The Leader's Ledger

State Of Play: Senator Reid Continues To Put Politics Before The Needs Of The American People

 Harry Reid, Senate Democrats Contradict Themselves On Clean-Energy Funding. Democrats oppose a Republican plan to take money from clean-energy loan guarantee programs to pay for disaster relief as part of a short-term spending bill to keep the government operating beyond Friday’s end of the fiscal year. But twice before, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., diverted money--$3.5 billion total--from the renewable-energy program that issued loan guarantees to Solyndra to fund other programs. The first time he dipped into the program was to pay for the administration’s “cash for clunkers” program; the second time was for state aid. Democrats weren’t thrilled with Reid, but they kept their frustrations in check. But now that Republicans want to use the clean-energy money for disaster relief, Dems are standing firm. National Journal

• Hypocrisy: Democrats Reject House Republican Offset Despite Using The Same Fund For Offsets Themselves. How hard is it for Washington to cut government spending? Consider that yesterday Senate Democrats voted down a House continuing resolution to fund the government because it offset higher spending for disaster relief with spending cuts on other programs, including the one that funded Solyndra, the failed solar-panel maker. ... The House bill provided about $3.6 billion of immediate emergency funding for states and property owners cleaning up from Hurricane Irene and other natural disasters this summer. Yet all but one Democrat, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, voted against the bill that would have funded the government for six weeks past September 30, thus leaving open the possibility of another government shutdown. The spending levels in the bill complied almost precisely with the debt-ceiling deal agreed by both parties and the White House last month. ... Apparently these green subsidy programs have become sacrosanct for Democrats, even if they don't create any "green jobs" and even when they lose money for taxpayers. The Wall Street Journal

Leader Cantor: Senator Reid Needs To Stop Playing Politics, Take Up The House Republican Bill and Get People The Disaster Relief They Need. “We have the money in the bill. It’s there in a responsible manner,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said Friday. “Let’s get the money to the people that need it. ... The bill is there in front of [Reid]. The Senate should take the bill up and get the people the disaster relief they need.” Roll Call

Happening Today: “Young Guns” Head West To Discuss Innovation, Growth At Facebook

Cantor, McCarthy and Ryan To Hold A “Facebook Live” Town Hall With Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. Cantor said that while the controversial issues attract attention in Washington, Facebook can “capture the attention of millions of people [on issues] that maybe the rest of the country wouldn’t care about.“ “If we can begin to create communities online that actually will help support the conversation and debate,” Cantor said, “really what we can do is increase the confidence that people actually can have in a representative government.” ... McCarthy said the Internet brings “more transparency, more accountability” to government, allowing people to interact with leaders from their comfort of their homes. And he said the interaction will help the leaders “engage in policy … engage in solutions.” Ryan called Facebook “a great, innovative product”: “This is a great way to reach Americans about how to fix this country’s problems. … It’s important to engage with people on every platform we can, and Facebook is a great one.” ... All three of the leaders have made innovative uses of new media: Cantor launched YouCut, which let web surfers vote on possible budget cuts; McCarthy launched a colorful “WhipCast” Blackberry app; and Ryan has been making web videos that dramatize the budget crisis and promote his solutions. Politico

Watch The GOP Leaders Discuss Their “Facebook Live” Town Hall With Politico’s Mike Allen HERE

• Watch The Town Hall Live HERE at 6 PM Eastern

GOP Leaders To Discuss Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth In Silicon Valley. McCarthy tells National Review Online that he sees the Facebook event as more than a chance to champion the House GOP’s newfound digital prowess. Instead, the congressmen will highlight the party’s commitment to entrepreneurship and economic growth. Those ideas, he predicts, will connect — even with Palo Alto liberals. “The social issues probably divide some people in Silicon Valley, but not the idea of innovation and not the idea that we’re shackling businesses with current tax policies,” McCarthy says. ... Talking about Facebook posts will be fun, McCarthy says, but more important will be explaining Republican proposals to increase access to capital and reform regulations. As the economy stumbles, Silicon Valley is ripe for fresh solutions. Technology companies may have weathered the storm better than most, with thousands of new hires over the past year. But growth has been slower than usual, and corporate leaders have noticed. The San Jose Mercury News recently surveyed area CEOs and reported that “they’re running out of patience.” National Review

Growth: Republicans Call For A “Timeout” Job Destroying Federal Regulations, Continue To Push Regulatory Repeal

Even Regulators Say The EPA Is Going Too Far. The Environmental Protection Agency claims that the critics of its campaign to remake U.S. electricity are partisans, but it turns out that they include other regulators and even some in the Obama Administration. In particular, a trove of documents uncovered by Congressional investigators reveals that these internal critics think the EPA is undermining the security and reliability of the U.S. electric power supply. The Wall Street Journal

Senator Collins: Small Business Growth Continues To Be Stifled By Burdensome Regulations, A “Timeout” From Federal Regulations Would Help Economy. In her address, Collins said that the nation’s economic future at least partially depends on lessening the impact of federal regulations on businesses. “No business owner I know questions the legitimate role of limited government in protecting our health and safety,” Collins said. “Too often, however, our small businesses are buried under a mountain of paperwork.” Collins charged that, “Business owners are reluctant to create jobs today if they’re going to need to pay more tomorrow to comply with onerous new regulations. That’s why employers say that uncertainty generated by Washington is a big wet blanket on our economy.” Collins and a number of other lawmakers, mostly Republicans but also some Democrats, have proposed an array of regulatory overhaul bills this year. In addition to her regulatory "timeout" proposal, Collins has introduced, along with Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, a bill delaying federal new federal regulations limiting emissions from industrial boilers. The Portland Press Herald

• Growth: Reid, Pelosi Object To Bipartisan Job Creation Measures Supported By WH, Republicans. The White House and Democratic leaders in Congress are at odds over three pending trade deals that President Obama is poised to send to Capitol Hill. Throughout the summer, Obama has been making the case that the trade accords with Colombia, South Korea and Panama will help the ailing economy by creating jobs. But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) disagree. The politically awkward situation comes at a time when the nation's unemployment rate is 9.1 percent and Republicans and Democrats are jockeying for position on job creation. Reid has vowed to vote against all three deals when they arrive on the Senate floor, possibly as early as next month. "I am not a big fan of free-trade agreements," Reid said on the Senate floor in June. "My voting record is in accordance with that." ... Pelosi, too, has added her skepticism about the number of jobs that could be created by the trade deals. “The White House may support it, but the Congress may have a different view,” Pelosi said last month. Pelosi called it "debatable” that the trade deals would have created jobs if passed when President George W. Bush pressed Congress to take them up several years ago. In 2008, Pelosi torpedoed fast-track authority for the Colombia agreement and that was the last lawmakers have seen of the agreements. The Hill

The Economy: President Obama’s “No Jobs” Jobs Proposal

• The Administration’s Favorite Economist Admits President Obama’s Proposal Will Not Create Lasting Jobs. But there is one feature Obama doesn't emphasize. Zandi said his job-creation figure only applies to 2012. "Beginning in 2013, and certainly into 2014, the plan is a drag on the economy because the stimulus starts fading away," he said. "So by 2015, the economy is in the same place as now, as if there were no jobs package." Also, Zandi said, his forecast does not leave any room for a new recession. If that happens, all bets are off. The Associated Press

Keeping Tabs

Durbin: Solyndra Could Have A Lasting Negative Impact On Democrats. Durbin: "If there was rank stupidity and a terrible thing, let the chips fall where they may" Cameron (Host of program) : "and it might hurt Democrats in next year's election." Durbin: "Well, of course." WLS 890AM

WaPo Fact Checker: President Obama’s Rhetoric Is A Bridge Too Far. But even if we grant the administration this tenuous connection between the bridge and the jobs bill, the larger issue is that Obama pointed to this bridge and suggested that Republicans are blocking its reconstruction with their opposition to his legislation. (“Mr. Boehner, Mr. McConnell, help us rebuild this bridge. . . . Pass this bill.”) Nothing could be further from the truth. There is a long history of bipartisan support for action to fix this bridge ... This is symbolism run amok. The president certainly could have used the bridge to highlight the infrastructure crisis facing the United States. But he went a bridge too far by repeatedly suggesting that his jobs bill would immediately bring construction crews to this particular project — and that Republican lawmakers who long have pleaded for federal help on the bridge are now callously thwarting its repair. The Washington Post

Michigan Minute

30 Years In the Making: Lions Claw Their Way Back, Stun Vikings In OT – The Detroit News

Spartans Rout Central Michigan, Return To Top 25 – The Lansing State Journal

Shoelace Torches SDSU, Wolverines Move To #19 In The Polls – The Detroit Free Press

Off The Beaten Path

Feeling Adventurous?

NYPD Chief: Police Could Take Down Plane If Needed – The Associated Press

In Memory: Doritos Creator Dies In Dallas At 97 – The Associated Press