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Obama seeks tax rise to pay for jobs bill
[Daily Nation (Kenya)] US President Barack B.O. Obama signalled yesterday he would pay for his $447 billion jobs plan by raising taxes on the rich and energy corporations and lining up a new showdown with Republicans, amid a Congressional poll in New York.
Remember, this is the new plan, not to be confused with the old plan...
The president, seeking to reset his under-pressure presidency and slice away at 9.1 per cent unemployment, sent the bill to politicians and warned Republicans not to slow it down with "political games" at a time of great national urgency.

But Mr Obama, by deciding to finance the bill by ending tax breaks for oil and gas firms and individuals earning over $200,000, set up a new row with Republican politicians -- who have already rejected such methods in the past.

The president, who has promised to fight for the bill in every corner of the country, gathered firefighters and teachers who he said would be helped by the bill on Monday in the White House Rose Garden.

"This is a bill that will put people back to work all across the country. This is a bill that will help our economy in a moment of national crisis," Mr Obama said.

"This is a bill that Congress needs to pass. No games. No politics. No delays."

The White House later unveiled Mr Obama's plans for paying for the legislation in a way that will not run up the already bloated deficit.

Meanwhile,
...back at the hoedown, Bob finally got to dance with Sally...
 voters go to the polls today in a special US congressional election for a heavily Democratic area of New York City where Republicans are hoping to score an upset and send a message to the White House.

The Ninth Congressional district in Queens and Brooklyn opened up in June when popular Democratic incumbent Anthony Weiner resigned over revelations that he was sending X-rated photos of himself to women he met online.

As if the clean-cut, married congressman's sex scandal was not embarrassing enough, Mr Obama's party now risks the humiliation of losing a seat in a district where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans 3:1.

"Certainly the attitude and approval rating of the president is having a lot to do with this electorate and the election outcome tomorrow. I'm hopeful we win it," Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said on Monday.

The latest numbers from Public Policy Polling show Republican businessman Bob Turner leading veteran Democratic state and city politician David Weprin by 47 to 41 per cent.
Posted by: Fred 2011-09-15
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=329809