Ho Hum…Congressional Democrats played for fools again
When the Republicans get their tar sand pipeline, I know a lot of my fellows liberals will blame Obama. Sure he’ll be due his share of the blame.
But hasn’t it occurred to anyone that the reason Republicans are constantly able to screw the country is because we have Democrats like John Carney and Tom Carper who are entirely too eager to appear to be “bi-partisan?”
What is the fucking point of being “bi-partisan” when it only means doing everything that Boehner and McConnell tell you to do?
I mean… is it me?
Holding off despair is getting tougher and tougher.
Fuck the payroll tax agreement – table it. Tell the Republicans to go pound tar sand.
Most voters don’t really get it right now. But when everything expires next year, that’ll get their attention. Introduce the clean bill again and fight it out with an army of unemployed and wage workers at our backs.
The payroll tax cut is a dubious jobs measure anyway. It’s not worth trading something good for. It’s not worth compromising just to get a “win” – that’s not a win.
A win would be the look on Republican faces when they realize they will be held accountable in just a few short weeks for expiring the tax cut and UI benefits. It’ll ruin their Christmas.
I want the pipeline. It means thousands of good paying jobs.
I spent years putting them in and when done, you don’t know they are even there.
“What is the fucking point of being “bi-partisan” when it only means doing everything that Boehner and McConnell tell you to do?”
The Republicans make no pretense of not being bought, but the Democrats do. Instead of saying “Yea… they bought us and we did what they wanted us to do”, they say “Oh, we didn’t want to screw the public and the environment, but we had to be bi-partisan and compromise.”
“Fuck the payroll tax agreement – table it. Tell the Republicans to go pound tar sand.”
Obama can’t, without giving up aspirations of a second term. The economic recovery hinges on this in a major way, and they all know it.
Obama can’t, without giving up aspirations of a second term.
So says Plouffe. But Harry Truman disagrees.
I like Democrats’ odds going into 2012 fighting to restore middle-class benefits cancelled by Republicans. Just a theory mind you; not that they have the courage.
The economic recovery hinges on this in a major way
The what?
The stimulus plan that masquerades as a tax cut.
I think you have that backward.
Do you seriously propose to stimulate the economy by raising the cost of housing?
skippertee – isn’t it the case that you don’t know where they are until they spring a leak? Then you wonder why the water table is screwed up in the breadbasket.
“Do you seriously propose to stimulate the economy by raising the cost of housing?”
The payroll tax affects nearly everyone (well, at least the 99%) immediately. The average putback into the economy is nearly $1000 per working American, and double that for many.
The mortgage hit will affect few in the first year (the year most important to Obama), and the numbers are much smaller. These only offset when considered for 10 years.
Oh… and taxing home ownership tends to lower housing sales prices as much as it does to raise the cost of housing. When it comes to housing, people tend to buy what they can afford.
…and that’s how Obama’s capitulation will hurt the economic recovery.
“The payroll tax affects nearly everyone (well, at least the 99%) immediately. ”
The cuts were passed a year ago. If payroll tax cuts caused economic recovery, one would have started by now.
Of course, when the payroll tax cuts were passed a year ago, they were more than cancelled out by the damaging effects of extending the tax cuts for the rich. So who knows what the real economic effects are.
“taxing home ownership tends to lower housing sales prices”
Oh goody, just the thing to start an economic recovery – lower home prices.
“…one would have started by now.”
Uhhhh. One did start.
If you are a banker, perhaps.
For al us liberals saying “hell, i could afford to pay more taxes if it meant the economy would recover….” (i know ive said that) now is the time to put up or shut up.
It also further strengthens the case to raise the taxes on the rich…. you know how impatient this country is with EVERYTHING…. if things aren’t “FIXED” in 5 months because of this, it can be declared a failure and the case can be made for taxing people who haven’t been taxes since clinton was in office.
The thing is, the Social Security wage tax isn’t like other taxes, because it doesn’t affect the deficit.
Unlike the Bush tax cuts, letting the wage tax cut expire will have exactly zero effect on the deficit. Which means it will send the wrong message to investors about our seriousness to address the deficit.
Whereas if you let all the Bush tax cuts expire, yes the middle class will take a hit, but it will not be in vain, because the tax incentive for investors to invest and hire will be restored, and investors will see that we are serious about the deficit.
The “temporary” wage tax cut was dubious to begin with. For one, it hands another hostage to Republicans.
Last December Repubs were holding out for a tax cut. Now they are holding out for a tax increase. We just need to stop catering to them.
The way to cut the wage tax is to eliminate the income cap, then lower the rate for everyone. Now bring me a Democrat with the courage to introduce that bill and sell it as a tax cut.