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Articles by Capitol Confidential

Majority Leader Reid: 'We Will Have a Public Option'

Liberals have always taken the long view to government control. Most understand that getting Obamacare passed was just the first step. Now that they have control of the nation’s healthcare the real change can be brought about. Speaking at the

ObamaCare: The Government's Rationing Toolbox Exposed

The FDA attempt to de-label Avastin for breast cancer patients is the first skirmish of the rationing wars. The battle must be fought and won. This isn’t an issue of government paying the cost of these late stage drugs. This

Support for Net Neutrality Weakens as Amazon Backs Compromise

Amazon.com, the online retailing powerhouse, last week announced a shift in stance on net neutrality that has tech policy observers in the nation’s capital buzzing. The company, a long-time backer of the controversial policy and member of the pro-net neutrality

ObamaCare: The Rationing Begins in Earnest

The ink is not yet dry on the Obama Health Care takeover and rationing advocate Donald Berkwick has yet to have his desk moved into the Medicare offices, and the Administration is already attempting to limit life-extending drugs for cancer

Obama: Travel as I Say, Not as I Do

July 20, 2010, Wall Street Journal “White House on Perpetual Tour to Boost Stimulus” “President Barack Obama and top officials are stepping up the pace of their travel to promote the economic stimulus package to skeptical voters–particularly in states with

Latest Biden Gaffe: Suggests Stimulus 'Failed' Because of GOP

Despite Vice-President Biden’s claim, the reality shows that, despite costing more than the administration expected, the stimulus still hasn’t created the jobs they promised. CLAIM: Democrats assert stimulus failed because Republicans kept it small. Democrats repeatedly promised their massive 2009

New York's Cigarette Tax Hike Already Looking Like a Bust

On July 1, a new cigarette tax hike took effect in New York. But just three weeks after the state began levying the additional $1.60 per pack, the move is looking likely to prove a bust. Reports are flowing of

Minority Groups to FCC: Not so Fast on Net Neutrality

The Federal Communications Commission’s bid to reengineer the nation’s broadband regulatory regime is exposing some fissures in the fragile net neutrality coalition, as a collection of minority groups Monday warned the commission against its controversial reclassification bid. In a letter

More Questions About Rep. Schakowsky's Mystery Earmark

Recently, Big Government told of a proposed fiscal year 2009 federal budget earmark intended for the Save-A-Life Foundation (SALF), a Chicago-area nonprofit that went belly-up late last year. The article questioned why IL Democrat Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, who introduced the

WTO Delivers Victory for Boeing, US Trade

In a victory for American trade interests, the World Trade Organization rebuked the European Union for issuing government subsidies to European companies, giving them an advantage in international contract bidding. In what is being called a “stinging rebuke,” the WTO

Social Security Administration Sends in the Clowns

Remember the flap last summer about the $700k Social Security staff conference at the luxurious Arizona Biltmore hotel? Reps. Johnson and Linder asked the SSA Inspector General to dig around and see what other deluxe conferences SSA runs for its

Hypocrisy Grows in Sunlight

Last week, we reported on the undisclosed funding and conflicts of interest behind the pro-regulatory “research” being peddled by The Sunlight Foundation and picked up by the New York Times. Following that Big Government report, Sunlight scurried to put up

Senate Panel OKs Creation of Alternative Gulf Commission

In a rebuke to President Obama, a Senate panel last week gave a thumbs-up to the creation of an alternative Gulf oil spill commission to rival that previously announced by the President. The bipartisan commission was approved by five Democrats

Reading the Tea Leaves on Byrd's Replacement: Senator Coal

The death of Senator Robert Byrd on Monday has upended the administration’s cap and trade offensive, as observers of West Virginia politics suspect his yet-to-be-named interim successor will defer to the state’s pro-coal politics on pending climate legislation. Byrd, whose

Rep. McCotter Wants to Eliminate His Leadership Position

Among my favorite stories from political lore is that of a candidate who runs on a platform of eliminating the office they seek. It mostly plays out on the local level, where slightly odd and antiquated offices can stack up

Does Sunlight Need to be Disinfected?

The Left is far more organized than you might imagine, but a little investigation can turn up some fascinating examples of how they coordinate with front groups and the media to advance their policies. Consider this New York Times editorial.

The Chicago Politician, the Discredited Non-Profit and a Mystery Earmark

In last year’s federal budget, Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky introduced and then withdrew what appears to have been a multi-million dollar earmark for the Save-A-Life Foundation (SALF), a now-defunct nonprofit that claims to have provided first aid training for nearly

OSHA: BP Less Safe Than Other Oil Companies

In the wake of the BP oil spill, efforts have been afoot on the part of the Obama administration to ban drilling off the U.S. coast outright, ostensibly to stop future disasters like that which continues to unfold in the

Cuomo Trashes Paterson Budget Plan: Says 'No' to Tax Hikes

New York Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo is proving a canny politician the further he progresses in his career. Thursday, the son of former Gov. Mario Cuomo trashed outgoing Gov. David Paterson’s budget plan, saying he opposes

BP Bailout: Heresy In Louisiana

The Louisiana oil crisis continues unabated. Oil continues to pollute the Gulf and the Obama Administration continues to fiddle while Louisiana suffers. In addition to being angry with BP and the Obama Administration’s weak response, activists have taken to the

Surprise: Debbie Stabenow Opposes FCC Power Grab

The number of congressional Democrats who oppose the Federal Communications Commission’s bid to reclassify broadband as a traditional telecommunications service has reached seventy-six. Senator Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat, last week urged Commission chief Julius Genachowski to search for a

A Price Control Majority?

The parallels to 1994 are all around us. A Democrat president is elected. He pushes big government agenda items like health care. His presidency gets mired by scandal and circumstances. His poll numbers begin to drop quickly. In 1994 Republicans

FCC to Congress: 'Whatever'

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently hit a major stumbling block in its effort to impose net neutrality via the “reclassification” of broadband services. Following months of civil rights groups, artists, and a major union voicing their opposition to net

Violent Left Fights for a BP Bailout

The violent left has attacked conservative activists protesting big government, big spending and big bailout scheme proposed by Congress. Tea Party activists in Tampa and St. Louis were beaten by left wing activists earlier this year. Add Greensboro to that

California Air Resources Board Spends $800,000 to Bolster Latest Pet Initiative

California’s Air Resources Board (CARB)–long considered a foe of conservatives nationwide– has shelled out close to $800,000 to bolster its latest pet “green” initiative, Capitol Confidential has learned. A study released last month, which draws positive conclusions regarding CARB’s favored

Senate to Consider Job-killing 'Carried Interest Tax' Within Days

The Senate will soon vote on the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act; a counterproductive bill that, purportedly, extends unemployment benefits for millions of out of work Americans. And yet ironically, found in the bowels of this legislation is

States Illogically Looking to Cigarette Taxes as Deficit Panacea

Across the country, states big and small are facing significant budget gaps. In California, the worst case by far, candidates for state office are debating how to close a $19 billion budget deficit. In Florida, meanwhile, another multi-billion dollar budget

British Petroleum and Walmart Want You to Pay their Bills

When Washington opened the doors to taxpayer bailouts of Wall Street firms they set off a modern day gold rush for lobbyists, corporations and unions looking to get their piece of the pie. The car companies lined up for their

Majority of U.S. House Oppose FCC Effort to Reclassify Broadband

The Federal Communications Commission’s bid to subject broadband services to stricter regulation encountered a new hurdle last Friday, as an informal count of legislators revealed more than half of the members of the House oppose reshaping the regulatory framework through

Durbin's Outrageous Bailout for BP

It’s hard to imagine that the Senate Financial Reform legislation could get worse, but thanks to an amendment offered by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), not only did the legislation get worse, it now adds insult to injury. It’s no secret

Top Democrats' Actions Confirm FCC Has No Authority to Regulate Broadband

Four senior congressional Democrats inadvertently confirmed Monday that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)–which, under Chairman Julius Genachowski’s leadership has been trying for months to impose contentious net neutrality rules–lacks the authority needed to regulate the Internet. For weeks, the FCC

Eyewitness: On the Ground With the Tim Burns Campaign in Pennsylvania

The conservative, grassroots movement has successfully shown that gerrymandered congressional districts and state boundaries no longer limit citizen involvement in any campaign regardless of where you live. In 2010, all politics are still local, but every campaign in the country