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BY MALLORY PERRYMAN
You're watching multisource politics news from Newsy
Something to agree on—everybody’s mad at Wikileaks.
And something they just never seem to agree on—who’s gettin’ a tax cut?
For the third Sunday in a row, tax talk dominated the conversation. But for the first time- we saw less political grandstanding and more signs of actual compromise. Of course, lawmakers weren’t willing to dish out the details just yet.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R- Ky.): “I think it’s pretty clear now taxes are not going up on anybody in the middle of this recession.We’re discussing how long we should maintain current tax rates....I don’t want to frustrate you but I’m not going to negotiate that here on this show this morning.” (NBC)
Looks like Republicans will get their way—but there’s always a catch. Senator Jon Kyl indicates the Dems traded tax cuts for unemployment benefits.
Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.): "Most people believe that the recipe would include, at least an extension of unemployment benefits for those who are unemployed and an extension of all of the tax rates for all Americans for some period of time."
But the deal may leave Democrats feeling bluer than usual. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin tells CBS’ Bob Shieffer, he absolutely won’t vote for a permanent extension of the Bush tax cuts for those making more than a quarter mil—and he won’t vote for a temporary one without extending unemployment benefits.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.): "The notion that we would give tax cuts to those making over $1 million a year, which is the Republican position, and then turn our backs on two-million Americans who will lose unemployment benefits before Christmas, is unconscionable."
And on Fox News Sunday, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad says— extending the cuts is a no-brainer. But...
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D): “It’s simply got to be done but that doesn't take away from the fact we then have to pivot and have a longer term plan to control the debt and bring it down.”
When the tax talk got old—the Sunday hosts moved on to Wikileaks. Finally, lawmakers find a common enemy.
Sen. John Kerry (D-Ma.): “This is sort of an anarchical kind of act by someone who wants attention... This is just letting people on the inside of something where it has great ability to undo our ability to protect the interest of our country.”
Newt Gingrich (Former House Speaker): Information warfare is warfare, and Julian Assange is engaged in warfare...He should be treated as an enemy combatant. WikiLeaks should be closed down permanently and decisively.”
But of course, politics 101: never miss a chance to insult your opponent.
"This is the third dump and the administration didn’t seem too concerned about the first two dumps. It’s only when it starts to embarrass the State Department because they have cables that are very ..revealing about what some of our diplomats have said about other world leaders that we appear to be all that exercised about it."
The Fox News panel members were a little more forgiving of the Obama administration. Even Dana Perino, White House Press Secretary under President Bush.
Dana Perino (former White House Press Secretary): “We are way behind in the current arms race which is the cyber security issue...It’s baffling. I don’t envy them, the people that are trying to figure it out...I still am naive enough to think that there’s actually been more activity behind the scenes than we know about publicly and that they can’t talk about.”
Finally—we’re keeping up with all the 2012 presidential race talk on the Sunday shows. This week, we may have a contender.
Chris Wallace: “I mean are you 50/50? Are you leaning more toward a run?”
Newt Gingrich: “I think we’re much more inclined to run than not run....I’m competitive. Picking a frontrunner I’d say structurally Romney’s the frontrunner and in popularity, probably Huckabee’s the frontrunner.”
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