Horizons: No commentary required 4/13/12 (updated x 2)

Its one of those days when several stories have caught my eye. So rather than write about each one separately...here they come all at once.

For awhile now I've been saying that elements of the debt ceiling deal will start to loom large in the 2012 election. Particularly will be the pressure Republicans are going to feel to get rid of the defense cuts and extend the Bush tax cuts - both of which are set to kick in January 2013. David Jackson acknowledges that Republicans are likely to block passage of the Buffett Rule. And then says this:

But the issue of higher taxes on the wealthy is very much alive this campaign season, thanks to something that is scheduled to happen after the Nov. 6 election: The expiration of the George W. Bush tax cuts...

When talk of the Buffett Rule has faded, we'll be hearing about the Bush tax cuts before, during, and after the election.

UPDATE: Oh my, I just took a look at the great speech VP Biden gave in NH yesterday. He went there...with the "Romney Rule."

If Governor Romney has his way, we’ll have the Romney Rule. And I mean it sincerely -- this isn’t a cute little deal. There’s a Romney Rule. The Romney Rule says, let’s double down on the tax cuts for the wealthy...

Let’s take a look what the Romney Rule values, what the Governor values, and his colleagues. He values Bush tax cuts to be made permanent for the wealthy. The ones that are intended to expire this December, he wants to extend them permanently. That will cost $1 trillion over the next 10 years; $800 billion of that trillion going to people who make a minimum of $1 million. And to add insult to injury, the Romney Rule proposes to give another $250,000-a-year tax cut to the average millionaire, on top of maintaining the Bush tax cuts.

I know -- if you hadn’t watched all the debates, you’d probably think I’m making this up. But seriously, that's what -- that's what he calls for, the Romney Rule calls for. That's another trillion dollars in tax cuts over the next 10 years going to the top 1 percent of American taxpayers.

For more on the Buffet Rule and Reagan's support of same, Bill Press wins the award for best line of the day.

McConnell and other Republicans also say they could never ask millionaires to pay more because that would violate the spirit of Republican icon Ronald Reagan, which just proves that they don't know Ronald Reagan any better than some evangelists know Jesus.

;-)

Apparently this DOD Goes Green movement has turned into a bit of a competition between military branches.

Nevermind fatigues, The White House and the U.S. Army are getting greener still, announcing on Wednesday the opening of a 30,000 square foot Army laboratory in Warren, MI, dedicated to cutting edge, alternative energy technology for powering new tanks and other military vehicles.

The new lab, called the Ground Systems Power and Energy Lab (GSPEL) is actually eight labs in one facility. It will partner with academic and industry researchers to develop next-generation fuel cells, energy storage systems, hybrid systems, and yes, alternative fuels such as algae biofuel. The lab is also equipped for air filtration and thermal management research.

The centerpiece project for GSPEL will be the development of a “Green Warrior Convoy” modeled after the U.S. Navy’s Great Green Fleet, a project to sail an entire fleet of ships powered by alternative fuels by 2016.

Like the Green Fleet, the Green Convoy will serve as a demonstration showcase for clean energy and energy efficiency technologies. In typical Armed Services fashion, the Army seems to be competing with the Navy over bragging rights for first place: the Green Convoy is set to roll in 2013, and while the Green Fleet was announced last year it won’t officially launch until 2014 (though a smaller Green Strike Group will sail this summer).

I don't know about you, but I'm rooting for both of them. When they win...we win!

Finally, how is it possible to not love Cory Booker, the man who saves women from burning buildings?

Newark Mayor Cory Booker was taken to a hospital tonight for treatment of smoke inhalation he suffered trying to rescue his next-door neighbors from their burning house.

"I just grabbed her and whipped her out of the bed," Booker said in recounting the fire. Booker told The Star-Ledger he also suffered second-degree burns on his hand...

Newark Fire Director Fateen Ziyad said after the mayor arrived home he saw flames and smoke from the second floor of the building next to his home, and no residents outside, Booker rushed in and his security detail followed him, Ziyad said...

Centanni [Newark Fire Chief] said the mayor executed a professional rescue and possibly saved the life of one resident.

OK, so a little commentary on that one. Anyone who's been reading this blog for awhile now knows that I LOVE Cory Booker. His personality is starkly different from President Obama. But what the two share in common is that they're both wicked smart AND deeply compassionate. That's the most winning combination in a politician I can imagine. Of course we'll all leave it to Booker to figure out what his path in politics will be. But I'm screaming at him over here to decide to take on that ignorant mean guy who currently runs New Jersey in the 2014 Governors race. After that, I'm hoping to have a chance to work on the Booker for President campaign someday...the second African American president of the United States. Yeah baby - I dream BIG! Keep an eye on this guy.

Update #2: For those of you on twitter who have time to kill, check out #corybookerstories. What fun folks are having with this!

But here's the best tweet of all from Dave Weigel.