2012 Elections

GOP Leaders Take on Far Right Pressure Groups

By Eric Pianin

There have been plenty of theories about why Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) strode onstage at a conservative gathering late last week carrying a rifle. Ostensibly, McConnell, the 72-...
Some CEOs Are Still Cashing In at Our Expense

By Josh Boak, The Fiscal Times

Many of the highest paid CEOs might be ripping off stockholders and taxpayers, according to a study released Wednesday by the progressive Institute for Policy Studies.
Tax Reform Could Be Easier Than Congress Thinks

By Yuval Rosenberg

The conservative-leaning Tax Foundation issued a press release Monday touting some “good news for tax reformers”: An analysis by experts at the foundation found that a plan to dramatically simplify...
‘The Daily Show’ Explains Why Our ‘Chicken$#!&’ Congress Hasn’t Reformed the Tax Code

By Yuval Rosenberg

Congress may be out on its month-long August recess, but that doesn’t mean “The Daily Show” stops its skewering. Last night, host John Oliver took on our broken tax code – and used the issue to take...
How 21 Major Corporations Dodged $93B in Taxes

By Eric Pianin and Josh Boak

Twenty-one of the top 100 publicly traded U.S. corporations – including such big names as Goldman Sachs, Apple and Walt Disney – have avoided paying $93 billion a year in federal taxes by parking...

Obama’s Bargain: Lower Rates for Higher Spending

By Eric Pianin

President Obama intends to make one last pitch for a “grand bargain” of new spending and tax policy on Tuesday that will attempt to marry corporate tax reform with funding for jobs to benefit the...
Ominous Signs for the GOP in 2014

By Bruce Bartlett, The Fiscal Times

The conventional wisdom is that Republicans are in good shape going into next year’s congressional elections. Gerrymandering and the enormous benefits of incumbency virtually guarantee them continued...
Trading Tax Write-Offs for Real Growth

By Andrew Fieldhouse, The Fiscal Times

Overhauling the tax code is a wonky fixation of the D.C. policymaking elite, for good reason — it’s an area loaded with policy nuance, lobbying intrigue and major ramifications for long-term fiscal...
IRS Scandal: How the Brouhaha Went Bust

By Peter Weber, TheWeek.com

Rep. Darrell Issa is still banging the scandal drum. Is anyone listening anymore?
Beer, Burgers, and a Two-Man Blitz on Tax Reform

By Josh Boak, The Fiscal Times

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) and Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) are keeping hope alive that the tax code can be rewritten. Both peg the odds of successful reform at more than 50 percent, according to a joint lunch...

How to Build a Guard Rail around the Fiscal Cliff

By David M. Walker, The Fiscal Times

Op-ed : The “ fiscal cliff ” is quickly approaching, but President Obama, Gov. Romney, and Congressional leaders have not revealed their specific plans to avoid it – if they have one. Given that it...
Behind the Fiscal Cliff Looms Deficit Mountain

By Edward Morrissey

In poll after poll this year, voters consistently say that the economy and jobs are the biggest issues of the 2012 election. The distant second-place finishers are usually annual federal deficits and...
Tea Party Republicans Plan a Senate Coup in November

By Eric Pianin and Maureen Mackey

Two years ago, the fledgling Tea Party rocked the political landscape by helping the GOP win control of the House and put the party on a collision course with President Obama over budget and tax...
Economic Illiteracy: The Candidates' Best Friend

By Merrill Goozner, The Fiscal Times

Is it useful to parse the latest economic statistics like Friday’s jobs numbers to determine how it will affect the November election? Before reading too much into it, ponder this fact: A February...
Obama and Romney Play War Games Over Taxes

By Eric Pianin and Brianna Ehley

The GOP-dominated House voted on Wednesday to extend the Bush era tax cuts for another year for all Americans, including the wealthiest taxpayers, less than a week after the Democratic-controlled...

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