October 25, 2012

Senator Sanders

Obama Wants ‘Grand Bargain' President Obama pledged to solve the nation's budget problems within "the first six months" of a second term by reaching a "grand bargain" with Republicans to tame the national debt. Sen. Bernard Sanders said he had expressed concerns privately to the White House that Obama appeared to be avoiding firm promises to protect entitlement programs, The Washington Post reported. "Unlike four years ago," Sanders told the Post, "the president has not been outspoken in saying he's not going to cut Social Security." LINK

Defending Social Security Sen. Sanders criticized Obama for softening the commitment he made during the 2008 campaign to protect Social Security from cuts, and for aligning himself with Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney on the entitlement issue during the first presidential debate. The senator suspects that President Obama may endorse a so-called chained CPI as part of a deficit reduction package after the election, a policy change that would decrease COLAs for seniors and disabled veterans, according to The Huffington Post. LINK

Sanders to Obama: ‘Be Stronger' Sen. Sanders discussed plans by Romney and other right-wing Republicans to cut Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other key programs that working families and the middle class rely during an interview on Wednesday on The Ed Schultz Radio Show. "Our job right now has got to be, the day after this election ... to say to President Obama, ‘Mr. President, you've got to be stronger. You've got to take on these Republican right-wing extremists,'" Sen. Sanders said.

Veterans Care After marking the opening of a Women's Comprehensive Care Center at the VA Medical Center in White River Junction on Thursday, Sen. Sanders dropped by an open house at the VA's Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in Brattleboro. "A big reason why this clinic [in Brattleboro] is here is because of the hard work of Bernie Sanders," said medical director Dr. Richard Orlan, The Commons reported. LINK

World

Israel and Palestine Rockets and mortars from the Gaza Strip struck southern Israel early Wednesday and Israel undertook three aircraft strikes in a sharp escalation of violence following a landmark visit to Gaza by Qatar's leader. Despite the fighting, neither side appeared interested in a renewal of large-scale hostilities, The Associated Press reported. LINK

National

U.S. Sues Bank of America Justice Department prosecutors filed a civil complaint in New York against Bank of America, accusing the bank of carrying out a mortgage scheme that defrauded the government during the depths of the financial crisis. The civil complaint described the bank's home loan program as a "hustle," The New York Times reported. LINK

Greed, Recklessness and Illegal Behavior Former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta was sentenced to two years in federal prison for leaking corporate secrets about the bank to a hedge fund at the height of the financial crisis, The Wall Street Journal reported. LINK

CEOs Lecture Congress Chief executives of more than 80 big-name U.S. corporations are banding together to pressure Congress to reduce the federal deficit with tax-revenue increases as well as spending cuts. The CEOs, in a statement to be released on Thursday, say any fiscal plan has to limit the growth of health-care spending, make Social Security solvent and "include comprehensive and pro-growth tax reform, which broadens the base, lowers rates, raises revenues and reduces the deficit," according to The Wall Street Journal. LINK

Vermont 

Irene II? Much of the U.S. East Coast has a good chance of getting blasted by gale-force winds, flooding, heavy rain and maybe even snow early next week by an unusual hybrid of hurricane and winter storm. Hurricane Sandy in the Caribbean, an early winter storm in the West, and a blast of arctic air from the North are predicted to collide, sloshing and parking over the country's most populous coastal corridor starting Sunday. The worst of it should peak early Tuesday, but it will stretch into midweek, CBS News reported. LINK 

Bennington Solar The Bennington Select Board signed a letter of intent with Encore Redevelopment expressing approval of the company's plans to build a solar facility on a former landfill. The facility is expected to provide the local government with a "huge discount" on its electric payment, the Bennington Banner reported. LINK