J. Scott Applewhite / APFamily Research Council President Tony Perkins denounces gay marriage as a group of pastors from across denominational lines gather on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 24, 2012.By Tom Curry, msnbc.com National Affairs WriterConservative religious leaders rallying outside the Capitol Thursday promised to make the preservation of marriage as a union between one man and one woman an issue in 2012 campaign.But with traditional marriage already having been approved in most states, and with the federal courts -- and ultimately the Supreme Court -- likely deciding the constitutionality of these laws, it's not yet clear how the leaders will persuade the conservative base to get mobilized.At the rally outside the Capitol, Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, chided Republican ... Continue reading →
Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) doubling down on a $1 million threshold for extending the Bush-era tax rates has relaunched the thorny Democratic debate over who should pay higher taxes. Despite Pelosi’s full-throated endorsement that the breaks should be extended on all income below $1 million, Democrats have hardly coalesced on a figure, with President Obama still pushing for a $250,000 threshold and Senate Democrats indicating Thursday that they're all over the board. The budget drawn up by House Democrats earlier this year also included the $250,000 threshold. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who has long backed cutting off the tax breaks at $1 million, conceded Pelosi’s move — intended to push back at Republicans — is just the latest step in the party's ongoing search for ... Continue reading →