President Obama just called out Speaker Boehner over Payroll Tax Increase

[Bolo Boffin]

Last edited Tue Dec 20, 2011, 05:36 PM - Edit history (1)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/12/obama-team-urges-house-to-vote-on-payroll-tax-cut/1

President Obama blasted House Republicans today for rejecting a Senate plan to extend the payroll tax cut for two months, saying that "a faction" of the GOP is forcing a tax hike on Americans next year.

The Senate plan is "the only viable way to prevent a tax cut on Jan. 1," Obama said at the White House. "The clock is ticking. Time is running out."

In his brief remarks, Obama basically rejected House Speaker John Boehner's request that the White House support new House-Senate talks for a one-year extension of the payroll tax cut.

..."Let's not play brinksmanship," Obama said. "The American people are tired of it."

Thank you, Mr. President.

ETA: As pointed out below, the actual quote of the President in that USA Today story should read, "Right now, the bipartisan compromise that was reached on Saturday is the only viable way to prevent a tax hike on January 1st. It’s the only one." Emphasis mine.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/12/20/remarks-president-payroll-tax-cut

[Richardo]

1. K+R

:kick:

[cthulu2016]

2. This is a good place for rhetorical excess

I know the president doesn't like to be harsh, but this is an excellent place to go a little over the top.

When you are right in every way on an issue and supported by amost the entire nation and the issue is THE SIZE OF EVERYONE'S NEXT PAYCHECK then go for it! Demonize the opponant. Fix blame harshly.

There's no danger of blow-back on this particular issue.

[Cigar11]

3. I took almost 3 years ...

But its about FORKING TIME the President stop take SHEET fro these AzzHoles!

[pnwmom]

4. Ooops! I wish he'd said, "to prevent a tax increase on Jan. 1."

[GoCubsGo]

8. He did.

Read the whole article...

[DURHAM D]

10. Looks like the OP apparently quoted the article incorrectly.

[Bolo Boffin]

14. USA Today fixed the quote. I cut-and-pasted before that happened. n/t

[deacon]

5. "a faction" of the GOP = the tea party and their willing puppet Boehner. n/t

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. Sometimes the only way to win the game

is to not play it. Boehner fought hard to get a Republican majority in the House and get elected Speaker. It's his responsibility to lead. The failings of members of Congress cannot and should not be perpetually dropped in Obama's lap. Furthermore, yeah, I think that everybody is sick and tired of all of this ridiculous "brinksmanship." Thank you, Mr. President!

[GoCubsGo]

7. I sure as hell hope so.

And, good for him for doing so immediately after the Blubbering Human Cheeto spewed his BS.

[11 Bravo]

15. Thumbs up for "Blubbering Human Cheeto".

[DURHAM D]

9. You need to edit your second paragraph.

"prevent a tax cut" should be "prevent a tax hike"

In the words of Pretty Woman Julia Roberts: Big mistake. Big mistake.

[Bolo Boffin]

12. It's a quote from USA Today.

I'll check the White House site, but you're right, that should be the other way around.

[RobinA]

11. I'm Confused

When Obama originally went for this SS tax cut extension (in July or whatever) everybody complained that it was a backdoor attempt to gut social security by making the "social security is bankrupt" lie a reality by defunding it.

Why is this tax "cut" not still defunding social security? I, for one, am sticking to my original view that this so-called cut is bad for social security and should be done away with. No two months, no two years, get rid of it now and restore funding to SS.

[Bolo Boffin]

13. Any shortfalls are being made up by funds from the General account.

No gutting of Social Security is happening.

[HuskiesHowls]

16. I agree

Even if they are making up the shortfall from general funds--it won't take long until the Republicans take away that funding, and then SS WILL be in trouble!!

This "tax cut" was not a good idea. Do away with the cap on income, then there won't be any problems funding social security. I've even heard people in the 1% say that!!!

[MH1]

17. "Everybody" did NOT say that, actually

The tax rate should be permanently cut and the cap raised enough to achieve the necessary revenue. Doing so will lower taxes on lower income workers and slightly raise taxes on higher income workers. (Progressive, right?) But due to the recession now is not a great time to raise the cap. It can be done a year or two from now and if it's calculated right it can also extend SS solvency significantly past the current forecast.

[tavalon]

19. Yeah, what you said.

[FedUp_Queer]

23. BINGO.

If we got rid of the cap, we could cut the rate anyway.

[Enrique]

24. I changed my mind on that

so many credible people (credible to me anyway) argued in favor of the short-term cuts as stimulus that I was convinced. People that imo know the importance of Social Security. I'm still worried about long-term, however.

[tavalon]

18. Well, he's playing pretty good politics and he doesn't always

That said, after some thought, I'm not for this "payroll tax relief". I feel like DC has once again wrestled the conversation back to what they want to talk about and in the way they want to talk about it. Yeah, so it isn't going to impact Social Security because it will come out of the general fund, whatever that amorphous thing is. I can guarantee our warmongering isn't coming out of the general fund. Leave the payroll tax and remove the cap, completely.

Yep, I said it.

[Johnny2X2X]

20. More Harsh

I think he needs to be even more forceful. State that they are putting special interests ahead of working people again and state that this is a blatant attempt to hurt the economy in 2012 in an effort to win the White House. People need to hear him call it like it is.

[ChadwickHenryWard]

21. How badly broken our politics are.

The President is bending over backwards to give them concessions, and they are rejecting them in favor nothing. In what universe is that smart politics? The President is giving them everything they want; how can they possibly reject it? In exchange for sticking to their guns, they get increased taxes? How does that work for them?

[Bolo Boffin]

22. Everybody seems to be disgusted with the House Republicans.

When you're a Republican and you've lost the WSJ editorial page and the National Review...