Evan Bayh is Full of It
After Evan Bayh announced his retirement yesterday, this is the soundbite (or at least portions of it) that I heard for the rest of the day (and this morning too):
“Two weeks ago, the Senate voted down a bipartisan commission to deal with one of the greatest threats facing our nation: our exploding deficits and debt. The measure would have passed, but seven members who had endorsed the idea instead voted ‘no’ for short-term political reasons,” he said. “Just last week, a major piece of legislation to create jobs — the public’s top priority — fell apart amid complaints from both the left and right. All of this and much more has led me to believe that there are better ways to serve my fellow citizens, my beloved state and our nation than continued service in Congress.”
If you hear this more than three or four times, it begins to sound like a fit of pique, or a temper tantrum. And as I kept hearing this, I starting thinking about Harry Reid’s spiking of the K Street Kickbacks in the Baucus/Grassley “jobs” bill. And while there were provisions in that bill that are designed to try to boost incentives to hire people, the lamenting of bipartisanship is coming because the opportunity to funnel alot of money to K Street interests have been set aside. Much of the features of the Baucus/Grassley boondoggle that are supposed to incentivize employment remain in Reid’s revision. What got spiked from this bill by Reid?
One of the top priorities of Big Business lobbyists is the “tax extender” issue, the extension of expiring tax credits worth tens of billions of dollars to major corporations, which is favored by Republicans. […]Tax extenders are basically a set of about 50 individual tax breaks that expire more or less every year, yet are continually renewed by Congress, says Howard Gleckman, senior research associate at the Washington, D.C.-based Tax Policy Center. They’re mostly for businesses and they tend to be very highly targeted. About $30 billion a year in tax revenue is transferred into the hands of a few special interests, Gleckman says. […]
Tax breaks that do little for employment except maybe among the lobbyist crowd. And the tax extender boondoggle is itself a bi-partisan effort:
“Congress has dozens of tax provisions that they have set out in their naked self-interests to expire automatically,” said Paul L. Caron, a tax law expert and professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
It’s bad public policy, Caron argues, because it creates uncertainty for firms and essentially holds them hostage to members of Congress, who can shake them or their lobbyists down for campaign contributions when the annual bill comes up for a vote. “The public choice view of that, and the tax policy perspective on that, is it’s just naked extortion. Congress sets up these expiration dates so these things will expire or be in jeopardy of expiring to then extort campaign contributions from the affected folks,” said Caron, who also runs the TaxProf Blog. “It’s the benefit that keeps on giving.”
“As a policy matter, this is as bad as you could have it,” Caron said. “It’s just corporate welfare, and it’s keeping uncertainty out there” for the affected firms.
Congress does the same with corporate tax extenders as it does with policies that impact doctors and the poor. The American Medical Association must lobby each year to stave off a huge cut in Medicare reimbursements — the so-called doc-fix — which Congress refuses to make permanent. And Congress declines to index the minimum wage to inflation so unions must lobby for an increase in it and Democrats can take credit for raising it.
President Obama proposed in this year’s budget to make the tax credit for R&D permanent, and apparently Republicans don’t want that — they want a bigger tax credit and a continuation of the yearly tax extender scheme for it.
Using the failure of this bill, Bayh has been ale to whinge about a Congress that doesn’t get anything done. But given that Reid kept the jobs part of this bill and ditched the lobbyist giveaways, this means that Bayh is having on about the loss of bipartisanship in funneling taxpayer money to their lobbyist friends. And shame on Democrats for not shouting from the rooftops that they just killed alot of K St Pork. They should be pushing back on repubs dining out on the failure of this bill — and claiming some fiscal responsibility for not sending billions of dollars to lobbyists in this bill.
Piling on: A commenter from Balloon Juice says this:
Olbermann says a source in the Bayh camp cited “left bloggers” as a reason for his leaving. “People said mean things to me!” What a fucking loser.
The best part of Evan Bayh ran down his mother’s leg after Birch gave her a liberal thrashing.He isn’t worthy to carry his father’s jock.Bye-bye Bayh.Fucking creep!
Good riddance, seriously. I don’t want a bunch of whiners in Congress and if he can’t handle the heat then it’s better that he go.
There’s a good reason that Harry Reid killed the compromise bill – because it wouldn’t provide jobs. If Democrats are going to get the sole burden and blame of governance then they need to pass good bills, ones that actually work.
His “hope” was dashed and now this is his “change”.
I hope Tom Carper decides he is tired of partisanship soon.
LOL, anon! Me too!
Unfortunately, Tom Carper thinks he’s the answer to it.
You deserve the government you have.
“You deserve the government you have.”
As do we all.
No, actually *I* deserve better. But just me. The rest of you can sod off.
You can start by apologizing for your crappy music. Otherwise you can sod off.
Comment by Geezer on 17 February 2010 at 10:45 am:
“You deserve the government you have.”
As do we all.
Comment by Geddy Lee on 17 February 2010 at 11:07 am:
No, actually *I* deserve better. But just me. The rest of you can sod off.
PERFECT example of the right and the left. Left thinks about the community as a whole and wants laws the benefit everyone. Right thinks about themselves (fuck everyone else), and wants “every man for himself” legislation.
Yep, that’s America. If you don’t like it, move to Europe.
And that would be American wingnuts — love it or leave it.
We’ll all just stay to try to change it, largely because we know it pisses you off.
Try all you want. It’s working well for you.
haha i bet h’s has never been to europe.
Actually, the rejection of your policies by us Americans is entertaining. Keep bringing it.
I’ve been to Europe.It sucks(except for the beer). Too liberal.
well at least one things transcends party lines: beer.
one wayne rooney…there’s only one wayne rooney……one wayyyne roooooney……there’s only one wayne rooooney.
you better be on your toes or sir alex will give you the “hairdryer”
“I’ve been to Europe.It sucks(except for the beer). Too liberal.”
I’m interested in how a tourist would notice how “liberal” the various European governments are. Just making up facts again like a typical conservative, h? Or are you just a particularly dumb one?
Those poor Europeans. Walking around with their good health care system and their good beer. They think they’re better than us. Don’t they know that they’re miserable?
I don’t think I mentioned anything about the governments, dipshit. Of course they’re socialist, that’s why you love them.
‘Yurp is a real hell hole. Yurpeans only pretend to like the high standard of living and quality of life. In reality, all the paid vacation time is making them miserable.
Bayh got out just in time! His wife’s million dollar positions for various hospital boards is the main reason this republicrat is not supporting health care reform. Good riddance! Tom CarpetBagger Carper is ONE of the ELEVEN demorats who will not support health care reform! Before we go blasting the republicans, cuz they are not necessary to get things done, lets blast the one Senator from Delaware who has taken millions from the insurance companies and will not support health care reform. Senator Tom CarpetBagger Carper should be on the Delaware Democratic Party list of “has been” and replaced in the next election.
Is this blog going to go after the Presidunce for supporting nuclear power plants. An issue that proves Obama is in the pockets of corporate America. Socialist never, Capitalist Corporate Prostitute..right on!
Good for them. I’m glad they like their quality of life. I like mine as well.
Why do I get the feeling that h. went to Europe on one of those 23 countries in 4 days extravaganzas. 👿
Oh, and I like the quality of my life as well – the life that makes traveling abroad possible and enjoyable.
Pandora–No–I think it was the beer posters–you can see more countries using them.
LOL, Joanne!
I’ve been to Europe several times! They have a much better life than we do. It all depends on where you go. For example England is miserable. FRance, Italy, Holland, Denmark and Ireland absolutely have better life styles than we do. They happen to be much more educated than americans and would never allow corporations to walk all over them, like we do. France has the best health care system in the world. Europe learned after two world wars that war is not the answer. Wars drain all money and resources from the people. They put money in their people with good health care, almost free educations, paid vacations and family leave. Unlike the US who spends its GDP on fighting colonialist imperialist wars with little to no fury from its citizens.
WOW JK–That’s one power packed declaration you’re making. Everyplace has good and bad, but I thank God every night to be a US citizen.
first of all JK, life is NOT great in the Balkans or any country from the former soviet blok. secondly, almost every country you mentioned has troops in afghanistan. If you are going to be a progressive liberal, get your facts right. you do no good for the cause by being under informed.
just kiddin, Thanks for pointing out Evan Bayh’s wife being part of the warp and weft of the medical-industrial complex. In this case, Evan is literally in bed with big Pharma.
Lame ass leaderless demorats. Reid just announced “they can’t even pass the watered down jobs bill”. So lets get this straight. Obama comes out with all these wonderful new things he is going to do to help the economy. One day later the Congress or Senate waters down the issue and then they still can’t pass it. Can someone please tell me Reid is the Speaker? This man will not support doing away with the filibuster, and he can’t round up enough demorats to pass a damn thing. These are people we should vote for again. Lets face it, progressives are no politically homeless.
Delacrat: Its been known in certain circles for some time. But now that its election time again, Bayh and the Democratic Party knew that information would get out to the democrats in his state and they wouldnt support him. Do you think the Democratic Party told him to get the hell out, but he waited to make sure he could screw them over. Gotta wonder who is screwee and who is the screwor.
a.p. who said anything about the Balkans. I’ve never been there, not one of my top choices of a place to visit. As far as thanking God I live in America, well that is a happenstance of birth. You or I could have been born in any of those places and we would think we lived in the greatest nation. Its all relative.
I am against the war in Iraq, Afganistan or the one coming up against Iran. War is not the answer to anything. I do not agree with nor do I support Obama escalating the war in Afganistan and he too has committed war crimes. We are in Pakistan with drones and CIA stirring crap up. We are in 160 nations with our colonialist aggressions and wonder why the world hates us. What happened to the Obama “diplomacy plan”. Like a lot of other crap we believed in, the guy is a liar and a turncoat. After his announcement to escalate nuclear power, that pretty much does it for me supporting that dude. Just another corporate whore.
JK, your comment concerning Europe was quite sweeping, and has a lot in common with h.’s “it sucks” comment.
My Italian born sister-in-law is a great resource for the pros and cons of the US vs Europe debate. But then again, she’s a scientist so what does she know. 😉
No JK–I think I can pretty much hold dear my US passport and birthright and give gratitude for that happenstance. It’s not relative, it’s real…and there are millions who would want this opportunity and privilege to have been born as a happenstance in these coordinates. Yes, I like elsewhere–but it really works out right here…in time.
“I’ve been to Europe several times! They have a much better life than we do.”
-JK
the balkans are a part of europe. Stop being an ignorant american and learn some geography.