Liberal Watchdog Group: 'Fix The Debt' Movement More Astroturf Than Grassroots

Peter Overby — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 14:35:00 +0000

The liberal watchdog group Center for Media and Democracy says Fix the Debt — a key unit in philanthropist Pete Peterson's corps of organizations to battle the national debt — is a pro-business effort masquerading as a grassroots movement.

In a conference call with reporters Friday, CMD director Lisa Graves called Fix the Debt "an Astroturf supergroup that is exceedingly well funded." The term "Astroturf" refers to groups that appear to be citizen-organized but actually have their roots at consultants' offices inside the Capital Beltway.

A spokesman for

VIDEO & TRANSCRIPT: President Obama Speaks On Spending Cuts, Deficit Reduction

KUNC Staff — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:23:27 +0000

President Obama spoke from the White House on the nation's finances and the looming March 1st deadline for the 'sequester.'

Obama Calls For Small Package Of Cuts, Tax Changes To Head Off 'Sequester'

Mark Memmott — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:45:00 +0000

(We updated the top of this post at 1:30 p.m.

Senate Democrats Say OK To House Republicans' Debt-Ceiling Plan

Mark Memmott — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 17:38:00 +0000
Update at 1:25 p.m. ET: By a vote of 285-144, the House just passed a Republican plan that postpones for three months the federal government's next bump up against the so-called debt ceiling.
As we said earlier, the measure would head off another big battle over raising the government's borrowing authority — such as the one in 2011 that almost led to a government shutdown.
Leaders in the Democratic-controlled Senate have said they will support the plan.

President's New Term Doesn't Mean New Day In Congress

David Welna — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:52:00 +0000
The Senate picked up Tuesday exactly where it left off nearly three weeks ago. By a twist of the rules, the Senate chamber remains in its first legislative day of the 113th Congress.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he's kept things at the starting point so that he and his fellow Democrats have the option of changing the rules on the filibuster by a simple majority vote.
"The Senate will take action to make this institution that we all love, the United States Senate, work more effectively," Reid said Tuesday.

Debt Limit

Liberal Watchdog Group: 'Fix The Debt' Movement More Astroturf Than Grassroots

VIDEO & TRANSCRIPT: President Obama Speaks On Spending Cuts, Deficit Reduction

Obama Calls For Small Package Of Cuts, Tax Changes To Head Off 'Sequester'

Senate Democrats Say OK To House Republicans' Debt-Ceiling Plan

President's New Term Doesn't Mean New Day In Congress