The Leader's Ledger

State of Play: Senate To Hold a Vote On Cut, Cap and Balance Today

The Majority Of Americans Support Cut, Cap and Balance and Believe A Balance Budget Amendment Is Necessary

• 66% Prefer Raising The Debt Ceiling Only If A Balanced Budget Amendment Were Passed By Both Houses Of Congress And Substantial Spending Cuts And Caps On Future Spending Were Approved. CNN

• 74% Favor A Constitutional Amendment Requiring A Balanced Budget CNN

• 60% Of American Believe A BBA Is Necessary CNN

Video Reminder: 22 Senate Democrats Have Supported A Balanced Budget Amendment In the Past. (From The Office Of Congressman Tim Huelskamp)

Leader Cantor: With Unemployment at 9.2% A Tax Increase Is Precisely The Wrong Policy To Pursue. The way President Obama makes it sound in an op-ed for USA Today, it would seem that everyone is on the same page about the need to include some new taxes to raise the debt ceiling. ... the “Gang of Six”—did indeed outline a plan to raise the debt limit that included new revenues, but it was certainly not met with unanimous approval by the GOP ... House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia said of it: "The plan fails to significantly address the largest drivers of American's debt, and it is unclear how the goals of tax and entitlement reforms would be enforced. I continue to caution that a tax increase is the wrong policy to pursue with so many Americans out of work." National Journal

• Whip McCarthy: House Republicans Have Put Forward Two Separate Deficit Reduction Measures and Senate Democrats Can’t Even Produce A Budget. “Look at what has transpired in the House, we’ve been able to govern. In four short months actually we produced a budget. The Senate has gone 813 days without producing a budget, while running up trillion dollar deficits. They’re never going to produce anything. ... You can’t sit back and say what well ‘what are you going to do?’ If we’re the only ones with a plan out there and they don’t like it - then amend it, and show us what they do like.” Fox News’ Hannity

Democrats Erupt Over Rumors Of A Deal, Complain There’s No Way It Raises Taxes Enough. Reports that President Obama and House GOP leaders were closing in on a deficit-cutting deal Thursday that wouldn't necessarily increase tax revenues led Democrats to erupt like Mt. Vesuvius ... Never mind that the deal would raise the debt ceiling, averting a potential economic disaster when the federal government started withholding payments from some of its creditors, or that projected deficits would be slashed by $3 trillion to $4 trillion over the coming decade. A deal that does those things without collecting more in taxes, the Democrats seemed to be saying, was simply unacceptable. That's, umm, not a compelling message to take to voters. Holding out for a deal with more tax revenue isn't exactly a crowd-pleasing stance. The Los Angeles Times

• A Major Rift Emerges Between Democrats: Reid Blasts WH Over Being Left Out Of The Loop. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) confronted White House budget director Jack Lew during a Thursday afternoon meeting about secret talks on a deficit-reduction deal between the president and Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). “I’m the Senate majority leader — why don’t I know about this deal?” Reid demanded as soon as the budget director walked into the historic Mansfield Room for a meeting with Senate Democrats, according to a lawmaker who witnessed the exchange. The Hill

State Of Play (2): President Obama Acknowledges That Spending, Not A Lack Of Revenue Is The Problem

• Shot: President Obama Admits Out Of Control Spending Is The Primary Cause Of The Debt. For years now, America has been spending more money than we take in. The result is that we have too much debt on our nation's credit card. USA Today

• Chaser: Since Taking Office, President Obama Has Added Over $3.7 Trillion To The Debt U.S. Treasury

The Obama Economy: Long Term Unemployment Becomes A Staple Of The Obama Economy

More Americans Suffer From Long Term Unemployment In The Obama Economy. Becoming More than one in three of the unemployed workers in several of the largest U.S. states have been out of a job for more than a full year. Across the country, long periods of unemployment have been more prevalent recently than during previous recoveries going back to the 1940s. During 2010, long-term unemployment was disproportionately a problem in New Jersey, Georgia, Michigan, South Carolina, North Carolina, Illinois and Florida, according to Labor Department data expected to be released later this month. Nationally, 30% of the unemployed, or 4.4 million job seekers, were out of work for more than a year in June 2011, up from 29% of the unemployed in June 2010. The Wall Street Journal

ObamaCare Is Preventing Small Business Expansion, Private Sector Job Growth. The Obama administration’s Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that, since the official end of the recession over two years ago (in June 2009), the percentage of Americans who are employed has actually dropped, while most Americans who are employed are now making less money (in inflation-adjusted dollars) than they were during the recession. Why is our economy plainly failing to match the historical pattern of strong growth following a recession? New analysis suggests that Obamacare (signed into law — “With the strokes of 22 pens” — on March 23, 2010) could be a principal cause. The Weekly Standard

Dodd-Frank A Year Later: Dodd-Frank Will Cost Companies Billions In Regulatory Costs, Loss Of Revenue. From The Executive Summary: This Bloomberg Government Study finds that the Dodd-Frank law may cost 23 public companies a combined total of at least $22 billion in additional expenses or lost revenue. The final Dodd-Frank tally will be higher since many regulations, including those that will restrict lucrative revenue streams and impose higher capital requirements, are not yet completed. Bloomberg Government

Getting To Know The Freshmen

Tim Huelskamp: Congressman Tim Huelskamp (HYUELS-camp) represents Kansas' First Congressional District, known as the "Big First." He was born near and raised on the family farm in Fowler, Kansas. Pioneered by his grandparents Martin and Clara in 1926, the farm operation includes raising corn, cattle, wheat, milo, soybeans and kids. After his undergraduate education at the College of Santa Fe, Huelskamp accepted a scholarship to pursue doctoral studies at The American University in Washington, D.C. In four years he obtained a Ph.D. in Political Science with a specialization in agriculture policy and met his wife, Angela. Before coming to Congress, Huelskamp was first elected to the Kansas Senate in 1996, the youngest senator elected in twenty years. (Courtesy Of The Whip’s Office)

Off The Beaten Path

City Hires 600 Weed Managing Goats – KTVB

Man Claims He Has Cracked The Zodiac Killers’ Code – The Belmont Patch

Shower Time