On The Banks Of The White Clay Creek

(click to enlarge image)

Osprey with fish - photo taken at the White Clay creek near Stanton's Hale-Byrnes House!

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US Credit Downgrade: The Tea GOP Party Got Us Into This Mess And They Sure As Heck Aren't Gettin' Us Out

thinkprogress tweets ~

- In an effort to seem apolitical, most news reports skip S&P's reason for the downgrade and what could be done to improve US credit.

- S+P makes it harder for GOP to continue its cuts only approach. Interest rates likely going up for everyone so GOP can protect rich.

- GOP prez candidates react to S+P w/calls for cuts only approach. S+P says that approach helped cause downgrade! http://thkpr.gs/rhDU4K

- Dear media: Here's entire S+P report http://thkpr.gs/qq41YI Never points finger at Dems on entitlements. Does blame GOP on taxes #dealwithit

- Strange silence from Boehner, Cantor + GOP leadership, whose cuts-only approach was blasted by S+P http://thkpr.gs/rhDU4K

- the U.S. Credit Rating a Victim of GOP Sabotage?" http://thkpr.gs/pTy0VQ

- Pelosi says Super Committee "deliberations should be open the press, to the public and webcast"

- Boehner finally out with statement. Focuses on entitlements only. Ignores what S+P had to say about revenue.

Meanwhile, (NYT) reports a rising unfavorable view of the Tea Party ~

The percentage of people with an unfavorable view of the Tea Party in a New York Times/CBS News Poll this week was higher than it has been since the first time the question was asked, in April 2010. Forty percent of those polled this week characterized their view as “not favorable,” compared with 18 percent in the first poll......The Tea Party may have benefited early on from people not really knowing exactly what it was......On Election Day, while 4 in 10 voters said they were Tea Party supporters, many might not have known what they were signing up for.

The debate over the debt ceiling gave people a more concrete picture: Tea Party groups and members of the Tea Party caucus in the House and Senate — many of them elected in the Republican sweep of 2010 — insisted that they would not raise the debt ceiling under any circumstances. Members of the American public, meanwhile, including Tea Party supporters, were telling pollsters that they wanted compromise, not inflexibility. Tea Party groups and lawmakers made debt reduction their priority, but many Americans said creating jobs was more important. And while many Republicans, influenced by the Tea Party, insisted that they would not allow any increases in tax revenue, a majority of Americans said debt reduction had to include higher taxes as well as lower spending.

...[Matt Kibbe, the president of FreedomWorks] said that the issues that Tea Party groups had been pushing — balancing the budget, reducing the debt and cutting the size of government — continued to be popular. “These issues still animate a lot of independents and a growing number of Democrats with buyers’ remorse,” he said.

Last year, many people were attracted to the Tea Party because they were angry at the way Congress, then led by Democrats, had handled negotiations over health care legislation, and saw it as Washington politics at its worst. In the most recent poll, most Americans took a negative view of the debt-ceiling negotiations, seeing them as “mostly about gaining political advantage.” With Republicans in charge of the House, more of the blame fell on them. And many people — a 43 percent plurality — saw the Tea Party as having too much influence on Republicans. Perhaps not surprisingly, Democrats were most likely to have an unfavorable view of the Tea Party. But a plurality of independents, too — 40 percent — viewed the Tea Party negatively, and said it had too much influence on the Republican Party.

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Alliance For American Manufacturing Writes: Jobs Today-- The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

From the inbox ~ The "Jobs Pivot": We said it first.

At the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), we have one mission: to create more American manufacturing jobs. We take that message to our lawmakers every day, but that doesn’t mean they always listen.
Congress and the Administration have wasted this entire year debating America’s fiscal position, instead of focusing on what really matters: creating more jobs. Now that the debt ceiling has been addressed, it’s time for Congress and the Administration to pivot to a jobs agenda.Voters may forgive the gamesmanship on the debt ceiling, but they are unlikely to forgive stubbornly high unemployment and the complete lack of attention from our elected leaders to the economic concerns of American families.

As the latest jobs report released this morning shows, the U.S. economy is not close to getting back on its feet. Job creation is still below a level necessary to bring the unemployment rate down in any substantial way, and manufacturing is far below pre-recession levels.
What should Washington do on jobs? Focus on manufacturing. It offers the most
value-added for the rest of the economy. And, as our new polling shows, it’s also wildly popular with Americans across the board: Democrats and Republicans, all regions of the country, and even a lot of overlap between Tea Party supporters and union households.

What are the candidates saying about 'Made in America?'
Nowhere is the issue of U.S. manufacturing becoming more of a litmus test than in the gathering field of 2012 Presidential hopefuls. Our poll shows that Americans overwhelmingly support efforts to revitalize America's industrial sector, and they want to buy American-made goods. But some Presidential candidates don’t get it. ABC News looked at where the candidates are obtaining their campaign shirts, stickers, hats and coffee mugs. While all the candidates say they want to grow manufacturing, some of them aren’t buying American. Click here to watch our interview on ABC News. Together we can keep it made in America.

WATCH Our New Video.What are voters saying throughout the country about jobs and manufacturing? CLICK HERE to watch our new polling video.
Our New Poll is Making Waves.
Read what the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, and others are saying about our new national poll.
Sincerely,
Scott Paul, Executive Director
Alliance for American Manufacturing

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Sign Progressives United's Petition To Sen. Harry Reid And Rep. Nancy Pelosi To Appoint Real, Progressive Champions To The Super Committee

From the inbox ~ Russ Feingold: The danger of the deal

The outrageous debt ceiling deal Congress passed this week has shown us that Republicans are using deficits to fundamentally change our government.
Extremists in the tea party were willing to watch our country fall off a cliff to protect corporate tax loopholes and get serious cuts to Social Security and Medicare.
Now we are faced with a Congressional "Super Committee" of six Republicans and six Democrats with unprecedented power to change our country's budget. And I'll guarantee that none of the Republicans who end up on the committee will come in willing to vote for any new revenue, even if it means shredding our nation's most popular and successful social programs.
We must make sure the Democrats appointed by Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are willing to hold the line, insisting on new revenue and no cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits.
We must stand our ground and fight for what we believe in, no ifs, ands, or buts.
Sign Progressives United's petition to Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Nancy Pelosi -- and urge them to appoint real, progressive champions to the Super Committee today.
Americans are willing to bear their share of the burden of addressing our nation's long-term budget problems, but those sacrifices should be shared by all.
That means Republicans must agree to make millionaires and billionaires, Big Oil, Wall Street bankers, and big corporations pay their fair share, too, by closing tax loopholes and increasing revenues.
But the final work product of the Super Committee will have everything to do with the legislators that make it up.
It's absolutely critical that Senate Majority Leader Reid and House Minority Leader Pelosi appoint Democratic members who fairly reflect the interests of the American people, not just corporations and the wealthy -- and it's up to us to apply the public pressure to do it.
Unlike almost all other legislation considered by Congress, the work product of the Super Committee will not be subject to amendment. There will be no opportunity to add in revenue or reject any provisions that might cut Social Security or Medicare benefits.
We have a chance to stop the tea party from fundamentally changing our country -- by making sure the right Democrats make it onto the Super Committee.
We're going to do everything we can, and this petition is only step one. We have to stand together now, and be prepared to fight for our values vigorously over the next few months.

Thanks for uniting as a progressive,

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Lawsuit Opposing New Regs Claims Natural Gas Drilling Warrants A Full Environmental Review As Required Under The National Environmental Policy Act

GROUPS FILE SUIT AGAINST ARMY CORPS AND DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION
OVER GAS DRILLING REGULATIONS

Lawsuit charges that an analysis must be completed and environmental impacts understood before drilling moves forward in the Delaware River Basin

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – A coalition of concerned nonprofit organizations today jointly filed a lawsuit against the Army Corps of Engineers and the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) for their failure to comply with federal law by proposing gas drilling regulations without first conducting a full environmental review as required under the National Environmental Policy Act. The coalition includes the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), Riverkeeper and the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, represented by attorneys from each organization and the Columbia Environmental Law Clinic. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, New York where the Army Corps office is located.

“With 5.4 million visitors annually, the Upper Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area are national treasures that must be protected for our children and grandchildren to enjoy,” said Cinda Waldbuesser, Pennsylvania Senior Program Manager for NPCA. “The economic benefits of natural gas development must not compromise the long-term benefits of protecting water quality and preserving our national parks, which are already economic generators for local communities.”

Covering approximately 48,000 square miles, the geological formation called the Marcellus Shale occurs beneath the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee. Nearly 36 percent of the Delaware River Watershed is underlain by Marcellus Shale. Industrial and academic assessments estimate that trillions of cubic feet of natural gas could be recovered from the formation with tens of thousands of natural gas wells anticipated in the Delaware River Basin alone. According to the legal documents filed, the impacts to water quality and quantity, air quality, recreation and the wildlife within and near treasured lands like the Upper Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River and Delaware Water gap could be severe, and should be analyzed in an environmental impact study before drilling movesforward.

"When it comes to natural gas drilling in the Delaware River Watershed, the public has not had equal voice in the debate with the politicians and the drillers,” said Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper. “The DRBC and the Army Corps have both rejected their obligation to protect the River and the common good by issuing draft gas rules without the required comprehensive environmental studies. They have allowed politics and their annual budget to drive the drilling debate within their agencies. Today, our organizations are rising up in defense of the River and the public good — we are enforcing the law so as to ensure good science, facts and common good are the drivers from here on out.”

“The Delaware River Basin provides fifty percent of the clean, unfiltered drinking water that nine million New Yorkers depend on daily,” said Kate Hudson, Riverkeeper Watershed Program Director. “This critical resource should not be put at risk by allowing drilling to proceed in the Basin before a complete environmental impact assessment has been carried out as the basis for developing the most effective regulations possible. Absent that review, there is no assurance that the regulations the DRBC is poised to finalize will be adequate to control a risky industrial activity that has already caused documented environmental and human health impacts in other states, including Pennsylvania. No one’s drinking water should be sacrificed in the rush to pursue exploitation of methane gas deposits that have existed for millions of years,” Hudson adds.

While scientists have long known about the resources of the Marcellus Shale formation, modern advances in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, are granting access to the country’s shale gas reserves faster than ever before, especially in Pennsylvania. Fracking involves pumping millions of gallons of water, sand and toxic chemicals into a well, fracturing the shale and releasing the natural gas trapped within. Companies are not required to share information publicly about the chemicals used in this process. While all harmful impacts of natural gas development have yet to be fully understood, impacts may include:

• Health concerns for local communities and the environment including water contamination related to drilling and the disposal of drillingfluid;
• Reductions in stream flow and ground water levels;
• Air quality degradation; and
• Impacts to the regions national parks including wildlife, night skies, soundscapes and cultural resources.

The Delaware River is the largest free flowing river east of the Mississippi and its water quality is exceptional, which merits it special protection under DRBC regulations. The DRBC, an agency that includes the governors of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware and the Army Corps of Engineers, regulates activities within the Delaware River Basin. The agency has proposed new regulations for natural gas development without first conducting an environmental impact analysis, and neglects toprovide sufficient protections for local communities, the environment and nearby national parks. As a federal agency, the DRBC must comply with theNational Environmental Policy Act and consider the cumulative environmental impacts of a proposed action, and inform the public thatthey have carefully analyzed these impacts in its decision-making process.

About the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA): Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leadingvoice of the American people in the fight to safeguard our National Park System. With more than 600,000 members and supporters, NPCA is the largestindependent membership organization dedicated to protecting our nation’s natural, historical, and cultural heritage for our children andgrandchildren. For additional information, please visit www.npca.org. About Riverkeeper: Riverkeeper is a member-supported watchdog organization whose mission includes safeguarding the environmental, recreational andcommercial integrity of the watershed that provides New York City its drinking water. Riverkeeper is actively involved in advocacy and publiceducation surrounding the issue of natural gas development in the New York portion of the Delaware River Basin, in particular because of itspotential impacts on the watershed and a pristine New York recreational area. Riverkeeper has been New York’s clean water advocate for over 44years, and has served as the model and mentor for the growing Waterkeeper movement that includes nearly 200 Keeper programs across the country andaround the globe. For more information on Riverkeeper, please visit www.riverkeeper.org. About Delaware Riverkeeper Network: Delaware Riverkeeper Network is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the defense and restoration of theDelaware River Watershed since 1988. Members live throughout the watershed in New York Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Foradditional information, please visit www.delawareriverkeeper.org.

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Opposition Research Now Mainstreamed And Acceptable In Order To "Prevent Another Christine O'Donnell"

(Politico) Ben Smith writes ~ Oppo: From dark art to daily tool

Opposition research, long vilified and romanticized as a kind of political dark art, has stepped out of the closet for the 2012 presidential campaign, in which current and former opposition researchers are taking prominent roles, the self-described “high road” candidate has an extensive research operation and the climate couldn’t be better for dropping negative stories small and large.

...Berkowitz suggested, be a new Republican appetite for a thorough vetting of their own. “After the debacles they witnessed last cycle in states like Delaware and Colorado and Alaska, where candidates were not sufficiently vetted before they were nominated, I would expect opposition research to play a stronger role in campaign efforts to feed Republican voters’ desire to trust but verify this cycle,” he said.

And the new environment makes oppo easier to shop for and makes it harder to avoid public speculation of credit — or blame — for. “Oppo is like pot: Everybody
has tried it, but it used to be [that] nobody admitted it,” said one prominent Democratic research consultant who, like many oppo hands of the old school, asked that his name not be used and spoke with some regret of the changes in the field. “Oppo is finally out front."

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Middle Class: Decline And Fall?

(WDEL) Allan Loudell's blog has an interesting thread going on. Check it out ~ The growing divide between Corporate America & the fortunes of the middle-class; why a balanced budget is no panacea

Also see: Paul Krugman ~ A Cult of Centrism, Poisoning the American Political System "Watching our system deal with the debt ceiling crisis in the United States - a wholly self-inflicted crisis, which may nonetheless have disastrous consequences - it's increasingly obvious that what we're looking at is the destructive influence of a cult that has really poisoned our political system. And no, I don't mean the fanaticism of the right. Well, O.K., that too. But my feeling about those people is that they are what they are; you might as well denounce wolves for being carnivores. Crazy is what they do and what they are."

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Petition Attorney General Biden To Revoke Massey Energy's Corporate Charter

From the inbox ~

Delaware may be a long way from the coal mines of Appalachia, but the state plays a role in enabling one of the most reckless and irresponsible coal companies in the U.S.
The corporate charter of Massey Energy — a mining company which has racked up tens of thousands of safety and environmental violations, and is responsible for the deaths of dozens of coal miners at the Upper Big Branch mine — was issued by the state of Delaware.1
But Delaware doesn't have to keep enabling Massey's environmental devastation and disregard for mine safety.
A growing coalition of environmental groups, including our friends at Rainforest Action Network and Appalachian Voices, is calling on Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden to revoke Massey Energy's corporate charter.
Tell Delaware Attorney General Biden: Revoke Massey Energy's corporate charter. Click here to automatically sign the petition.
In Delaware, a corporate charter can be revoked when there is "a sustained course of fraud, immorality or violations of statutory law." This is clearly the case with Massey Energy, which has literally broken the law tens of thousands of times, resulting in environmental catastrophes and the deaths of dozens of coal miners.2
Revoking Massey's charter would help ensure that Alpha Natural Resources, which acquired Massey earlier this year, would make serious changes to Massey's mining operations. It could also force the company to replace irresponsible Massey executives, and ensure that new managers are brought in who would comply with the law and protect employees.3
Last week, Massey reached a settlement with hundreds of West Virginians whose drinking water had been poisoned by Massey's careless mining practices. The company had pumped 1.4 billion gallons of toxic coal slurry into abandoned mines — which later contaminated water supplies.4
And just last month, the Mine Safety and Health Administration determined that Massey "could and should have" prevented last year's Upper Big Branch mine disaster, which took the lives of 29 miners.5
In addition to Massey's horrendous environmental and safety record, the company is also a major practitioner of mountaintop removal mining — the most destructive form of coal mining there is. Massey uses explosives to literally blow the tops off of
Appalachia's mountains, dumping the remains into the valleys and streams below.
Attorney General Beau Biden can end Delaware's role in this destruction by moving forward immediately with the revocation of Massey Energy's corporate charter.

Tell Delaware Attorney General Biden: Revoke Massey Energy's corporate charter. Click here to automatically sign the petition.
Thanks for fighting to hold big coal accountable.
Josh Nelson, Campaign Manager CREDO Action from Working Assets
1. Delaware Should Revoke the Corporate Charter of the Massey Energy Company, Appalachian Voices, June 8, 20112. ibid.3. ibid.4. Massey Energy settles W. Va. pollution suit, July 28, 20115. Agency Blames Massey for Fatal Mine Disaster, June 30, 2011

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Chris Christie On The Spot To Ban Fracking In New Jersey

New Jersey Environmental, Conservation and Energy Organizations Appeal to Governor to Sign the Frack Ban Bill

Trenton, NJ – Twenty four organizations representing a broad alliance of groups submitted a letter to Governor Chris Christie today asking him to sign the Ban Bill (S-2576, A3313), a bill passed by both the New Jersey Senate and Assembly prohibiting the use of hydraulic fracturing for the purpose of natural gas exploration or production in the State.

The New Jersey Legislature adopted the Bill by a sweeping majority on June 29, 2011. The Bill is ready to be signed into Law by the Governor.

Natural gas drilling is proceeding at breakneck speed in Pennsylvania in the Marcellus Shale, a deep geologic formation that underlies much of Pennsylvania and a portion of New York State, including areas located within the Delaware River Basin. Utica Shale, now also being explored by energy companies, is located beneath the Marcellus and intrudes into northwestern New Jersey. While there is no drilling now, there could be development of the Utica in the future.

Drillers must use hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”, to force the gas out of the tight shale formations. Water and air pollution from drilling and fracking operations, water depletion due to the million of gallons of water required to frack a well, and the degradation of streams, landscapes and habitat due to the large scale of natural gas development are causing extensive problems where gas drilling is occurring. In Pennsylvania, PADEP’s oil and gas program reported more than 11 violations of environmental permits per day by drillers so far in 2011, up from about 6 per day in 2010.

“The New Jersey Legislature is standing up for clean water pro-actively by banning fracking in the State before it starts, said Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper. “Now it is up to Governor Christie to make this smart preventive measure into law,” added van Rossum.

“The more New Jersey residents know about fracking, the more they’re against it,” said Doug O’Malley, field director for Environment New Jersey. “The Governor can send a clear message that he supports the state’s drinking water by signing this legislation as is. Fracking is a dangerous business, and the Governor shouldn’t play a wait-and-see game to see if gas drillers develop a taste for the Garden State.”

"This letter is another sign of the growing support for a ban on fracking, a practice that poses unacceptable risk to public health, our drinking water and the environment," said Jim Walsh, NJ Director of Food & Water Watch. "Governor Christie can show true national leadership by being the first Governor in the US to sign a bill banning fracking," added Walsh.

“New Jersey can achieve economical protection of public health and the environment from the impacts of gas drilling by banning fracking here if Governor Christie takes the bold step to sign this Bill. Prevention of pollution is the most cost-effective action available to government, all the more so when irreplaceable resources can be lost”, said Tracy Carluccio, Deputy Director, Delaware Riverkeeper Network.

A copy of the letter follows:

August 1, 2011
Governor Chris Christie, PO Box 001 Trenton, NJ 08625
Re: The Ban Bill: S2576
Dear Governor Christie,
We, the undersigned organizations, urge you to sign the New Jersey Ban Bill into law.
The New Jersey Legislature has overwhelmingly approved the New Jersey Ban Bill (S2576, A3313) prohibiting the use of hydraulic fracturing for the purpose of natural gas exploration or production in the State. This is a historic action on the part of the Legislature aimed at protecting New Jersey’s water resources and communities.
It is also remarkable because of the bipartisan support the measure received and the huge margin of favor. In the New Jersey Senate the vote was: Yes, 33; No, 1; Not Voting, 6. In the New Jersey Assembly the vote was: Yes, 58; No, 11; Not Voting, 2, Abstains, 8. This vote undoubtedly reflects the enormous public and constituent support for a ban on hydraulic fracturing in New Jersey.
Everywhere gas drilling is occurring, problems follow. In Pennsylvania, PADEP records show about 11 violations of environmental permits by gas and oil company operators every day.1 In 2010, there were
1 http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/oilgas/OGInspectionsViolations/OGInspviol.htm about 6 per day. As gas drilling quickly expands, violations proliferate. And some of the biggest, most profitable companies have the most violations. Chesapeake Energy (132), Chief Oil and Gas (174), Cabot (114), Anadarko (75), Talisman Energy (153), East Resources (74), and Exxon Mobile/XTO (66) top the list as the worst.
Why are there problems? Because hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”, isn’t safe. Gas drilling regulations aren’t adequate and the technology itself isn't advanced enough to prevent substantial damage to the environment. Even with the best available technology, methane and chemicals are escaping into ground and surface water.2 Harmful human health and environmental impacts are the result.
2 http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/us/DRILLING_DOWN_SERIES.html; http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/cgc/HydraulicFracturingWhitepaper2011.pdf;
http://www.delawareriverkeeper.org/resources/Reports/Rubin%20report%20finalfinalTOC4.9%202011%20.pdf.
3 http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/hwtr/p2/whatisp2.html
Due to years of lobbying by the industry, the oil and gas industry is exempt from protections in the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Superfund law, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act. In addition, they are not covered by public right-to-know provisions under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. These exemptions make it impossible to sufficiently address gas drilling at the State level; without federal regulatory reform fracking will never be safe.
Governor Christie, we have a rare moment in time when New Jersey can take real action to protect its water resources – action that will prevent pollution for present and future generations. Preventing pollution is the best investment that can be made in the State’s future.3
Please consider the positive impact you will be making as you stand up for clean water in New Jersey in response to the deep concern expressed to the State’s lawmakers by the residents of New Jersey. Please sign the Ban Bill today.
Sincerely,
American Littoral Society, Tim Dillingham, Executive Director
Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions, Sandy Batty, Executive Director
Clean Ocean Action, Cindy Zipf, Executive Director
Cohansey Area River Preservation, Cynthia Zirkle, President
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, Margaret O’Gorman
Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper, and Tracy Carluccio, Deputy Director
Edison Wetlands Association, Dana Patterson, Toxics Coordinator
Environment New Jersey, Dena Mottola Jaborska, Executive Director
Food and Water Watch, Jim Walsh, New Jersey Director
Grandmothers, Mothers and More for Energy Safety, Paula Gotsch, Co-Founder
GreenFaith, Rev. Fletcher Harper, Executive Director
New Jersey Audubon Society, Eric Stiles, Chief Operating Officer
New Jersey Conservation Foundation, Alison Mitchell, Policy Director
New Jersey Environmental Lobby, Michael L. Pisauro, Jr., Legislative Affairs
New Jersey Highlands Coalition, Julia Somers, Executive Director
New Jersey Sierra Club, Jeff Tittel, Director
North Jersey Public Policy Network, Rhoda Schermer, Chairperson
NY/NJ Baykeeper, Debbie Mans, Baykeeper and Executive Director
Pascack Sustainability Group, Rosemary Dreger Carey, Founder and Chair
Pinelands Preservation Alliance, Jaclyn Rhoads, Director of Conservation Policy
Raritan RIVERKEEPER, Bill Shultz, Raritan Riverkeeper
South Branch Watershed Association, William S. Kibler, Executive Director
South Jersey Land and Water Trust, Suzanne McCarthy, President
Tidewaters Gateway Partnership, inc., Richard H. McNutt, President

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BREAKING: House/Senate To Vote On New Budget Deal Today - The Hostage Was Took

@beat_the_press: The Impact of the Budget Deal for Those Who Don't Carry Around the Budget in Their Pocket http://bit.ly/nEHMDV

@ThinkProgress - Thumbs down from NYT: Deal is "nearly complete capitulation to the hostage-taking demands of Republican extremists" http://nyti.ms/rob1gO - Full legislative text of debt deal: http://thkpr.gs/nDUgJT

@Glenn Greenwald - Jared Bernstein on the deal: http://is.gd/EsCrJe (via @dissentingj) and where Greenwald pitches Obama as a participant hostage taker in The myth of Obama's "blunders" and "weakness": http://is.gd/PIZyaD

@nytimes - Global markets rebound with news of a debt ceiling "deal".

CBSNews - The cost of the compromise on debt likely will inflict more fiscal pain on states still struggling after the recession http://bit.ly/naOXNf


Plus @thinkprogress - Krugman argues that the debt deal "will probably make America’s long-run deficit problem worse, not better" http://thkpr.gs/n3jh7b - CBO analysis of debt ceiling deal: http://thkpr.gs/rtEbQF

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