Hispanic Lawmaker Condemns Cain’s Electric Fence Joke

Presidential hopeful Herman Cain’s comment about installing an electric fence on the U.S.-Mexico border has drawn the ire of the chairman of the Hispanic Congressional Caucus.

“Words have consequences, both in shaping ideas and inspiring actions,” Rep. Charles Gonzales (D-Texas) said in a statement Monday. “Mr. Cain’s words show a lack of understanding of the immigration issues our country is facing and a staggering lack of sensitivity.”

While campaigning over the weekend, Cain remarked that the U.S. should use an electrified, barbed wire fence to kill anybody attempting to enter the country illegally. When confronted over the remarks during an interview on NBC Sunday, Cain dismissed the comments as a joke.

However, Gonzales finds little comfort in Cain’s justification.

“I see nothing funny about killing other human beings,” Gonzales said. “Leave the comic routines to the professional comedians.”

Poll: Cain Leads GOP Field

Herman Cain’s popularity continues to rise, according to a new poll from Zogby International.

The former Godfather’s CEO continues to lead the GOP field, a spot he has held since September 26^th. The latest poll places his support at 45 percent, a 7 point increase from the previous October 5^th survey.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney comes in second with 21 percent. No other Republican candidate, including the party’s former frontrunner Texas Governor Rick Perry, reaches double digits.

The poll was conducted among 1,214 likely Republican voters between Oct. 11-14^th.

Sanders: Oil Speculators Must Cease Price Manipulation

By Lisa Kellman

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is urging federal regulators to takes measures that would prevent oil speculators from artificially inflating prices.

“The bottom line is that we have a responsibility to ensure that the price of oil is no longer allowed to be driven up by the same Wall Street speculators who caused the devastating recession that working families are now experiencing,” Sanders, who sent a letter Monday, said in a statement.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is slated to consider a ruling Monday on a similar measure that Sanders says falls short of what Congress envisioned with last year’s Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law.

Sanders noted that stronger regulations carry additional weight in light of the coming cold months, when families will need oil for heating.

He referenced a study from Better Markets, a nonpartisan organization that supports regulating speculative trading, which showed that speculation increases commodity prices independent of the law of supply and demand.

House Dems Urge Super Committee To Cut Oil Subsidies

By Mike Hothi

Leading a group of 35 House Democrats, Representatives Peter Welch (D-Vt) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore) have proposed that the Super Committee cut subsidies for oil companies in order to reduce the nation’s debt.

“In the current budgetary environment, the United Stated can no longer afford to give away billions of dollars every year to corporations earning billions of dollars in profits and costing American Taxpayer twice; at the pump and through the tax code,” a letter signed by the 37 Congressman states.

The proposed cuts could reduce the national debt by up to $122 billion over ten years, Welch notes.

According to data from the Treasury Department, cutting these subsidies would reduce domestic oil production less than one half of one percent and increase exploration and production costs less than two percent.

Welch and Blumenauer do not believe the increase in production costs would affect American consumers.

“The United States is only a small producer of the world’s oil, a slight increase in costs for domestic producers will not increase the price Americans pay for gas,” a statement from the two Congressmen reads.

The Congressional Super Committee is tasked with finding at least $1.2 trillion in savings over the next decade. The deadline to act is November 23 and if the Super Committee fails to meet the bar, there will be automatic cuts across the board, divided between domestic and military programs.

Carney Doesn't See Job Growth In GOP Jobs Plan

By Mike Hothi

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney criticized Republicans today for not putting forward a plan that would help create jobs.

“It is unfortunate but true that though the Republicans have put forward economic plans, they have not put forward a plan that would in any way have a measurably positive impact on economic growth or job creation over the next 12 to 18 months,” Carney told reporters aboard Air Force One.

The Senate Republican plan Carney was referring to includes a combination of tax cuts, a moratorium on new regulations, an end to restrictions on off-shore oil exploration, a repeal of President Obama’s healthcare law and a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

But Carney remains optimistic that the Senate will take up the President’s jobs bill. “We are confident that Senator Reid will be able to say something about the scheduling of a vote in the relatively near future.”

Last week, Senate Democrats failed to get enough votes to move Obama’s jobs bill to a final vote. Now, it looks as though the Senate will break up the bill and vote on it piece by piece. The first component that could see action would involve keeping public educators on the job.

“That is our expectation, that the first measure will be teachers,” Carney said.

That measure, valued at roughly $35 billion, would also help states keep first responders on the job.