A Holiday Thank You Note To The Tea Party

by Stuart Shapiro

As my wife can confirm, I hate writing thank you notes.  So you can imagine that if I write one, I am extremely grateful.  And at this time of year, I find myself being particularly grateful for the Tea Party.  So thank you Tea Party for:

-  Democratic control of the U.S. Senate.  You kept it in Democratic hands in 2010.  We’ll need some more help in 2012, so here’s hoping you can knock out Senator Lugar and nominate extreme candidates in Connecticut and Wisconsin.

–President Obama’s growing approval ratings.  It has more to do with the …

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Watch Republicans Walk Out As Rep. Steny Hoyer Asks Them To Stay And Pass Tax Cut

As Minority Whip Steny Hoyer asks Speaker Pro Temp Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Pa) not to adjourn, Republicans walk away, leaving the tax cut and unemployment benefits in the balance.

“Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask for unanimous consent that we bring up the bill to extend the tax cut to 160 million Americans, as you walk off the floor Mr. Speaker, you’re walking away, just as so many Republicans have walked away from middle-class tax payers, the unemployed, and very frankly as well from those who will be seeking medical assistance from their doctors — 48 million senior citizens.”…

Romney Boldly Refuses To Take Sides On Payroll Tax Holiday

One wonders if Mitt Romney would be capable of expressing an opinion if he became president. He refused to weigh in on whether he sides with the House or the Senate on the tax holiday. He did say there should be an extension, after previously calling it a “temporary little Band-Aid.”

In two TV interviews today, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney refused to take a stance on the biggest issue in Washington today: the extension of the payroll tax holiday. A huge bipartisan majority in the Senate passed a two-month extension of the cut, but the House rejected that yesterday.…

Mitt Romney: “I’m Hoping To Become President…Not A Talk Show Host.”

Finally, the Mittster has said something I agree with. And he said it well. He’s not on a book tour; he’s not saying incendiary things to rev up the base; and he’s not Herman Cain. From Fox and Friends:

“I’m hoping to become President of the United States, not a talk show host.”

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com…

Why We Need The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

by Stuart Shapiro

As the battle to confirm Richard Cordray to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) continues, it helps to remember why such a bureau is needed.  Jean Yin has a nice summary of the key issues behind the empowerment of the CFPB.…

Richard Epstein, law professor at the University of Chicago and New York University, similarly observes that a variety of statutes and regulations already exist that outlaw fraud and require disclosure on key terms.  But he writes that adding new financial regulations will only “do more harm than good.” In his view, “we have already passed

Court Overturns Woman’s Conviction In Sex-For-Tickets Case

Susan Finkelstein was convicted of attempted prostitution for placing an ad to offer sexual favors to get World Series tickets, but an appeals court overturned that decision.

Authorities had alleged that Susan Finkelstein posted a racy online ad, then met with an undercover Bensalem police officer in October 2009 and offered to perform sexual acts in exchange for tickets to see the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees.

Finkelstein acknowledged placing a “goofy” ad on Craigslist and hoping to use her “feminine wiles” to get tickets, but denied offering favors and said she wasn’t a prostitute.

At trial last …

Politico: Gary Johnson To Quit Republican Race And Seek Libertarian Nod

Politico is reporting that former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson will announce that he’ll end his quest for the Republican presidential nomination and seek the Libertarian Party’s nod.

The former two-term New Mexico governor, whose campaign for the GOP nomination never caught fire, will make the announcement at a press conference in Santa Fe on Dec. 28. Johnson state directors will be informed of his plans on a campaign conference call Tuesday night, a Johnson campaign source told POLITICO.…

John McCain: Payroll Tax Cut Fight Harming Republican Party

John McCain and Scott Brown, two Republican senators, are critical of what House Republicans are doing.

“It is harming the Republican Party. It is harming the view, if it’s possible anymore, of the American people about Congress,” McCain said. “We’ve got to get this resolved and with the realization that the payroll-tax cut must remain in effect.”…

“It angers me that House Republicans would rather continue playing politics than find solutions,” centrist Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) said in a news release. “Their actions will hurt American families and be detrimental to our fragile economy. We are Americans first; now …

No Tax Cut Or Unemployment Extension, But Money For Bust Of Winston Churchill

The House had the good sense to ignore the needs of the unemployed or to forget tax breaks for working Americans, and to commission a bust of Winston Churchill. They passed a bill that directs:

That the Architect of the Capitol place an appropriate statue or bust of Sir Winston Churchill in the United States Capitol at a location directed by the House Fine Arts Board in consultation with the Speaker.

Very American of them.…

On Tuesday’s Radio Show…

• Former POW Jessica Lynch joins Alan to share her thoughts on the end of the Iraq War.

• From Deal to Debacle: Alan analyzes the payroll tax showdown with former Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA).

• It’s a holiday tradition: Colmes Christmas Karaoke!…