Carney Bullish On Jobs Bill Vote

The White House is betting that Congress will vote on at least part of President Obama’s jobs bill.

During his briefing today, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters that he’ll buy them each a beer if Congress fails to move on the legislation by the end of the year.

Carney, a devout Boston Red Sox fan, may need a few adult beverages himself to wash away memories of the Sox’ epic collapse which culminated last night in a season-ending 4-3 walk-off loss against the last-place Baltimore Orioles.

In less than a month, the Red Sox blew a nine-game Wild Card race lead over the Tampa Bay Rays, whose miraculous comeback win against the New York Yankees last night vaulted them a game ahead of Boston and into the American League playoffs.

House Passes Week-Long Spending Bill

The House approved a Senate-passed spending measure Thursday to prevent a government shutdown. 

The bill, which only funds the government through next Thursday, was passed via unanimous consent, a procedure that does not require members to be present. 

The House is scheduled to return to Washington next week when members will take up a second Senate-passed spending measure that will fund the government through mid-November. 

The threat of a shutdown stemmed from controversy over how much funding the Federal Emergency Management Agency would receive. However, after FEMA announced it did not need the billions in funding Democrats were calling for, Republicans dropped the provision that included DOE spending cuts. 

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White House Open To Negotiating Jobs Bill, Says VP

Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that the White House might be willing to negotiate President Obama’s jobs package with congressional Republicans.

Speaking to a group of police officers in Alexandria, Va., the outspoken Biden said “we’re willing to negotiate with them – if they have a better way to put more cops in the street, if they have a better way to provide for more jobs.”

We’ll see whether White House spokesman Jay Carney responds to his old boss’ remarks during today’s press briefing…

Tea Party Group Endorses Lugar Challenger

The Tea Party Express is throwing their support behind Indiana Treasurer Richard Murdock’s attempt to challenge sitting Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) in the state’s Republican primary

Lugar, commonly described as a moderate Republican, holds a “history of votes for wasteful spending, bailouts, and bigger government, combined with an attitude of disdain for the tea party movement” according to a statement released by the group this morning.

The organization will formally announce the endorsement in Indiana Thursday.

Former CBO Director Doubts Supercommittee Can Prevent Further Decline

Former Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Director Robert Penner said Wednesday that he believes the Congressional supercommittee will be unable to prevent the U.S. government from facing a debt crisis similar to Greece.

Speaking at a meeting with the National Economists Club, Penner said he believes ideological differences between the group’s members will prevent them from finding the $4 trillion in savings Penner says are needed to stabilize the debt-GDP ratio.

“We will get enough from the committee to ease the pain from sequester but they wont make real structural changes,” Penner, who served in the CBO during the Reagan administration, said.

The supercommittee, a 12 member body evenly divided among party and chamber, is currently tasked with finding over $1.5 trillion in savings. If they are unable to advance a plan by late November, then $1.2 trillion in autmoatic cuts will be made among the U.S. military and domestic programs.