Russell Crowe may have ruined Les Miserables for some, but at least the actor isn’t shying away from the criticism. In light of Adam Lambart lambasting the cast vocals last week – Tweeting how the “score suffered massively with great actors PRETENDING to be singers” – the Oscar winner has now responded. And you may be surprised by Crowe’s retort. After a follower sent him Lambert’s critique, Crowe took to Twitter and… mostly agreed with the former American Idol finalist. “I don’t disagree with Adam, sure it could have been sweetened,” Crowe wrote. “[ Les Miserables director Tom] Hooper wanted it raw and real, that’s how it is.” Fair enough, those also irritating enough according to many. What did you think of Les Miserables ? Grade it now: A B C D F View Poll »
Worst. Negotiators. Ever. Donald Trump is slamming the GOP over the fiscal cliff deal that lawmakers reached in the last 48 hours, saying Republicans “may be the worst negotiators in history.” The real estate mogul’s harsh words concerned the last-minute compromise reached by V.P. Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). The U.S. Senate passed legislation to avert the fiscal cliff – a series of tax increases and budget cuts set to take place January 1 – on New Year’s Eve. The U.S. House passed the bill less than 24 hours later, despite the objections of about 150 Republican members who felt their side gave away too much. Trump, a Republican who’s not shy about criticizing Democrats or President Barack Obama, said “Republicans got nothing” in the fiscal cliff deal. Is that really accurate, though? Under the new agreement: Taxes will rise only for individuals making over $400,000 and couples making over $450,000, with the top rate increasing from 35 to 39.6%. Itemized deductions would be capped for those making $250,000 ($300,000 for couples). Taxes on inherited estates will go up to 40 percent from 35 percent. Capital gains tax rates will increase from 15 to 20 percent. Unemployment insurance would be extended for a year for 2 million people. The alternative minimum tax will be adjusted for inflation. While the first tax increases in many years are significant, the rates and tiers are under the threshold sought by President Obama in nearly all cases. With the support of the public and Congress, GOP leverage was minimized; also, there are further, more significant negotiations on the horizon. The deal does not address the federal spending cuts now set to take effect March 1, nor the long-range entitlement reform debate raging in Congress. Also, the delay was likely caused at least in part by House Speaker John Boehner’s effort to appease the conservative wing of his party and keep his job. All of this logic seems to be lost on the Donald … not that we’re surprised.
Here’s Italian showgirl-turned-politician Nicole Minetti showing off her obvious political qualifications at the beach, just further proof that Italians truly do it better. Anyway, I don’t know much about Italian politics, but I do know that if American politicians looked half this good in a bikini, I’m pretty sure the fiscal cliff nonsense would’ve been solved months ago, just so Congress could take an early beach vacation. Oh well, maybe next election. » view all 18 photos Photos: WENN.com , PacificCoastNews
President Obama discusses the need for Democrats and Republicans to reach an agreement on a balanced and responsible approach to reducing the deficit, but one that also enables our economy to continue growing. Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Kicking Ass Discovery Date : 09/07/2011 15:00 Number of articles : 2
Rarely are the gay-related culture wars a laughing matter. The amount of vitriol and spite lobbed in our direction can be frightful, distressing and all around depressing. Sometimes, however, socially conservative arguments against equality cross the line from worrisome to… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Towleroad Discovery Date : 10/02/2011 14:54 Number of articles : 3
Jimmy McMillan is back. Some enterprising students who are trying to get Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels to run for President talked McMillan into being a pseudo-spokesman for the Republican. Students for Mitch Daniels have launched an online petition drive to draft Daniels, touting his fiscal record balancing the Hoosier state’s budget and cutting taxes. In Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Capitol confidential Discovery Date : 10/02/2011 15:57 Number of articles : 2
Senate Democrats won over just enough Republicans to move forward Tuesday night on a controversial $410 billion spending bill by the end of the night Tuesday. But it may come as no surprise that almost all of the Republican senators who voted for the bill have billions of dollars worth of earmarks in the package. The earmark-mania is not unique to either party — both Democrats and Republicans contributed to what Taxpayers for Common Sense estimates is 8,570 disclosed earmarks worth $7.7 billion in the bill that would fund the government through the end of the fiscal year. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/10/gop-cross-overs-earmarks-gain-billion… added by: congoboy
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Republicans poring over a 1,924-page overarching spending bill proposed by Democrats to cover the rest of the fiscal year are threatening to grind the legislation to a halt, citing massive earmark spending, which, if passed, would be enacted into law without debate in the full Senate. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/14/revolt-republicans-angry-omnibus-budg… Let me get this straight. Republicans are willing to shutdown government after Obama risked loosing the support of his base to support their tax cuts. Got it! added by: tverdell
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A new Internal Revenue Service unit set up to catch rich tax cheats hiding their wealth in complex business entities is rapidly taking shape with the hiring of hundreds of employees. The IRS high wealth unit, part of a broader effort to combat international tax evasion, is focusing on “the entire web of business entities controlled by a high wealth individual,” IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman told a tax conference this week. Another IRS official told Reuters “hundreds” of people have already been hired to staff the new unit, including some from within the agency.
