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Republicans want to hold the debt ceiling hostage to enact painful cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits. Democratic leaders are urging President Obama not to deal over the debt ceiling and to deny Republicans their leverage.

Here’s a bit of information that may help that cause. We’ve tallied the votes on previous clean hikes of the debt ceiling, and found that 76 currently-seated Ai??House Republicans have voted for clean debt ceiling hikes in the past. Here are their names:

Reps. Jo Bonner (R-AL), Mike Rogers (R-AL), RobertAi??Aderholt (R-AL),Ai??Ai??Spencer Bachus (R-AL), Don Young (R-AK),Ai??Trent Franks (R-AZ),Ai??Devin Nunes (R-CA), Buck McKeon (R-CA),Ai??Edward (Ed) Royce (R-CA),Ai??Gary Miller (R-CA),Ai??Ken Calvert (R-CA),Ai??Ai??Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA),Ai??Darrell Issa (R-CA),Ai??Jeff Miller (R-FL),Ai??Ai??Ander Crenshaw (R-FL),Ai??John Mica (R-FL),Ai??C. W. Bill Young (R-FL),Ai??Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL),Ai??Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL),Ai??Jack Kingston (R-GA),Ai??John (Phil) Gingrey (R-GA),Ai??Michael (Mike) Simpson (R-ID),Ai??John Shimkus (R-IL),Ai??Thomas (Tom) Latham (R-IA),Ai??Steve King (R-IA),Ai??Edward (Ed) Whitfield (R-KY),Ai??Harold (Hal) Rogers (R-KY),Ai??Rodney Alexander (R-LA),Ai??David (Dave) Camp (R-MI),Ai??Frederick (Fred) Upton (R-MI),Ai??Michael (Mike) Rogers (R-MI),Ai??Candice Miller (R-MI),Ai??John Kline (R-MN),Ai??Samuel (Sam) Graves (R-MO),Ai??Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO),Ai??Lee Terry (R-NE),Ai??Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ),Ai??Christopher (Chris) Smith (R-NJ),Ai??Scott Garrett (R-NJ),Ai??Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ),Ai??Peter (Pete) King (R-NY),Ai??Howard Coble (R-NC),Ai??Michael Turner (R-OH),Ai??Ai??John Boehner (R-OH),Ai??Patrick (Pat) Tiberi (R-OH),Ai??Ai??Frank Lucas (R-OK),Ai??Tom Cole (R-OK),Ai??Greg Walden (R-OR),Ai??Ai??Jim Gerlach (R-PA),Ai??Joseph Pitts (R-PA),Ai??Tim Murphy (R-PA), Joe Wilson (R-SC),Ai??Marsha Blackburn (R-TN),Ai??Samuel (Sam) Johnson (R-TX),Ai??Ralph Hall (R-TX),Ai??Jeb Hensarling (R-TX),Ai??Joe Barton (R-TX),Ai??John Culberson (R-TX),Ai??Kevin Brady (R-TX),Ai??Kay Granger (R-TX),Ai??William (Mac) Thornberry (R-TX),Ai??Randy Neugebauer (R-TX),Ai??Lamar Smith (R-TX), Ai??Michael Burgess (R-TX),Ai??John Carter (R-TX),Ai??Peter (Pete) Sessions (R-TX),Ai??Ai??Rob Bishop (R-UT),Ai??J. Randy Forbes (R-VA),Ai??Robert (Bob) Goodlatte (R-VA),Ai??Eric Cantor (R-VA),Ai??Frank Wolf (R-VA),Ai??Ai??Doc Hastings (R-WA),Ai??Shelley Capito (R-WV),Ai??Paul Ryan (R-WI),Ai??F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-WI),Ai??Thomas (Tom) Petri (R-WI)

Additionally, 17 currently-seated Republican Senators have voted for a clean debt ceiling hike in the past. Here are their names:

Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Richard …

Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC)

House Republicans have faced strong internal divisions over Hurricane Sandy, as northeastern Republicans have demanded quick relief to victims while much of the rest of the party has balked at the price tag.

Both the House and Senate passed a $9.7 billion relief package last week, but the House is expected to take on a larger $51 billion package next week. Appearing on Fox News, Rep. Trey Growdy (R-SC) cast doubt on the passage of the larger bill by saying that “at least half of it is pork”:

GROWDY: The bill we’re going to vote on January 15th? At least half of it [is pork.] […] Rooftops in the District of Columbia. At least half of what Harry Reid calls an “emergency” is pork. Frankly, Governor Christie wants to bully and berate and badger people into passing a bill no matter how pork-laden it is. Ai??[…] I don’t think it’s asking too much that we find an offset. […]

Watch it:

Recall that “rooftops” in Washington, D.C. are very much related to Hurricane Sandy — the nation’s capital city was directly in the path of the super storm.

An anti-fracking protest sign in New York. (Photo credit: Flickr user Bosc d’Anjou)

This week, Matt Damon’s drama Promised Land releases in theaters nationwide. The film showcases one town’s struggle to stop the controversial dirty energy process of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in their vicinity.

In Pennsylvania, the fracking industry is fighting back against the message of Damon’s film by buying a pro-frackingAi??propagandaAi??message in 75 percent of theaters in the state:

Before many Pennsylvania moviegoers settle in for Matt Damon’s film about the fight over natural gas drilling, they will see a message from the energy industry offering “straightforward facts” about hydraulic fracturing. […] The on-screen ad that will be shown in 75 percent of Pennsylvania theaters lasts 16 seconds and refers the audience to an industry-sponsored website,Ai??www.learnaboutshale.org, for “a community conversation on natural gas.” It’s sponsored by the Marcellus Shale Coalition industry group in Pittsburgh.

Supporting the fracking industry has in recent years become a political liability. Blue Dog Democrat Tim Holden (D-PA) was defeated in his primary late last year partly because he supported expanding the use of fracking.

This morning, President Obama announced that he will be picking former Nebraska Republican Senator Chuck Hagel as his nominee for Secretary of Defense.

There are many different issues that Hagel will face during his confirmation hearings, and progressives can be expected to question him on his past conservative opposition to gay rights.

Here’s one area where he’s more progressive. In a 2011 interview with the Financial Times, he said that the budget is “in many ways bloated” and said that it must be “pared down.”

“War costs money and Hagel understands that. Many believe Hagel wants to dramatically reduce the Department of Defense budget,” writes defense analyst and veteran Kerry Patton. “How many critics realize how much fraud, waste, and abuse rests within the DOD? Any level-headed individual can go into any government office and find wasteful spending. There is no better time than now to take a close look at wasteful spending and start making cuts.”

This would put Hagel to the left of the current Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, who resisted major defense cuts.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)

On Wednesday, we reported that Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) said on MSNBC that Republicans should be willing to shut down the government to get Democrats to agree to radical cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits.

Today, BondBuyer’s Jen DePaul reports that Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) made a similar threat:

We can only imagine what Cornyn means by “the long-term fiscal health of our country,” but it seems he is willing to go to incredible lengths to secure his right-wing ideological vision.

Democrats should not fear staring down Republicans over a government shutdown. Recall that in the 1990’s, Speaker Newt Gingrich’s (R-GA) shut down of the government resulted in a dive in the polls.

Image from Americans for Tax Fairness

The corporate front group “Fix The Debt” still wants to cut Social Security benefits and lower the corporate tax rate. Former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell is working with the group, and he appeared on MSNBC today and made the remarkable claim that Obama needs to hike the Medicare age and cut Social Security benefits with a chained CPI, comparing it to President Lincoln leading on the 13th amendment and freeing the slaves:

RENDELL: Give the President credit, he said he would consider chained CPI, he said back in 2011 that he would raise the Medicare age, with carveouts. […] Those are things he’s going to have to deliver. […] He has to lead. And boy I’d love the whole Congress, this new Congress and the President, they should all go see a screening of Lincoln together, because Abraham Lincoln led on the 13th amendment when everybody on both sides told him he was crazy.

Watch it:

Hiking the Medicare age to 67 would cost seniors 11 billion dollars every year. Meanwhile, a chained CPI would cut a senior’s benefit by over $1,100 every year by time they hit age 85.

It is simply difficult to see the comparison between harming our seniors and freeing the slaves.

Click hereAi??to pledge to hold any Democrat who agrees to a deal that cuts Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits accountable.

Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY)

Newly-elected Republican Rep. Andy Barr (KY) loves Big Coal. During his campaign, he even had a coal company executive pose as a miner for a commercial he cut.Ai??We’ve just been passed on a list of Congressional swearing-in and inaugural parties today, and it turns out Barr is having his party today from 5:30-7:30 PM ET at the National Mining Association (NMA), one of the chief lobbying organizations for Big Coal.

Big Coal was the single largest corporate donor to his campaign, with NMA pitching in $5,000.

Al Jazeera’s buyout of progressive channel Current TV has sent shockwaves around the world, and many are anticipating the launch of Al Jazeera English U.S., the resulting merged channel.

But following theAi??announcementAi??of the buyout, TimeWarner Cable announced that it will abruptly be dropping Current TV, which would deny millions of customers the access to this new channel that promises to give “voice to the voiceless.”

This move will prevent many Americans from being exposed to the progressive views of Current TV anchors and the award-winning coverage of global affairs that Al Jazeera has pioneered.

But while Time Warner doesn’t think its customers need access to this important knowledge, it does continue to offer dozens of channels dealing with pornography, high-end shopping, and other less-informative networks:

Porn: If you’re a Time Warner customer, you’ll have access to the television channels run by Hustler, Playboy and Penthouse (and the high definition versions). Who needs the Arab Spring when you have Hugh Hefner?
High-end Shopping: The “Gem Shopping Network” will continue to be offered, Ai??and for those who don’t like that, there’s Shop Zeal 1-5.
Movie Trailers: Time Warner doesn’t want to give space to Al Jazeera English U.S., but it will offer “Movie Trailers On Demand.” Yes, an entire channel dedicated to airing movie trailers.

You don’t have to wait for your cable or satellite company to decide that you don’t need to be informed. Go here to use Al Jazeera’s tool to demand to your television provider that they carry their network.

We reported earlier that the fiscal deal that was passed by Congress signed by President Obama included last-minute tax subsidies to NASCAR and Goldman Sachs’s New York City headquarters.

Here is another unfortunate giveaway in the deal. The New York Times reports:

The fiscal legislation just passed by Congress, known as theAi??American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, makes permanent a little-known tax break for people who send their children to private or religious schools for kindergarten through 12th grade. […]

TheAi??CoverdellAi??lets you deposit up to $2,000 each year in an investment account. The contributions are not tax deductible, but you do not pay taxes on the earnings you take out, as long as you use them for tuition or other qualified expenses ai??i?? including those for elementary or secondary education at independent and religious schools, as well as college tuition. Although the contribution limit is low, the tax savings can add up to thousands of dollars for diligent savers.

The tax break was scheduled to expire on Dec. 31. ButAi??it was retained, as part of the fiscal legislationai??i??s permanent extension of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-16), according to the financial aid expert Mark Kantrowitz.

The full text of the fiscal deal, known as the “American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012,” is here. Are there any other unfair provisions you find in it?

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA)

Republicans are already threatening to refuse to raise the debt ceiling unless their demands are met. On MSNBC this morning, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) said that Republicans should be willing to shut down the government if Democrats don’t agree to a “restructuring the entitlement programs” — code for cuts to benefits:

TOOMEY: We Republicans need to be willing to tolerate a temporary, partial government shutdown, which is what that could mean. And get off the road to Greece because thatai??i??s a road that weai??i??re on right now. We can only solve this problem by getting spending under control and restructuring the entitlement programs. This president doesnai??i??t want to go there. Weai??i??re going to have to force it, and weai??i??re going to have to force it over the debt ceiling.

Watch it:

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Toomey has been an advocate of raising the retirement age to cut benefits for seniors.

Click hereAi??to pledge to hold any Democrat who agrees to a deal that cuts Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits accountable.