McConnell Urges House Republicans To Play Ball

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell publicly urged Republicans in the lower chamber Thursday to drop their opposition to the two-month extension of payroll relief.

“The House should pass an extension that locks in the thousands of Keystone XL pipeline jobs, prevents any disruption in the payroll tax holiday or other expiring provisions, and allows Congress to work on a solution for the longer extensions,” McConnell said in a press release.

While a number of Republicans in the upper chamber have criticized their House colleagues for threatening a tax hike when the cuts expire on New Years Day, McConnell’s high-ranking position carries additional weight.

Below is the full statement:

“The House and Senate have both passed bipartisan bills to require the President to quickly make a decision on whether to support thousands of U.S. manufacturing jobs through the Keystone XL pipeline, and to extend unemployment insurance, the temporary payroll tax cut and seniors’ access to medical care. There is no reason why Congress and the President cannot accomplish all of these things before the end of the year.  House Republicans sensibly want greater certainty about the duration of these provisions, while Senate Democrats want more time to negotiate the terms. These goals are not mutually exclusive. We can and should do both. Working Americans have suffered enough from the President’s failed economic policies and shouldn’t face the uncertainty of a New Year’s Day tax hike. Leader Reid should appoint conferees on the long-term bill and the House should pass an extension that locks in the thousands of Keystone XL pipeline jobs, prevents any disruption in the payroll tax holiday or other expiring provisions, and allows Congress to work on a solution for the longer extensions.”

White House Condemns Iraq Bombings

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney issued the following statement in response to a series of bombings that killed at least 60 people in Iraq this morning:

“We strongly condemn the terrorist attacks against innocent Iraqis, which serve no agenda other than murder and hatred.  We offer our condolences to those whose loved ones were lost or wounded.  Attempts such as this to derail Iraq’s continued progress will fail.  Iraq has suffered heinous attacks like this in the past, and its security forces have shown they are up to the task of responding and maintaining stability.  Time and again, the Iraqi people have shown their resilience in overcoming efforts to divide them.  We continue to urge leaders to come together to face common challenges.”

“Vice President Biden has spoken to several senior Iraqi leaders over the past week. Today he called Iraqi President Jalal Talabani to offer our full support for his efforts, and those of other Iraqi leaders, to foster dialogue that will allow all Iraqi blocs to work through their differences together. The Vice President also reiterated the need for actions to be guided by the rule of law and Iraq’s Constitution. At this difficult time, the United States stands with Iraq as a strategic partner and a close friend.”

Pentagon: No Sign Of North Korea Instability

There are no signs that the security situation in North Korea has been destabilized following the death of Kim Jong Il, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters Wednesday.

“We have not seen any unusual North Korean troop movements since the death of Kim Jong Il,” Little said. “That would be one indicator of a less than smooth transition.”

On Monday, General Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that the U.S. is watching the region with vigilance, but does not anticipate having to change its military posture.

Obama Goes Holiday Shopping

President Obama succeeded in taking care of some very urgent business on Wednesday.

No, he didn’t convince Congress to pass a payroll tax cut extension. But, he did do some holiday shopping for the rest of the First Family.

Needing to get out of the house, as his Press Secretary, Jay Carney, put it, Obama and First Dog Bo ventured out across the Potomac River to make some seasonal purchases.

During a roughly 50-minute trip around nearby Alexandria, Virginia, the President managed to hit Pet Smart and Best Buy, where he bought a large bone for Bo, and a couple video games and a pair of iTunes music gift cards for his daughters, Sasha and Malia. In all, the President spent about $235 at the two retailers.

Hungry from all the shopping, Obama concluded his brief expedition by patronizing a local pizzeria, where he emerged from afterwards with a trio of large pies.

Obama Phones Boehner And Reid

The following is a readout from the White House regarding separate conversations President Obama had this afternoon with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.):

“Today, the President made separate calls to Speaker Boehner and Leader Reid.  In his call to Speaker Boehner, the President reiterated the need and his commitment to work with Congress to extend the payroll tax cut for the entire year, and the fact that the short-term bipartisan compromise passed by almost the entire Senate is the only option to ensure that middle class families aren’t hit with a tax hike in 10 days and gives both sides the time needed to work out a full year solution. The President urged the Speaker to take up the bipartisan compromise passed in the Senate with overwhelming Democratic and Republican support that would prevent 160 million working Americans from being hit with a holiday tax hike on January 1st.”

“The President also spoke with Leader Reid and again applauded him for the work he conducted with Minority Leader McConnell to achieve a successful bipartisan compromise that passed overwhelmingly in the Senate on Saturday, and Senator Reid reaffirmed his commitment to secure a bipartisan year long tax cut after the House passes the two month extension. The President urged the Speaker to allow a vote on the one compromise that Democrats and Republicans passed together to give the American people the assurance they need during this holiday season that they won’t see a significant tax hike in just 10 days.”