And This Is the Thanks Obama Gets? Progressives abandon the president David Harsanyi | December 8, 2010 If we lived in a just world, liberals would still be singing (nondenominational) hosannas in honor of the extraordinary political sacrifice our president has made to further their cause. Instead, many whine and fume. Quick question: What do you people want from this man? Sure, it was odd seeing Barack Obama getting testy at Tuesday's news conference as he defended the tax compromise with the GOP. It was odder still watching him lash out at left-wing critics. Yet the president is neither a sellout nor a pragmatist (as some of his dwindling defenders contend). He's just a man at the effective end of his triumphant first term. It's not as if the president takes any pleasure negotiating with "the enemy." A grumpy Obama admitted Tuesday that divided government impels real compromise. But, he explained, those who oppose tax hikes aren't engaged in legitimate opposition brought on by a belief in certain economic policies; they are "hostage takers." (It is so true: Hostages will always help with leverage.) It is also clear that the man won't waste time waging "symbolic battles" or winning "symbolic victories." Certainly, the president has been more effective in solidifying the welfare state, strengthening centralized federal policy, growing government, and instituting a regulatory burden of an impressive scope than any lightweight president in memory. And this is the thanks he gets? "Sympathetic as I am to those who prefer a fight over compromise," Obama explained, "it would be the wrong thing to do." "Wrong thing," as in "impossible thing." With Republicans coming, tax rates were going to stay the same or rise for everyone. "Sympathetic," as in "I wish we could use reconciliation or some other procedural ruse to cram this tax hike through, but oh, yeah, we already did that to pass the most contentious domestic legislation in memory." Again, this is the thanks he gets? Obama gave us health care reform. In the middle of a downward economic spiral, he turned all his political capital, all his considerable power, all his impressive popularity, and his two congressional majorities into a grab bag of liberal policy schemes that, in the end, could only be passed with reconciliation. True, some squishy Democrats wouldn't go for the entire single-payer nationalization scheme—which was, until today, considered "compromise"—but give it time. "When Medicare was started, it was a small program. It grew," explained the president Tuesday. Things grow. This thing of ours, he explained, "is a long game; this is not a short game." http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=196032 After 10 silly years of blaming everything on the Bush-era tax rates—despite the subsequent stable federal revenue stream and recovery—it has become the Holy Grail of the economic policy for Democrats. So the tension rooted in extending the life of this mythical beast is understandable. Similarly, it must be nearly intolerable to support legislation that doesn't feature some embedded social engineering or spreading of wealth. After all, what are laws for? Unseemly as it is to allow the "rich" to keep their own money, Democrats should be thanking the president for taking the hit on this lame-duck deal, as it can only help their prospects in 2012. We recently had that "national conversation" about the economy. The left, I believe, lost this time around. Things change, of course. But it is a mystery how progressives can look back at these past two years and not appreciate that they had a president willing to sacrifice himself politically to champion their ideology. It probably won't happen again for a while. David Harsanyi is a columnist at The Denver Post and the author of Nanny State. Visit his website at www.DavidHarsanyi.com. COPYRIGHT 2010 THE DENVER POST
Can't believe the left is upset over Obama over this tax issue. Tax rates come and go, why do you care whether they are a few percentage points lower? How does that hurt your agenda? Entitlements, regulatory agencies, social programs, they never die, and Obama has been spectacular in this regard. Obama is right, his sanctimonious supporters need to stfu and look at the bigger picture. He has amassed a ton of entrenched power in two years, more than any POTUS since LBJ.
Even after years of hearing them, I still find it astounding that, when forced to actually think about their beliefs in practical terms instead of abstract freemarketisms, that freemarketeers will engage in some of the most deft and impressive mental gymnastics in order to protect their cherished ideology. It ain't tricklin' down folks, it ain't never gonna trickle down, and it hasn't trickled down a single time - it's propaganda designed by the wealthy so that suckers continue to support a system that keeps you quiet, obedient, and poor while the wealthy continue getting wealthier.
You might want to look at those rates again. http://www.stanford.edu/class/polisci120a/immigration/Federal%20Tax%20Brackets.pdf A married couple making $50,000 is paying taxes in the 49% bracket. A better way to the balance budget would be for us to stop being the police force for the world.
Well a balanced budget is somewhat important. Out of control spending isn't what everyone wants. The govt. needs revenues to help balance the budget, and not passing the tax break for the wealthy was a way to help do that. If you aren't concerned about the budget then that's up to you
I think all of the tax rates should have expired, but I am not upset that they did not. That being said, I still support Obama just as much as I did before the extension. If Obama is only one-term president, that'd be a tragedy.
Dems are on the verge of a deal to get DADT done. Combine that with START and possibly the DREAM Act, and I wonder if people would consider the tax deal worth it to get those things through? All would be dead if not done in this session, with the possible exception of START.
The more the better. But don't tell that to the angry left. The more they complain the less likely the Republicans will get cold feet.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/12/06/statement-president-tax-cuts-and-unemployment-benefits Tell me Major how are 250ers all of a sudden millionaires and billionaires? Typical lies and class warefare. Should I continue with the garbage rhetoric coming from the man's own mouth? So the GOP are now terrorist holding the American people hostage. Very intelligent coming from the commander-in-chief of the U.S. Great message to our enemies everwhere. Look our commander will negiotiate given the threat of harm to hostages. BTW you liberal tell me this much, who the hell is still in control of both houses of Congress during this lame duck session? Why don't you pass an all millionaires and billionaires tax bill and stick it to the rich. The GOP can't do a damn thing about it. They can sit on the sidelines and watch. Well unless you don't have the damn votes within your own party to tax the rich. Care? Where were you when Obama piled up $3 trillion in deficit over 2 years. Or are you back to claiming that you care about that now that Dems lost some elections? Extending benefits even for those under 99 weeks still increases the deficit. So time to defend your previous statement Major. States are going broke. Obama cannot create jobs. How soon before Bailouts: State Edition? Or should they just continue to borrow from the federal government so the rest of us are on the hook for more taxes? See talking to a liberal is like speaking to heroin addict. They understand only one part of the conversation then draw blanks on everything else. Whether states pay for it or federal taxpayers, somewhere someone has to pay for this unless the "free lunch" is the only logic of the leftist. Oh great back to the unemployed creates jobs circa 2008 via Pelosi circular logic. Major you have a bright future as a leftist operative. Continue with this line of thinking and you are sure to be promoted to higher ranks in the leftist utopia.
Reading comprehension would help. Nowhere in that statement does he say 250 = millionaire. He said what he said, and it said nothing about people making $250k. You threw the extra words in his mouth - which was exactly my point. You don't get to interpret someone's statement your way and then say "his words". That's very definition of NOT his words. The garbage part came out of your mouth, not his. Have you heard about the filibuster and Senate rules? Read up on it. It will be a nice educational experience for you. (a) I've stated many times that long-term deficits are the issue, not short-term. That is tax policy, entitlements, and defense. I don't care about one-off spending measures. (b) The final Bush budget is the one that produced the first of the trillion dollar deficits. It wasn't Bush's or Obama's fault - it was a lack of revenues caused by a financial collapse. I've always been a long-term deficit hawk, going back to the Clinton years. I never argued otherwise. I even posted in this thread exactly how much it costs. My statement was directed at your not understanding the bill you were criticizing. You thought it extended unemployment benefits longer, which it did not do. This is a nice little rant that has nothing to do with anything. We all know states have problems. Those problems have nothing to do with Obama or this tax deal or the federal unemployment benefits bill. Unemployment benefits have the highest multiplier of any government spending or tax cuts. Economists on both sides of the aisle agree on this. You can ignore that fact all you want, but it just means you really don't have much sense of basic economics.
This is hilarious. Millionaires do not make a million dollars per year. They are worth at least a million dollars. Most people making $250,000 annually will fall under millionaires. You should take your angry rhetoric back to common sense 101.
Yes If this compromise gets those issues resolved, it would be worth it. We’ll see what happens this evening
what would that accomplish? First you say go back to Pre- Regan rates now you say go back to Regan rates? It's not going to do anything unless we cut some spending. I agree with someone else we can start by stop being the police force of the world.
Obama claimed he made the compromise to get other things passed so there wouldn't be a stalemate in congress. If all of those things come out in a good way because of the extension in tax cuts, it would be worth it, though the increase in the deficit is still hard to stomach.
Its very hard you will ever see a million dollars if you make 250k/year. Depending how you make 250k/year a big chunk of that goes to uncle sam, state taxes, local taxes, or whatever. If you own property you see another chunk of it go towards your mortgage and property taxes. 250ers (love the new term 250ers) will probably never see a million dollars. I don't know I sure as hell don't consider these people millionaires. A millionaire sounds like someone that doesn't really have to work and can retire in comfort. Out here in So Cal during the housing boom. A average 4 bedroom home was worth about 200-300k in the 90s. In 03-05 they were worth anywhere from 800k-1million. I guess everyone became millionaires? Anyways off topic but 250k just really isnt that much money.
Personally I don't find the deficit increase all that bad. It's just two years so it won't be that big of a deal, especially relative to the added deficit for the other programs in the compromise. The difficult-to-stomach part for me is that the tax breaks for all income levels are still tied together, so the same games will be played two years from now.
