Obama, Republicans reach deal to extend tax cuts, unemployment benefits

[NYcarbineer]

This CAVE-IN by Obama has a significant element of irony...

...if the Repubilcans who railroaded him into this are right, if this is the right formula for the economy and jobs...

...they've just guaranteed Obama his re-election.

Or, even if there's a normal cyclical recovery that has nothing to do with these tax cuts, he still now gets the credit.

sure and this is the way things are supposed to work, compromise not a ram it up the ass attitude, thats why a divided house senate and exec. is almost always best.

Ah really? The Democrats had 53 votes for passing the middle class cuts only. Are you saying if that had been able to pass it would have been a 'ramming up the ass'?

 

[NYcarbineer]

The entire agreement does nothing but add to our national debt.

Complete sell-out by both Obama and the Republicans

I agree. Not one person who supports this, R or D, can ever again with a straight face claim to be a fiscal conservative.

 

[Trajan]

sure and this is the way things are supposed to work, compromise not a ram it up the ass attitude, thats why a divided house senate and exec. is almost always best.

but this wasn't compromise. it was the right getting what they want. a compromise would have been reinstate the previous tax rate for people earning over $500,000. *That* is a compromise.

This wasn't a compromise.

well, we differ on this philosophically Jillian. let me say this, I understand your angst on this, but you know that in 2013 there is a 3.8% surcharge on investment income for individuals making over 200K and couples making 250K. ( I think I have that figure right)...so.

and I am not trying to be cute here, but elections have consequences

And who knows as caribineer said obama may have actually helped himself here but he left his constituents at the alter, Jillian, they all do it Bush did it to me....the pols who actually care about their constituents are very far and between.

 

[NYcarbineer]

Tax-cut deal reached between Obama, Republicans

This is the best news for all. AND Obama will have an opportunity to expound on it as the elections in `12, loom. I think, with this compromise, he has done himself a favor if he really wants a second term.

Obama did nothing but finally show once and for all that he is all talk and no action. Obama caved. He just lost one vote, should he be on the ballot in 2012. The Republicans are no better. They lied to the American voters and told them that if they put them back in power, they would stand for smaller government and cut spending. They did just the opposite today. Obama should have hedl his ground and kept the tax cuts in place for those making $250K and less (you know, the people who actually need to money more), and then forced the GOP to push for tax cuts for the millionaires after they take control of the House in January. What a whimp Obama has turned out to be. You cannot talk about bringing "hope and change" if you are not will to fight for it.

I can't say he lost my vote, since the Republicans once again proved that if a GOP president is elected in 2012, they will immediately go right back into GW Bush mode.

Obama is pushing the concept of 'lesser of 2 evils' to the brink though.

 

[Trajan]

This CAVE-IN by Obama has a significant element of irony...

...if the Repubilcans who railroaded him into this are right, if this is the right formula for the economy and jobs...

...they've just guaranteed Obama his re-election.

Or, even if there's a normal cyclical recovery that has nothing to do with these tax cuts, he still now gets the credit.

sure and this is the way things are supposed to work, compromise not a ram it up the ass attitude, thats why a divided house senate and exec. is almost always best.

Ah really? The Democrats had 53 votes for passing the middle class cuts only. Are you saying if that had been able to pass it would have been a 'ramming up the ass'?

I wasn't referring to this situation particular. I was referring to a majority party in all 3 centers of power not interested in compromise to the point they go it alone.

 

[NYcarbineer]

sure and this is the way things are supposed to work, compromise not a ram it up the ass attitude, thats why a divided house senate and exec. is almost always best.

but this wasn't compromise. it was the right getting what they want. a compromise would have been reinstate the previous tax rate for people earning over $500,000. *That* is a compromise.

This wasn't a compromise.

well, we differ on this philosophically Jillian. let me say this, I understand your angst on this, but you know that in 2013 there is a 3.8% surcharge on investment income for individuals making over 200K and couples making 250K. ( I think I have that figure right)...so.

and I am not trying to be cute here, but elections have consequences

And who knows as caribineer said obama may have actually helped himself here but he left his constituents at the alter, Jillian, they all do it Bush did it to me....the pols who actually care about their constituents are very far and between.

Most politicians (not to mention way too many of the American people) are under the spell of the Free Lunch, i.e.,

deficits and debt don't matter, cutting taxes and spending anyway is okay...

...if you can't fix the problem without requiring a sacrifice, then fuck it.

 

[kyzr]

Fiscal sanity gets my vote

Irrespective of the party

 

[NYcarbineer]

sure and this is the way things are supposed to work, compromise not a ram it up the ass attitude, thats why a divided house senate and exec. is almost always best.

Ah really? The Democrats had 53 votes for passing the middle class cuts only. Are you saying if that had been able to pass it would have been a 'ramming up the ass'?

I wasn't referring to this situation particular. I was referring to a majority party in all 3 centers of power not interested in compromise to the point they go it alone.

Had the Democrats had 60 votes in the Senate, you would have gotten a compromise tax cut bill, i.e., somewhere between all and none of the tax cuts being extended.

 

[DiveCon]

Ah really? The Democrats had 53 votes for passing the middle class cuts only. Are you saying if that had been able to pass it would have been a 'ramming up the ass'?

I wasn't referring to this situation particular. I was referring to a majority party in all 3 centers of power not interested in compromise to the point they go it alone.

Had the Democrats had 60 votes in the Senate, you would have gotten a compromise tax cut bill, i.e., somewhere between all and none of the tax cuts being extended.

how the hell would THAT be a compromise, when that was what the dems wanted from the git go?

i get it, a compromise to the dems is do it our way

 

[NYcarbineer]

Fiscal sanity gets my vote

Irrespective of the party

This same sort of thing happened early in the Reagan administration, where efforts at fiscal conservatism were ultimately thwarted by politics - from both sides of the aisle. David Stockman wrote a book about it, entitled

"The Triumph of Politics". No better title for a book has ever been conceived.

 

[Cuyo]

Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for the President of the United States.

Way to go POTUS. Just when we thought you couldn't be a bigger disappointment.

 

[NYcarbineer]

I wasn't referring to this situation particular. I was referring to a majority party in all 3 centers of power not interested in compromise to the point they go it alone.

Had the Democrats had 60 votes in the Senate, you would have gotten a compromise tax cut bill, i.e., somewhere between all and none of the tax cuts being extended.

how the hell would THAT be a compromise, when that was what the dems wanted from the git go?

i get it, a compromise to the dems is do it our way

The Republicans also rejected raising the cut off to a million dollars.

 

[WillowTree]

I still can't understand why demonRats think rich people owe them half their wealth? Why can't you stupid people earn your own money? Now how's that for compromise? Fifty per cent of you idiots don't have to pay TAXES but you want to dictate how much the other 50% pay? Arrogant fucks.

 

[Cuyo]

How will the unemployment benefits be paid for? More debt spending. Will the decrease in the payroll tax result in a decrease in Social Security benefits? If not, how can we afford to do that when SS is also underfunded?

I feel this is an irresponsible move by both parties.

Exactly. Keep the revenue reduction, and keep the spending, too. I best not hear anyone who's pleased with this chattering about deficits anymore.

 

[NYcarbineer]

Another nice irony:

this isn't that far off from the point in the Reagan presidency where Reagan agreed to the biggest tax increase in history.

 

[NYcarbineer]

I still can't understand why demonRats think rich people owe them half their wealth? Why can't you stupid people earn your own money? Now how's that for compromise? Fifty per cent of you idiots don't have to pay TAXES but you want to dictate how much the other 50% pay? Arrogant fucks.

How much in federal income tax did you pay last year?

 

[Revere]

I still can't understand why demonRats think rich people owe them half their wealth? Why can't you stupid people earn your own money? Now how's that for compromise? Fifty per cent of you idiots don't have to pay TAXES but you want to dictate how much the other 50% pay? Arrogant fucks.

How much in federal income tax did you pay last year?

None of your damned business.

If you don't think you pay enough, send a bigger check.

 

[WillowTree]

I still can't understand why demonRats think rich people owe them half their wealth? Why can't you stupid people earn your own money? Now how's that for compromise? Fifty per cent of you idiots don't have to pay TAXES but you want to dictate how much the other 50% pay? Arrogant fucks.

How much in federal income tax did you pay last year?

I paid what I owed.

 

[hortysir]

President Obama and congressional Republicans have agreed to a tentative deal that would extend for two years all the tax breaks set to expire on Dec. 31, continue unemployment benefits for an additional 13 months and cut payroll taxes for workers to encourage employers to start hiring.
The deal has been in the works for more than a week and represents a concession by Obama to political reality: Democrats don't have the votes in Congress to extend only the expiring tax breaks that benefit the middle class. The White House estimates that the proposed agreement would prevent typical families from facing annual tax increases of about $3,000, starting Jan. 1.

Tax-cut deal reached between Obama, Republicans

90% a good compromise.
But 13 MONTHS more??
Why not 3 or 6 even? Just enough to get past the holidays.

Oh well. I'll mark it as a win-win.

 

[rightwinger]

Obama has no backbone. Borrowing $700 billion to pay for tax cuts for millionaires is fiscally irresponsible

he doesn't have to borrow money he doesn't have to spend eh?

The Deficit cutting Republicans agreeing to add additional debt for extending unemployment shows once and for all that they are more interested in getting tax cuts for their buddies than balancing the budget

oh pish posh, the dems past nov. rescues for AMT for what? 3 years running? AGAINST their own Paygo rules?

Tea party....Where the fuck are you?

oh they are out there, you think this happened in a vacuum? Those senators up in 2012 are looking over their shoulders, the dem ones most especially.

Cutting taxes without identifying spending cuts first is irresponsible. Obama showed he is unwilling to mix it up with the minority Republicans.

Republicans are full of shit. They are more interested in getting payback taxcuts for their wealthy constituents than reducing the deficit they have been screaming about