of traditional marriage.

Source: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=235725

Politics:

Florida Follows Arizona's Lead With New Bill Cracking Down on Illegal Immigrants

Florida has joined Arizona on the front lines of battling illegal immigration with a new bill released this week that seeks to crack down on the estimated 800,000 undocumented workers in the state. The bill, filed by state Sen. Michael Bennett, allows law enforcement officers to check the residency status of anyone they suspect of being an illegal immigrant and would punish some legal immigrants who aren't carrying proper documentation. Florida has been flirting with releasing an immigration bill since the summer when outgoing state Attorney General Bill McCollum wrote a similar proposal with state Rep. William Snyder. But Snyder has yet to file that bill.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/04/florida-follows-a...

Politics:

Iran claims nuclear advance day before talks

Iran claimed another advance in its disputed nuclear activities on Sunday, a day before opening a new round of talks on that work with world powers. The country's nuclear chief said that for the first time the country had mined its own uranium — which can be processed into material used to make nuclear energy or nuclear weapons — giving it a way to bypass U.N. sanctions prohibiting the material's import. The announcement displays Iran's determination to master nuclear technology without outside help just a day before world powers meet Iranian officials in Geneva in another attempt to persuade them to freeze key aspects of that work.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/12/05/nuclear-chief-says-i...

Politics:

Obama Open to Tax Cut Compromise, With Conditions

President Obama told Congressional leaders Saturday that he was open to a compromise on extending the Bush-era tax cuts, but threatened to veto if the deal didn’t include an unemployment extension. Speaking with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Obama said he would consider permitting a renewal of Bush era tax cuts for all taxpayers, including the wealthy, but that Republicans would be expected to include commitments to some Democratic priorities. Obama wants an extension of jobless benefits in addition to extensions of the tax cuts that benefit middle class families.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/05/obama-open-tax-cu...