GOP: Pay To The Federal Workers Ain't Gonna Happen!

Congressman Darrell Issa (R-California) sponsors a bill that puts another freeze on federal workers. Since 2009, President Barack Obama ordered a freeze on all federal employees. The freeze expires in 2013. Many federal workers will see cost of living adjustment rise and their paycheck shrink because of Republicans and their ridiculous determination to stop "big government!"

2013: A new year of the same shit!

If you're angry at Washington, DC's politicians, don't worry it continues on as the swearing in of the new 113th session of Congress.

This year opens a new chapter with the same pages of drama, action and of course comedy.

Out goes Richard Lugar, Ron Paul, Ben Nelson, Kent Conrad, Gabrielle Giffords, Dennis Kuncinich, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Olympia Snowe, and Scott Brown. In comes the replacements.

Before they come in they'll notice something a little less in their paychecks. The 112th Congress stabs one more dagger in the heart by stopping the executive order sponsored by President Barack Obama to give all federal workers a pay raise.

So that means those federal workers that aren't in Congress are not seeing the green! They'll be seeing the red and they'll be eager for 2014 to come and then they'll vote these newbies out too. The Republicans and some Democrats put the block on the raise of federal workers. Despite pleas from members of the Democratic fold, Republicans would stiff the millions of federal workers to keep the government running.

The Republican "principles" are going to doom this country.

The Washington Post reports the House of Representatives passed a freeze the salaries of lawmakers and federal employees.

Despite Democratic objections, the bill passed 287 to 129, with 55 Democrats voting with Republicans to approve the measure.

House Democrats charged that the vote to freeze salaries was intended to provide political cover for conservative Republicans planning to vote against the fiscal cliff bill passed early Tuesday by the Senate.

Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania)

The fiscal cliff deal, passed with 89 votes in the Senate, includes language that would block a 0.5 percent cost of living pay increase for lawmakers, reversing parts of an executive order Obama issued last week – because Congress had yet to set the federal government’s pay scale for 2013.

Voting against the fiscal cliff plan might leave some House Republicans open to charges by future political opponents that they voted to give themselves a raise, or didn't vote to block a congressional pay raise, Democrats charged.

The GOP-backed bill introduced late Monday would freeze the salaries of lawmakers and the nation’s 2 million federal employees for the remainder of fiscal 2013.

Currently, federal worker salaries are frozen through the end of a short-term spending agreement that expires in March. As part of efforts to curtail the deficit, federal employees have not seen a cost of living increase in their paychecks in more than three years.

Holding the pay vote before the fiscal cliff bill is voted on, “is one of the most cynical things I've seen,” said Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Virginia), whose district is home to hundreds of thousands of federal employees.

“It’s being held purely to provide protection for House Republicans who want to vote against the fiscal cliff deal.”

The pay bill is cosponsored by Congressmen Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania) and Darrell Issa (R-California).

Issa denied Democratic claims that his bill provides cover for GOP colleagues, noting that Obama could have opted to continue the pay freeze already in effect.

“We had to do this,” Issa said, adding later that Obama “had a two-year pay freeze already underway, he could have just continued it.”

In a statement, Issa argued that Obama’s “across the board pay increase for white collar workers is not necessary to retain talented employees and just wastes taxpayer money.”

“Federal employees have continued to receive promotions and within-grade pay increases over the past few years of the supposed ‘pay freeze,’ and voluntary separations from the federal government are near all-time lows,” he said.

Since taking control of the House last year, Republicans have cited federal compensation packages as a prime example of government waste, charging that federal employees have enjoyed modest pay bumps during the freeze as they are promoted through the ranks.

But dozens of Democrats usually vote for the GOP-back pay measures, making it an issue that regularly splits the caucus between labor-backed lawmakers and Washington-area Democrats who represent communities where thousands of federal employees live and work.

GOP: Take That Hit To The Face, Bitch!

Democrats are angry at the Republicans right now! The 112th Congress matches the 80th Congress in lackluster progress. This is the modern day "DO NOTHING CONGRESS". Over 2,500 bills and only 219 of these bodies became law.

The DREAM Act, gun control and the debt ceiling will be another round of partisan gridlock by Republicans in the House of Representatives. Filibuster reform, treaties, possible nominations to federal courts, a Supreme Court pick and confirmation of cabinet members will be stalled by Republicans in the Senate.

The 113th Congress takes forth in 2013. As January 4, 2013 begins, many of the failed politicians are packing their bags and heading back to the private sector. The new class and a few perennials are welcomed to the circus. As of right now, Republicans have 234 members to the Democrats 201 in the House of Representatives. The Democrats will have 53 plus 2 independents who caucus with them and Republicans will have 45 in the Senate. President Barack Obama continues on into the second term in mid-January.

After bitter fights, a very important law to curb violence among women is dead in the water. Republicans blocked the reauthorizing of the Violence Against Women Act.

Despite pleas from the Democratic and some Republican women, House Republicans have blocked the Violence Against Women Act, making it the first time the bill has not been renewed since 1994. GOP legislators balked at the legislation's inclusions for Native Americans, immigrant women, and LGBTQ folks.

Now if you hear crap from Republicans being the party of Civil Rights, kindly tell them: They're full of shit!

Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California), Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington) warn Republicans the dire consequences if VAWA wasn't passed.

The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) is a United States federal law signed by President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994. The Act provided $1.6 billion toward investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allowed civil redress in cases prosecutors chose to leave unprosecuted. The Act also established the Office on Violence Against Women within the Department of Justice.

VAWA was drafted by the office of Senator Joe Biden (D-Delaware) (who would later become the current Vice President of the United States), with support from a broad coalition of advocacy groups. The Act passed through Congress with bipartisan support in 1994, clearing the House by a vote of 235–195 and the Senate by a vote of 61–38, although the following year House Republicans attempted to cut the Act's funding.

In the 2000 Supreme Court case United States v. Morrison, a sharply divided Court struck down the VAWA provision allowing women the right to sue their attackers in federal court. By a 5–4 majority, the Court's conservative wing overturned the provision as an intrusion on states' rights.

VAWA was reauthorized by Congress in 2000, and again in December 2005. The Act's 2012 renewal was fiercely opposed by conservative Republicans, who objected to extending the Act's protections to same-sex couples and to provisions allowing battered illegal immigrants to claim temporary visas. In April 2012, the Senate voted to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, and the House subsequently passed its own measure (omitting provisions of the Senate bill that would protect gay men, lesbians, American Indians living in reservations, and illegal immigrants who were victims of domestic violence). Reconciliation of the two bills has been stymied by procedural measures, leaving the reauthorization in question.

Violence Against Women Act is a big effin' deal! Vice President Joe Biden was a senator when he sponsored the legislation that was passed by Bill Clinton in 1994.

So as of today, without passage, I am guessing that an abusive partner can obtain a firearm and proceed to killing a former lover!

So I guess it's fair to hit a pregnant woman in the stomach if she gets into an argument with her partner?

So I guess it's fair to attack a couple who is gay because you see them holding hands in public?

So I guess it's fair to attack Native Americans because you feel like they don't deserve property rights that were stolen by them in the imperialistic society America is looked upon as?

So I guess that an immigrant can be attacked because the person can't speak English?

This is what Republicans want! Republicans want drug testing of the poor, cuts to safety nets, probes of Muslims, Blacks, Hispanics, and LGBT groups.

The Republicans want to flex their muscles around Middle East, allow firearms in schools, movie theaters and on public transportation. They don't care about the issues that involve the rest of the world, they only care about themselves.

In their warped minds, their version of patriotism is the all out bigotry of a person's race, gender, sexuality, nationality, religion, political and economic standings. They believe that anyone who supports President Barack Obama is either too lazy to work or too stupid to vote!

They call the people who support President Barack Obama, low information voters. But yet these are the ones who can't tell you what the meaning of Communism and Socialism!

Ohio Woman Attacks Man: Forgot To Tell Him She's HIV Positive!

Chewanna Henderson ruins holidays! Ohio woman stabs man after fight! She didn't tell the man she was HIV-positive and he slept with her!

Leftovers from the holiday!

This story once again gives Blacks and Hispanics a bad name. This story will agitate the conservative/White supremacy forums. This will make the case to paint Blacks as "sexually crazed monsters" and the like. This invites the extremists to use NIGGER!

Of course the word salad will be accompanied by an Obama name drop or two.

As much as I talk about issues, one issue that is major is HIV. The deadly disease is another tragedy! Many Americans contract the disease from sexual contact, sharing uncleaned needles, blood transfusions and from mother to child.

Human immunodeficiency virus infection / acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

During the initial infection a person may experience a brief period of influenza-like illness. This is typically followed by a prolonged period without symptoms. As the illness progresses it interferes more and more with the immune system, making the person much more likely to get infections, including opportunistic infections, and tumors that do not usually affect people who have working immune systems.

HIV is transmitted primarily via unprotected sexual intercourse, (including anal and even oral sex), contaminated blood transfusions, hypodermic needles, and from mother to child during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding.

Some bodily fluids, such as saliva and tears, do not transmit HIV. Prevention of HIV infection, primarily through safe sex and needle-exchange programs, is a key strategy to control the spread of the disease.

There is no cure or vaccine; however, antiretroviral treatment can slow the course of the disease and may lead to a near-normal life expectancy. While antiretroviral treatment reduces the risk of death and complications from the disease, these medications are expensive and may be associated with side effects.

We have to keep spreading the world to Beat AIDS. The disease kills thousands of people. But if you contracted the disease, it's not a "death sentence!" You can live a healthy life and still have the disease. You can still have sex and raise children. But it's just a risky move for those to practice sex without protection.

Strap it up! Keep the rubber on if you don't want it or an unexpected childbirth.

If you have an addiction to heroin and you use needles, please take precautions not to share your needles and clean them out frequently. Heroin is a class felony that could land you in prison for years.

Over in Cincinnati, Ohio, a woman is arrested for assaulting her partner with a kitchen knife (after she told the partner that she's HIV positive). I don't buy the partner stuff, the man picked up a HIV-positive prostitute. The stuff happens! You're human! But still the risk is there and the man took it!

Chewanna Henderson, 33, of Anderson Township, is accused of two counts of felonious assault. She allegedly engaged in sexual conduct with a man but failed to tell him that she tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, Hamilton County court records show. And she’s accused of attacking him with a kitchen knife Friday.

Henderson faces two additional charges, theft and escape, stemming from her arrest Saturday. Police allege Henderson grabbed officers’ handcuff keys, unlocked her handcuffs and tried to flee but an officer stopped her, court records say.

In a sworn written statement, Lincoln Heights Police Sgt. Jesse J. Green said Henderson told him “she did not notify (the man) that she was (HIV-positive) because he bought her a puppy and gave her somewhere to stay.”

Green alleges that Henderson and the man got into an argument Friday about “friends that came to the residence,” and Henderson “picked up a knife from the kitchen counter and stabbed (the man) in the back left side of the head.”

On Monday, a judge set Henderson’s bail at $77,500. Her next court date is today!

Henderson becomes the latest local person charged with felonious assault for allegedly withholding a positive HIV diagnosis from a sex partner.

A former Ohio wrestler, Andre Davis is spending over thirty years in prison for not telling his multiple partners about his HIV status.

Rachel Maddow Rises! Sean Hannity Falls!

Rachel Maddow has improved in ratings. 

I state this prediction that in late 2013, Rachel Maddow, the liberal agitator of MSNBC will surpass the conservative agitator Sean Hannity of Fox News in ratings.

Last year, when I looked at the Mediabistro daily ratings count, I seen some things that got me thinking that the mighty Fox News is failing in ratings. Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Greta Van Susteren have been anchors of the primetime lineup on Fox News. They're seeing drops in their ratings!

Fox News continues to be America's most watch cable news channel, but it's starting to show cracks! The network was hoping that President Barack Obama was going to lose the election. It didn't turn that way! So of course, Fox News will now have four more years of their sworn enemy!

The post-election hangover seems to subside. And the causalities of the election are getting stomped on hard. Karl Rove and Dick Morris were benched by Roger Ailes this year. Rove threw a temper tantrum on November 6, 2012 when Fox News declared that Ohio and the presidency went to Barack Obama.

Dick Morris on the other hand, went on The O'Reilly Factor with Bill O'Reilly and Hannity's program. That turd of a man told Hannity's gullible audience that perennial loser Mitt Romney would get 325 electoral votes against President Barack Obama. That proved to be wrong.

Now the ratings are in and the conservative agitators over at Fox News are starting to notice the rise of liberal MSNBC.

When listening to Sean Hannity's daily radio program, he constantly mentions NBC News, Chris Matthews by name when attacking the network. Hannity refuses to acknowledge the actual channel MSNBC, Ed Schultz, Lawrence O'Donnell, Al Sharpton and Rachel Maddow by name. He is aware of the rising ratings of his competitors. That's why he loops the angry rhetoric of Ed Schultz every time he goes into the rants of media bias against politicians.

Hannity's losing big time.

Earlier, I stated that Sean Hannity needed President Barack Obama to stay relevant!

Sean Hannity's ratings took a nosedive after the election. Hannity openly boosted that President Barack Obama will lose in the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election. He is responsible for the president winning reelection.

It's proven true, because now in this second term, Hannity needs to continue agitating his gullible audience into believing that the president is a radical, Jeremiah Wright is still damning America and Bill Ayers is plotting revenge against the government.

According to Nielsen numbers, Hannity lost around half of his audience in the weeks after the election, while his Fox News colleague Bill O’Reilly — who steadfastly refuses to identify himself politically as a conservative — retained around 70% of his audience.

The New York Daily News' Dan Kaplan reports that the going wisdom is that viewers who basked in his preelection anti-Obama rhetoric tuned him out when they were stunned to wake up on November 7 and discover that the President had won a second term — a scenario that Hannity had all but promised could never happen.

Before the election, Hannity was riding high in the ratings and topped thought leaders on the right, like Dick Morris, Ann Coulter, Peggy Noonan and talk radio bulldog Mark Levin, who predicted Obama would lose in a landslide.

Those voices — and many others like them — all but drove the political coverage on Fox News, talk radio and conservative blogs.

But as Conor Friedersdorf wrote in The Atlantic just after the election, “Outside the conservative media, the narrative was completely different.”

Because in reality, statistics proved the presidential race was in fact never even close — despite the lopsided picture delivered to faithful viewers by Hannity and those who shared his opinions.

Wrote Friedersdorf: “The right-leaning outlets like Fox News and Rush Limbaugh’s show are far more intellectually closed than CNN or public radio. If you’re a rank-and-file conservative, you’re probably ready to acknowledge that ideologically friendly media didn't accurately inform you about Election 2012.

Some pundits engaged in wishful thinking; others feigned confidence in hopes that it would be a self-fulfilling prophecy; still others decided it was smart to keep telling right-leaning audiences what they wanted to hear.”

And when the dust settled, it turns out Hannity’s viewers opted to vote again — with their remotes.

Adding insult to injury, two of Hannity’s rivals on MSNBC, Ed Schultz and Rachel Maddow, held onto huge chunks of their audiences, while at CNN, far less politically polarizing host Anderson Cooper lost almost none of his viewers postelection.

It got even worse for Hannity in the “money demo” of viewers 25-54, who are prized by advertisers.

So in other words, Hannity is..... Well you know!

Rachel Maddow is an American television host, political commentator, and author. She hosts a nightly television show, The Rachel Maddow Show, on MSNBC. Her syndicated talk radio program of the same name aired on Air America Radio. Maddow was the first openly gay anchor of a major prime-time news program in the United States.

As a protege of Keith Olbermann, Maddow filled-in for Countdown with Keith Olbermann, her first time hosting a program on MSNBC. Maddow described herself on air as "nervous." Keith Olbermann complimented her work, and she was brought back to host Countdown the next month. The show she hosted was the highest rated news program among people aged 25 to 54, a key demographic in ratings.

For her success, the next Monday, Olbermann ranked Maddow third in his show's segment "World's Best Persons". In July 2008, while Olbermann was on vacation, Maddow filled in again for several broadcasts and, on July 21, for half the show. Maddow also filled in for David Gregory as host of Race for the White House.

Olbermann began to push for Maddow to get her own show at MSNBC, and he was eventually able to persuade Phil Griffin to give her Dan Abrams' time slot. A fan and friend of Maddow's, Olbermann was able to use his influence, which had become greater as his ratings rose.

Since 2008, Maddow seen a strong rise in her ratings! Her rise comes at a price! The strong criticism along with it. Once you're on the top, they'll be many trying to take you down. Proof positive that Sean Hannity seen his lumps and he's taking them hard!

GOP: You Sandy Degenerates Ain't Getting Relief!

Even Hurricane Sandy is a partisan event!

That's not what the Republicans are saying, but that's how they're reacting to the proposals that gives relief to those who suffered devastating since Hurricane Sandy hit the Atlantic coast in October.

We're beginning 2013 with the same bunch of stupidity and gridlock caused by the Tea Party who stood up for their "principles" against big spending.

Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa) stalling hurricane relief.

Conservatives are so fucking stupid. They are stalling progress only to piss off President Barack Obama.

The Republicans are infighting with one another over relief! Republicans who represent areas hit by Hurricane Sandy are angry with members of the Tea Party stalling passage of the relief bill that the U.S. Senate passed December.

Most Americans want higher taxes on the upper income, Republicans to work with President Barack Obama, reasonable spending cuts, reasonable gun control, relief to disaster victims, responsible immigration reform, no cuts to defense, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, food stamps and farm aid.

How come this stuff fails to sponge inside the heads of Republicans?

They fear the repercussions of the conservative base. Rush Limbaugh, Fox News, The Drudge Report, Grover Norquist, The National Rifle Association, The Club For Growth, and The Heritage Foundation are powerful forces in the Republican Party. They've been weaken after the president won reelection. So in order to gain ground, the conservatives want an all out purge of moderate Republicans.

Congressman Pete King (R-New York) is angry at members of the Republican House for stalling Hurricane Sandy relief. King is a controversial politician. A notorious Islamophobe, King sponsored bills that discriminated against Muslims. 

Over eight weeks since Hurricane Sandy devastated New Jersey, New York and New England, many Americans held back on spending. The East Coast represents 1/3 of the economy. Those living on the Atlantic coast control most of the spending in retail. Retail spending went down and that impacted economy.

Even though many entertainers and charity organizations managed to obtain donations, the need is great.

Republicans can't spare the funds to repair those who were hurt by such destruction.

Many members of New York's U.S. Congressional Delegation slammed Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and many other Republicans for killing the vote on Hurricane Sandy relief.

"This is absolutely indefensible," said Republican Congressman Peter King of New York on the House floor Tuesday night. "We have a moral obligation to hold this vote."

The fiscal cliff votes show a strong rift within the Republican Party.

As the 113th Congress begins, Republicans are going to decide on the fate of House Speaker John Boehner, the Republican Ohio Congressman who managed to vote in favor of the proposal that raised taxes on those who make over $400,000.

Boehner who rose to the top spot after defeating Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-California), America's first female Speaker of The House. He and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) rank very poorly among the American public.

President Barack Obama was ranked the most admired politician by Gallup. His job approval is averaged at 54% at the close of the 112th Session of Congress.

Cliffhanger!

Turd pies were served to the Republicans. President Barack Obama wins the battle. Closing out the 112th Congress, the lawmakers passed the fiscal cliff bill with pouting and bickering among leaders in the Republican Party.

The Republicans are fighting within their ranks. Congressman Eric Cantor (R-Virginia, Majority Leader) is coming out against the Senate proposal that starves off extreme tax hikes and spending cuts. He voted with a slight majority of Republican members against the fiscal cliff bill passed by the Senate.

The U.S. Senate passed a proposal that assures that the tax cuts for the middle class stay permanent and the rate of tax hikes go up for those making over $400,000. Spending cuts goes off the table for two months.

The House Republicans are once again jeopardizing their majority. The public supports higher taxes on the rich. The people voted for President Barack Obama to handle the economy. It's unfortunate that the Republicans played this all the way to the very end. Bitterly fought and now it's over!

The next controversy will be the debt ceiling. Another gridlock fight with new members of the 113th Congress.

It's just confirmed by the Associated Press that the House of Representatives passed the bill.

Republicans were upset the deal did not have cuts.

"We not only need to grow the economy but we also have to address the fundamental causes of our debts and deficits and that's out-of-control spending, obligations that we have not got the financial wherewithal the meet," said Congressman Dave Camp, (R-Michigan) the top Republicans on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee.

"So this is a first step -- permanent tax policy that then sets the stage for comprehensive and fundamental tax reform and then addressing out- of-control spending. So this will be several steps. This an an important one."

Liberals were unhappy Democrats left out a number of their goals for the bill, and that they did not push for setting the upper limit for retaining the old tax rates at $250,000 -- a promise Obama campaigned and won on. Obama had hoped to raise $1.6 trillion in revenue over 10 years. The bill only raises $620 billion, suggesting to many Democrats that future deficit reduction could come from cutting cherished programs.

"We're going to look back on this night and regret it," said Congressman Jim Moran (D-Virginia).

Congressman Charlie Rangel (D-New York) said passing the legislation was as if, "someone stopped hitting you in the head with a hammer, and you're supposed to say 'Thanks so much!'"

Yet most Democrats were willing to back the measure.

"Yes, to all of those who say all the other things that don't happen in the bill -- I don't know any piece of legislation I've ever voted for that did everything that I thought it should do," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) said. "While this bill doesn't accomplish all that we need to do … it is a good way for us to have a happy start to a new year by taking this first step."

Democrats also were pleased that for the first time in decades Republicans signed onto a measure that leaves taxes higher this year than the the year before.

"This legislation breaks the iron barrier that for far too long has prevented additional tax revenues from the very wealthiest," said Congressman Sander Levin (D-Michigan) "It raises $620 billion in revenue by achieving the president's goal of asking the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans to pay more while protecting 98 percent of families. That's right -- that's what it does. I want to emphasize this contrary to propaganda coming from the other side -- it prevents 98 percent of businesses from another tax increase."

Despite the general unhappiness with the measure, which President Barack Obama has said he'll sign, it does achieve some major policy changes, chief among them making permanent the Bush-era tax cuts for couples earning under $450,000 and individuals earning under $400,000.

The bill also keeps the estate tax threshold at $5 million, extends emergency federal unemployment benefits for one more year, and delays for two months the "sequester" that made up the spending cut portion of the cliff. It also extends the stimulus-boosted child tax credit and the college tuition credit for five years, individual and business tax breaks for two years, and the Medicare "doc fix" for one year, preventing a 27 percent payment cut for physicians. The Alternative Minimum Tax will be permanently fixed, and the the farm bill will be extended for one year.

Republicans in the House spent much of Tuesday threatening to blow up the bill over the the lack of spending cuts. They went so far as to propose amending the measure with a $328 billion package of budget reductions, but facing the likelihood that a revised measure would fail muster with Democrats, caved in after two lengthy meetings behind closed doors.

Having lost a battle that many of them fought for years, the GOP was looking forward to future chances to extract cuts, likely setting up more last-second showdowns in March. That's because the two-month delay of the sequester ends March 3, right around the time the nation is expected to reach its borrowing limit -- which Congress has to extend to pay the bills. Funding for the federal government also runs out on March 27.

The GOP sees each of those as leverage points.

"We still have more opportunities. We've got the debt ceiling coming, sequestration," said Congressman John Fleming (R-Louisiana) among the first in his party to acknowledge that with the Bush tax cuts having expired at midnight, there was little else the GOP could do beyond take the senate deal.

"So we're going to get taxes off the table," Fleming said. "The president can't say, 'We've go to raise taxes first before we get to spending cuts.' We will have already done that. Now the topic will be spending cuts, from this point out."

The disarray on the Republican side had many wondering if House Speaker John Boehner's job was in danger, but most members said it was not, and that Boehner ably managed the eruption of discontent in his ranks.

"I think he showed he's trying to listen to the conference in regards to giving everybody an equal shot at moving something forward," said Congressman Richard Nugent (R-Florida), who opposed the bill. "But you also have to be pragmatic about what's going to pass."

Happy New Year!

We begin 2013 with belief and strength.

I want to say that I am proud to contribute to Journal de la Reyna. I appreciate the LaReyna giving me the opportunity to contribute to her blog and give you my honest take of my community, the government, and the media.

I will continue to publish many articles that inspire and influence you the reader.

I will do all I can to get the message out there for all who are willing to understand the plight of the America.

We're here to serve and we'll continue to do so in 2013.

To all the readers, thank you!

Over The Cliff!

Vice President Biden steps in.

Much work is to do to improve the image of Congress. The Senate has passed a deal, that extends the tax rate for upper income earners making over $450 million and hold off spending cuts for two months. The House of Representatives will vote on the package later.

We're over the fiscal cliff! And on top of that, we've reached the debt ceiling. Two whammies!

President Barack Obama will fight another battle with Republicans during the 113th Session.

Under the deal brokered by Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), Congress would permanently extend the Bush income tax cuts at $400,000 and below, keep the estate tax threshold at $5 million and extend unemployment benefits for one year.

It would also temporarily delay the sequester -- i.e., billions of dollars in across-the-board spending cuts -- for another two months. The cost of continuing current spending levels will be paid for through an even mix of tax revenue increases and later spending cuts. Half of those cuts will come from defense spending; half will come from non-defense spending.

The deal includes other tax provisions as well: It extends the child tax credit and the college tuition credit for five years, individual and business tax extenders for two years, and the Medicare "doc fix" for one year. The Alternative Minimum Tax will be permanently fixed. The agreement also extends the farm bill for one year.

Notably, the fiscal package does nothing to address the debt ceiling, which the government just hit Monday. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner sent a letter to congressional leaders earlier in the day outlining emergency measures he can take to prevent the government from defaulting on the debt, but those measures will only delay default for a matter of weeks, until right around the time when lawmakers will have to address the sequester again. That sets up another major fiscal fight between the White House and Congress.

The deal still requires buy-in from members of both parties, and Biden was set to meet with Senate Democrats Monday night to try to sell them on the package. That could prove challenging given that key progressive groups, including the AFL-CIO, made it clear earlier Monday that they would oppose any deal that raised the income limit for extending the Bush tax cuts above $250,000.

Still, both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) gave the deal their blessing Monday night in a phone call with President Barack Obama, sources confirmed.

A Pelosi aide suggested that while the House Democratic leader backs the proposal on the table, she isn't completely wedded to it.

"She's been supportive all along," said the aide. "Though if House Dems have serious problems, that could move her."

Reid spokesman Adam Jentleson said Senate Democrats would have preferred to push off the sequester for longer than two months, but Republicans wouldn't agree to that. The deal on the table is "what we could get," he said.

Jentleson lamented that the sequester and the debt ceiling will now need to be addressed at the same time, in a matter of months. "It's a lot to deal with," he said.

UPDATE: Tuesday, 12:39 a.m. -- Vice President Biden's principal argument to Democrats on Monday night appeared to be that this deal was the best that could be negotiated on a bipartisan basis and that while it might not be popular, it was better than going over the cliff.

Coming out of the meeting with the vice president late Monday night, many Senate Democrats conceded they were displeased with aspects of the deal but agreed with the vice president's larger point.

"The disagreement on this provision and that provision and other provisions are large and wide, but the number of people who believe that we should go over the cliff rather than vote for this is very small," said Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York). "It's not that this proposal is regarded as great or is loved in any way, but it's regarded as better than going over the cliff."

Schumer added that Biden essentially argued that going over the cliff "would be devastating," and he "was very persuasive, but he did not have to do much convincing."

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) sang a similar tune with respect to Biden's message.

"The argument is that this is the best that we could put together at this time on a bipartisan basis," Feinstein told reporters. "We need a bipartisan basis to get this done so that means compromises on both sides."

Some lawmakers sounded more positive notes. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California) said the deal was good for both her state and the country.

"My main concern here is keeping this economic recovery going, and I think this package does that," she said.

The House GOP leadership also broke its silence on the deal, although Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) stopped short of making any pledges to bring the bill to the House floor if it were to pass in the Senate.

"The House will honor its commitment to consider the Senate agreement if it is passed," read a joint statement issued by Boehner, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Virginia), Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-California) and Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Washington). "Decisions about whether the House will seek to accept or promptly amend the measure will not be made until House members -- and the American people -- have been able to review the legislation."

Hillary's Illness Sparks Conservative Outrage!

Republicans' old foe returns to the limelight as she is recovering from an illness.

We wish Secretary of State Hillary Clinton a speedy recovery. The end of the year bring us to the final days.

It looks like we're going over the fiscal cliff. The Republicans and their conservative allies have finally proven that they're not willing to work with President Barack Obama whatsoever. The effects will be great come Wednesday January 2, 2013.

The U.S. consulate attacks, three months and conservative are still harping their heads over the situation in Benghazi, Libya. The attacks in September 2012 were a hallmark for conservative agitation. The situation that occurred on September 11, 2012, brought the nation to grips with the death of four Americans. One being an ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens.

The conservative outrage machine has been ongoing and relentless in their quest to unearth the situation that unfolded. They dismiss the notion that an American bigoted movie mocking the Prophet Mohammad sparked global unrest in the Muslim world.

They point the finger at President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice as the culprits of a murder. Instead of blaming those who committed the act, the finger Republicans and conservatives have our own fellow Americans.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is stepping down soon. Her replacement is Massachusetts Democratic senator John Kerry. Kerry was going to be an easy confirmation. But all that was thrown out the window when conservative Republicans threaten to gridlock nominations. They're going to filibuster nominations until Clinton speaks on the situation in Benghazi.

It was revealed that Clinton has a blood clot from an incident in which she was injured. The injuries resulted a bump on the head, and dehydration from a food illness or the flu. The secretary was accompanied by her husband former president Bill Clinton. They're in New York at a local hospital.

She is going to make an appearance at Congress the start of the new session to testify.

Conservatives don't want none of the wait. They believe that it's another "CLINTONSQUE" plot to hide knowledge. A growing conspiracy among conservatives is that Clinton is ducking Congress so she won't incriminate herself or President Barack Obama.

The notion is also floating around that she looking forward to run for president again!

Hillary Clinton was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1947. She is a lawyer, writer, former First Lady of the United States, former U.S. Senator, former Democratic candidate for president and mother.

Clinton is ranked favorably among most Americans. She is more popular than her boss President Barack Obama. Her husband William Jefferson Clinton was the 42nd President of The United States. Faced with the same type of obstruction Bill Clinton managed to raise the tax rates on upper income workers, passed welfare reform, championed for better schools, and reasonable gun control. Bill Clinton won reelection and survived a partisan impeachment trial spurred by Republicans going after him for admitting to having an affair with an intern named Monica Lewinsky.

There's no confirmation that she'll run for 2016, but given the atmosphere of Republicans, it's likely she'll test the waters.

Kanye West And Kim Kardashian: Making A Reality Star!

End of the year news: Realty stars announced they're going to be parents.

Kanye West said something that shocked the hip-hop world?

At a performance in Atlantic City, the rapper said that you can "stop the music", then announced "make noise for my baby mama [Kim Kardashian] right here," with a wide smile. It was confirmed by the reality star that she is pregnant.

Kanye West is a famous producer, rapper, media mogul and fashion designer. Also he's a controversial figure in hip-hop. The rapper appears under Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam. West is closely associated with his mentor Jay-Z. Earlier this year, he and pop signer Beyonce became proud parents of their first child.

The daughter of Robert Kardashian, the man who saved O.J. Simpson from prison, Kim Kardashian is an American socialite, television personality, businesswoman, fashion designer, model, author, and actress. In 2006, she gained notoriety as the subject of a sex tape with entertainer Ray J that subsequently resulted in a court awarding her $5 million.

West upstaged Taylor Swift in 2009 at MTV's VMAs.

In 2007, she and her family rose to prominence with their E! reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians and its subsequent spin-offs, including Kourtney and Kim Take New York. In 2010, Kardashian was the highest-earning reality star, with estimated earnings of $6 million.

In August 2011, Kardashian married basketball player Kris Humphries in a widely publicized ceremony. That October, Kardashian filed for divorce following 72 days of marriage. The move garnered significant backlash from the media, who labeled it a "publicity stunt".

West for his part has been no stranger to controversy.

West has had several controversies throughout his career. The two famous controversies involved the reaction to President George W. Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina and him embarrassing pop star Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards.

On September 2, 2005, during a benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina relief on NBC, A Concert for Hurricane Relief, West was a featured speaker. When West was presenting alongside actor Mike Myers, he deviated from the prepared script.

Myers spoke next and continued to read the script. Once it was West's turn to speak again, he said "George Bush doesn't care about black people." 

Kardashian with Kris Humphries. Media slam her for sham marriage.

At this point, telethon producer Rick Kaplan cut off the microphone and then cut away to Chris Tucker, who was unaware of the cut for a few seconds.

Still, West's comment reached much of the United States. Bush stated in an interview that the comment was "one of the most disgusting moments” of his presidency.

On September 13, 2009, during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards while Taylor Swift was accepting her award for Best Female Video for "You Belong with Me", West went on stage and grabbed the microphone to proclaim that Beyoncé's video for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", nominated for the same award, was "one of the best videos of all time".

He was subsequently removed from the remainder of the show for his actions. When Beyoncé later won the award for Best Video of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", she called Swift up on stage so that she could finish her acceptance speech. West was criticized by various celebrities for the outburst, and by President Barack Obama, who called West a "jackass".

In addition, West's VMA disruption sparked a large influx of Internet photo memes with blogs, forums and "tweets" with the "Let you finish" photo-jokes. Subsequently, West posted two apologies for the outburst on his personal blog; one on the night of the incident, and the other the following day, when he also apologized during an appearance on The Jay Leno Show. After Swift appeared on The View two days after the outburst, partly to discuss the matter, West called her to apologize personally. Swift said she accepted his apology.

In September 2010, West wrote a series of apologetic tweets addressed to Swift including "Beyonce didn't need that. MTV didn't need that and Taylor and her family friends and fans definitely didn't want or need that" and concluding with "I'm sorry Taylor." West also revealed he had written a song for Swift and if she did not accept the song, he would perform it himself.

However in an interview with a Minnesota radio station, West seemed to recant a bit of his past apologies by attempting to describe the act at the 2009 awards show as "selfless" and downgrade the perception of disrespect it created.

While we wish them well on the first child, I think that West wanted to upstage rival Wiz Khalifa. The Pittsburgh rapper confirmed that reality star Amber Rose (West's ex-girlfriend) is pregnant with their first child. They plan on getting married.

Drake: You Owe Me The YOLO™!

YOLO is the name of my motto! - Drake

Canadian entertainer Aubrey Graham who goes by the name of Drake wants a piece of the YOLO! The Cash Money Records singer brought to fame by his crafty wordplay secured the third hottest selling album this year according to Billboard.

Drake signed to Cash Money Records through Lil' Wayne's Young Money Records. Cash Money Records is a label that falls under Universal Republic Records. His own label October's Very Own is credited to the two albums Thank Me Later and Take Care. They went on to sell over four million copies.

Drake, Lil' Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Future, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Rihanna and Jay-Z are the most sought after entertainers in rap music.

Off the Take Care album the single "The Motto" became the latter of for popularizing the widely used acronym YOLO. The word meaning "you only live once" and that's Drake's motto!

Tupac Shakur inspired wordplay by the song N.I.G.G.A. (Never Ignorant Getting Goals Accomplished)!

Many rappers have crafted catchphrases to the American pop culture.

• Eminem brought out the ego Slim Shady! 
• Snoop Dogg brought out the "Dizzle". 
• Jay-Z throws up two hands and forms a "diamond". 
• Lil' Wayne throws up the red banter for the gang sign of Blood. 
• T-Pain made autotune catchy for rapper Future. 
• Rihanna talked that talk.
• Notorious B.I.G. crafted the Frank White and Biggie Smalls ego.
• Rick Ross made everyone a "bawes!"
• 50 Cent gave the stutttering GGGG-Unit!
• Run DMC made Adidas look cool.
• Game throw on them Chuck Taylor All Star Converse shoes!
• Tupac Shakur said it was Westsyde and morphed himself into the rebellious Makaveli.

Wikipedia explains that the word was popularized by rappers Drake and Rick Ross, who planned to name a joint mixtape YOLO. To promote this mixtape, "Yolo" was mentioned prominently on several of their tracks such as "The Motto", with the aim of promoting the tape. This use has elevated the word into prominence and common colloquial use. Hip-hop magazine Da South reported that the rapper Lecrae has deconstructed YOLO in his song "No Regrets".

The phrase has achieved currency in youth culture. For example, a high school prank in Chicago, Illinois involved high school students chanting "YOLO". Some people have grafittied YOLO on walls. It has become a popular Twitter hashtag. Some youth have said that it is their motto, and actor Zac Efron has a tattoo with the acronym.

Online media including the Washington Post and the Huffington Post describe YOLO as the "newest acronym you'll love to hate" and "dumb". The word has been criticized for its use in conjunction with reckless behavior, most notably in a Twitter post by aspiring rapper Ervin McKinness just prior to his death that described driving drunk at 120 mph (190 kph): "Drunk af going 120 drifting corners #F***It YOLO."

Catchphrase YOLO spreads into retail.

The phrase "you only live once" is commonly attributed to Mae West, but variations of the phrase have been in use for over 100 years,  including as far back as (the German equivalent of) "one lives but once in the world" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in his 1774 play Clavigo and as the title of a waltz, "Man lebt nur einmal!" ("You Only Live Once!") by Johann Strauss II in 1855.

The 26-year-old recording artist, who reportedly has a net worth of $25 million, posted two images on the photo-sharing website Instagram depicting clothing emblazoned with the acronym YOLO, which stands for ‘you only live once.’

The first picture uploaded on Christmas Eve shows baseball caps in a variety of colors being sold for $12 for a pair at Walgreen's,  accompanied by the comment: 'Walgreens…you gotta either chill or cut the cheque,' Gawker reported.

The second photo shows a powder-blue T-shirt featuring the children's characters Charlie Brown and Snoopy which reads 'YOLO is my motto,’ along with a post: 'Macy's...same goes for you.'

YOLO, which has been around since 2004, turned into a viral sensation this year thanks to Drake's hit song The Motto, which includes the lyrics: 'Now she want a photo, you already know, though/ You only live once: that's the motto n***a, YOLO.'

It remains unknown whether Drake has trademarked the slogan. However, his legal claim appears weak considering the fact that according to the site KnowYourMeme.com, the acronym allegedly was first uttered by Adam Mesh on the third season of NBC's reality show Average Joe.

In July 2006, the band The Strokes came out with a single called You Only Live Once, and launched Operation YOLO asking fans to request the song on the radio.

Drake jumped on the YOLO bandwagon in October 2011, when he tweeted 'You only live once...YOLO' along with a picture of him standing on a balcony overlooking a city.

The now-ubiquitous abbreviation has since appeared in the form of a tattoo on Zac Efron's hand and was even shortlisted for the 2012 English Word of the Year by the Oxford American Dictionary.

Keep Screaming!

President Barack Obama's growing frustration with Congress eases with an executive order giving them and federal workers a slight increase in pay. The fiscal cliff/debt ceiling debate continues and it's likely they'll come up with a compromise.

The phony outrage machine is cranked up once again for the agitators of the online world. Conservatives and some liberals are scoffing the idea of the president issuing an executive order giving Vice President Joe Biden, all federal workers and members of Congress a pay raise.

By the way, many states are going to raise their minimum wage rates as January 2013 begins.

Conservatives are screaming that federal workers shouldn't be entitled to any raises whatsoever!

Shame though, these same individuals would punish the mail carrier, the FBI agent, a member of the military, the TSA worker, the IRS agent, the National Park ranger, a member of National Archives and numerous others for getting a pay raise.

The 112th Congress by far was the least productive. Republicans and the Tea Party have "stuck" to their principles and ended up sinking their job approval into the low.

As of March 27, 2013, federal employees will see a half-percent to one percent pay increase, marking the end of a pay freeze that has been in place since late 2010. Congress hasn't seen a pay raise since 2009.

This Executive Order will make Vice President Joe Biden's pay increase from $225,521 to $231,900 a year, before taxes. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) will see his salary increased to $224,500 and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) will take home an annual pay of $194,400 after his raise.

Congressmen and senators make $174,000 a year and will see an extra $900 in their annual pay packages before taxes next year.

The Hill Reports that the order is issued as President Barack Obama and Congress work to reach a deal on the "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and spending cuts set to begin in January.

Unless Congress acts within the next few days, more than $500 billion in tax increases and spending cuts will take effect in January, and the fiscal shock would likely cause a new recession.

By law, Congress cannot get a larger increase in salary than the adjustment given to federal workers.

President Barack Obama proposed that workers get a 0.5 percent pay increase last year and wanted it to take effect on January 1. In September, the president agreed with Congress to delay the pay increase at least until the expiration of a continuing resolution funding the government at the end of March.

Federal workers have been laboring under a two-year pay freeze ordered by President Barack Obama in December 2010 to try to reduce spending. Congress has not seen a pay increase since 2009.

Here's a solution to all these agitators concerns: How about you fools stop wasting your energy keystroking on the internet! Take action and run for Congress. I mean if you so tired of Washington, DC, and the antics of both political parties, vote them out or run for the office.

I mean you can't do nothing if you're sitting on your lazy ass complaining about how it's "all Obama's fault" and never yours!