Charter Communications Owner Gets $1 Billion Dollar Tax Break

Claire McCaskill likes to pitch herself as an anti-pork Senator.  She did well enough not asking for earmarks in her first few years, and has also co-sponsored legislation that would stop the abuse of Congressional earmarks.  Or at least that's what she claims.

The stimulus bill, that piece of crap shoved through the Congress without anyone reading it (despite Claire's claim on Twitter that her staff would have a full 12 hours to read the whole thing before she would vote), is now Claire's pet project.  She's out telling the public how important and good it is, trying to use her former anti-pork credentials to get some credibility, but it seems she still hasn't bothered to read the bill.

Here's Claire, defending the bill

Sen. Claire McCaskill is defending the new federal stimulus package as a way to help Missouri's economy.

The Missouri Democrat denies it includes any pet projects.

McCaskill on Friday appeared with Kansas City business leaders, who laid out how the $787 billion plan will benefit their respective industries. Benefits they mentioned included education, energy infrastructure, job training and even medical software.

McCaskill acknowledged concerns about the plan's cost and rumors that lawmakers have stuffed it with so-called "pork" projects. But she said every project will have to compete for money in the plan. She also says a federal Web site, called recovery.org, will show taxpayers where the money is going.. .

Here's just one example of what is really in the bill, a $1Billion dollar tax giveaway to a liberal billionaire.

Paul Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft and owner of the Portland Trailblazers basketball team, might save hundreds of millions in taxes over the next few years thanks to a provision in the economic stimulus legislation signed by President Obama Tuesday.

The provision is aimed at helping companies who are trying to restructure their debt, by delaying taxes that would otherwise be due when debt-holders agree to forgive a portion of the debt.

One such company is cable provider Charter Communications Inc., of which Mr. Allen is Chairman and in which he holds a majority stake

Charter Communications has a lot of debt issues right now, but let's be clear - this isn't going to Charter Communications. This is going to Paul and the other Charter owners.  $1 billion to  a rich liberal donor who gives money to Democrats.  It's yet another example of how the stimulus bill is about giving money to people who will work to elect Democrats, and has nothing to do with improving the economy, fairness, or even common sense.

$1 billion to the richest among us - this is what Claire McCaskill is out defending.  Next time, maybe her office won't laugh at the idea of reading the bill when Missouri voters call in.

Is it just me, or has McCaskill really changed her tune since Obama came on the scene?  Have her frequent appearances on Meet the Press started to turn her from a Missouri Democat into another lying D.C. political hack?  She was out telling people during the election that McCain wanted to put raped women in jail - now she's out promising us there isn't any pork in the stimulus bill.

I'm waiting for her to change her position on immigration now that Obama wants to push it (he'll only say it to Spanish-speaking audiences).  Oh, Claire - Missouri deserves better.  I hope in 2012 we remember just how thoroughly you sold yourself to the D.C. political class.