Florida Congressman Connie Mack has a plan to save the country from its growing deficit, using nothing but pennies.

Mack, a Republican, is promoting a "one-cent solution" to balance the budget in eight years by cutting spending every year by one percent. The proposal, called the One Percent Spending Reduction Act of 2011, aims to eliminate one penny from every dollar spent by the federal government, reducing the GDP from 25 percent to 18 percent and then capping it there.

The ideas seems popular among GOP lawmakers. The Act lists thirteen co-sponsors, and at least one more, Louisiana Senator David Vitter, has announced intention to sign on once the recess is over. Several key conservative organizations have endorsed the plan, including FreedomWorks, the National Taxpayers Union and the One Cent Solution.

Charlie Rangel's birthday bash fundraiser was a bit like an encyclopedia of Democratic New York politics.

Present at the Plaza Hotel ballroom were Assemblyman (and CD-9 hopeful) David Weprin, Queens Party boss Congressman Joe Crowley, and former NYC mayors Ed Koch and David Dinkins.

Onstage, Dinkins referred to the small group of protesters standing in front of the Plaza, calling for the resignation of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (also present). Dinkins said it reminded him of last year's party, when people protested Rangel.

Congress has named the first few picks for the deficit reduction “super committee.” It’s A Free Country takes a look at some of the people charged with determining where to cut $1.5 trillion out of the nations budget over the next ten years.

The always irrepressible Charlie Rangel is holding a fundraiser and birthday bash tonight, headlined by Aretha Franklin. It's A Free Country caught up with the Congressman for a few words in a coffee shop at Rockefeller Center, where he had just finished an appearance on MSNBC.

Does a fundraiser mean ...

Presidential candidate Jimmy McMillan, who ran for governor of New York because "the rent is too damn high," says he's being evicted from his rent-stabilized Manhattan apartment because his rent is too damn low.

The election that will determine the next mayor of New York City may not be for two years still, but the fundraising has already begun. As the races heat up, one huge player in New York City election financing will be the public matching funds program. But what is that program exactly?

It's A Free Country breaks down the massive undertaking that is the New York City Campaign Finance Board's public matching funds program.

Oregonian Representative David Wu formally announced Wednesday that he is resigning from Congress.

At the last second and after weeks of contentious partisan posturing, the president and Congress have agreed on a deal to raise the public debt ceiling and reduce future deficits. But what does the bill actually do? Who's going to be affected and what's in line to get cut? 

President Obama and Congress reached a deal on raising the debt ceiling today, averting a potential debt default just hours ahead of midnight deadline.

The framework for the deal, which was announced on Sunday by Congressional leaders, raises the debt ceiling in two stages - an initial $1 trillion now to stave off the threat of immediate default, and a second, $1.4 trillion to be proposed by a newly created congressional committee that would have to agree upon cuts.

The House on Friday approved the plan put forward by House Speaker John Boehner to raise the debt-ceiling. The two-stage plan called for $3 trillion in cuts to government spending in order to lift the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling by August 2, and another vote on the issue toward the end of 2012.

Democratic Congressman David Wu of Oregon will resign immediately following the debt ceiling debate, the Oregonian is reporting.