"Obama has signaled he will bow to Republican demands for extending tax cuts at all income levels"

[Better Believe It]

Obama eyes tax deal — but with jobless extension
Extending Bush-era tax cuts doable, he says, if Republicans OK unemployment benefits
msnbc.com news services
December 4, 2010

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama told Democratic leaders Saturday he was open to compromise on Bush-era tax cuts, but would oppose even a temporary extension if it did not include an extension of benefits for unemployed Americans, a White House official said.

"We need to get this resolved and I'm confident we can do it," Obama said shortly after the near party-line votes. The public must have "the peace of mind that their taxes will not go up" on Jan. 1, he added.

Obama has signaled that he will bow to Republican demands for extending tax cuts at all income levels, and his remarks capped a day that lurched between political conflict and talk of compromise on an issue that played a leading role in last month's elections.

Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, the GOP leader, said he was relatively confident there would be a deal with the White House "not to raise taxes in the middle of a recession." He said talks were continuing on the length of an extension to be enacted for the cuts that were put in place in 2001 and 2003.

Key lawmakers and administration officials have been at work negotiating the terms of a possible deal for several days.

But many congressional Democrats privately have expressed anger at Obama for his willingness to surrender to Republican demands to let the tax cuts remain in place at upper incomes, and numerous officials said no compromise would be possible until they had engineered votes in both the House and Senate.

The White House, Reid and Republicans have been negotiating quietly, and McConnell made a point of saying he had been in frequent touch with the administration in recent days.

Read the full article at:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40504582/ns/politics-capitol_hill

[Xipe Totec]

1. Hell, why don't we all just bow to the inevitable and pull the red lever? nt

[roguevalley]

36. it makes me want to sharpen my pitch fork now. nice to know

that the prez has our backs. Do I need to add a sarcasm smilie here?

[me b zola]

2. Its like being wiped out by a burgler

...who was kind enough to leave a mint on your pillow.

[hlthe2b]

3. If I said, (quoting the Car Guys) that I'd love to give him a

"dope slap".... would people others know what I mean? Gawd.......The frustration is overwhelming.

[haikugal]

4. *sigh*

Not news. This is totally amazing BS..How can they do this to our country when we have such debt?? Obama will give them their tax cuts and take away from SS etc. to pay for it.

[asjr]

5. That is what Republicans do--blackmail!

[egoclothes]

6. " Any deal would mean a reversal for Obama, who said ..."

.....But many congressional Democrats privately have expressed anger at Obama for his willingness to surrender to Republican demands to let the tax cuts remain in place at upper incomes, and numerous officials said no compromise would be possible until they had engineered votes in both the House and Senate.

Any deal would mean a reversal for Obama, who said in the 2008 presidential race and this year that he wanted to let cuts expire above incomes of $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples. :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[BrklynLiberal]

9. I am beginning to feel like a real dope. I believed all those things he said during the campaign.

Disappointment hardly begins to start describing my feelings.

[spartan61]

20. You are not alone in feeling like this.

I feel I have been duped too. I worked so hard for his campaign and now I feel betrayed.

[aquart]

7. My mom calls him 'spaghetti.' He's all bend.

[Xipe Totec]

8. I just left a message in the White House 'contact us' web page

If the President wishes to compromise with Republicans on tax cuts for the rich, I see no reason why I should not follow the President's example. If Republican policies are what we want, we might as well have a Republican president to implement them in 2012.

I will follow my president's lead in this matter.

Curiously, the captcha message I had to enter, to validate I was a human and not a machine was:

"peasant clatorrl"

Ironic, isn't it?

[struggle4progress]

10. Perhaps "Obama works to extend unemployment benefits" would be a better subject line

[nashville_brook]

15. if he were actually *working* to extend unemployment benefits, that headline would work.

but instead, he's going straight to the backroom -- that old backroom -- and cutting deals that are crippling us. so, if you wanted to bury to lede, or if you were spin-blogging, then that would be a great headline.

[struggle4progress]

19. Remind me how you know what deals are being cut in back rooms: you maybe think you have ESP?

[Better Believe It]

28. Because that's become the norm for conducting business in this administration.

The rest is just acting and political theater for the masses.

[leeroysphitz]

11. The country is going to CHOKE on these fucking tax cuts.

[ProSense]

12. More media spin to favor the GOP:

<...>

In the Senate, a bill to enact Obama's original position was blocked on a vote of 53-36, seven votes short of the 60 needed to advance. Republicans were unanimous in their opposition, and were joined by Democratic Sens. Russell Feingold of Wisconsin, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Jim Webb of Virginia and independent Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut.

The second measure would have let taxes rise on incomes over $1 million. It appeared crafted to appeal to senators from states with large high-income populations, as well as cast Republicans as protectors of the rich.

<...>

The White House opposed the second measure bill, and given the president's willingness to sign a bill to extend all the expiring tax cuts, there was never any doubt about the outcome of the day's proceedings in the Senate.

But Democrats said that even with elections nearly two years away, they intended to try and depict Republicans as defenders of the rich whose policies contribute to rising deficits.

"Do we want to extend those tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires at a time of huge deficits. I would argue vociferously we shouldn't, said Schumer.

Republicans sounded alternately bemused and offended.

They have no idea what the hell is going on.

[Ozymanithrax]

13. So he should say no to the tax cuts and exending unemployemnt benefits?

Seems harsh. I think that all the tax cuts should go away.

[nashville_brook]

16. no, he should fight a good fight the way he promised he would.

[Ozymanithrax]

25. So should he fight against extending the tax cuts and tell..

the umemployed to eat their shoes.

Or should he fight for an extension of unemployment benefits and say sorry, I won't negotiate on the tax cuts, but I understand that shoes are quite good with ketchup?

Or should he negotiate and get unemployment benefits extended, especially since it won't happen any other way.

If you could only get an extension of Unemployment by granting a temporary extension of tax cuts for the rich, would you tell the unemployed to shut up and watch their children starve?

[Better Believe It]

32. Democrats could get an extension of unemployment benefits if they decided to fight the Republicans

But they are permitted to conduct their phantom pretend filibusters day after day, week after week and month after month.

The Republicans will no longer permit Democrats to engage in bogus Senate filibusters if the Republicans win control of the Senate in 2012.

They are becoming tougher and more combative as the Democrats become weaker and more skilled at compromising and capitulation.

[Ozymanithrax]

39. Republicans can filibuster anything in the Senate in accordance with Senate Rules..

It is not pretend, it is within the Senate rules and works that way. Since unemployment extensions can not be deficit neutral, it must go through the normal process, and so can be filibustered.

So, no, as long as Republicans vote in a block, Democrats can not get anything through. Your answer is incorrect.

So is it better for the unemployed to watch their children go hungry that for Democrats to negotiate?

[Recursion]

42. How?

How how how how how? Jesus Christ I'm sick of this BS idea that if Democrats "fought" (whatever that means) this will magically change the rules of the Senate.

[Warpy]

14. IS HE INSANE?

He's just kissed 2012 goodbye because there is no way he's going to be able to do anything to improve the economy as long as so many billions are being lavished on plutocrats who don't do anything with them but hoard them, mostly offshore.

[gratuitous]

17. That means the upper class tax cut is permanent

If they couldn't let it expire now, when they have this kind of control in a lame duck session, there's no way the cuts expire two years from now, or ever. We can't afford the $700 billion this is going to cost us, but there it is. Hope nobody had any plans for money in the Treasury; we need to shovel it into the overstuffed pockets of the wealthy, so they won't get their feelings hurt.

[kath]

40. Yup - it'll be permanent. Lovely.

[Dragonfli]

18. When will he just change party affiliation and end all the lying once and for all?

He obviously meant none of what he ran on and is after SS as well, I would like it better if the lying stopped, that only adds insult to the injury of continuing the GOP's agenda even tho most voted for the opposite of such continuation.

An honest Republican would just be easier to take than all the constant lying.

[msongs]

22. dude/dudette u better get with the bipartisan spirit ASAP lol nt

[glitch]

34. Bipartisan spirit would be an improvement. Right now we're deep in unipartisan land.

Perhaps President Obama would like to reach out to the Democrats for a change.

[Recursion]

43. Well, no. The deal being discussed is exactly what "bipartisan" looks like

Democrats want unemployment benefits extended and the tax cuts ended.
Republicans want the tax cuts extended and unemployment benefits ended.
The deal outline in the article is an extension of both, which is precisely a bipartisan compromise.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

21. If millionaires and billionaires get tax cuts then that's it

you are on your own

[femmocrat]

23. If he gives in on this, there is no going back.

He will be "dead" to me and a lot of other progressives. Does he think the republicans are going to support him in 2012???

[jaxx]

33. Better he's dead to you than millions of unemployed dead literally.

[Blue_In_AK]

24. If this is true...

one term.

I have yet to see him fight for anything he campaigned on. Except for Afghanistan.

[mth44sc]

26. And this was that line I drew in the sand

cave on this - what are you gettin' back?

[footinmouth]

27. I'm always so quiet

I've been here forever and hardly have any posts, but I'm afraid this is a deal breaker for me. Why are my people so spineless? Why can't we stand up to them for once. If this is true, I could just cry, and I'm finally becoming really discouraged.

[democrank]

29. Obama is in over his head.

[emilyg]

35. I'm thinking he is.

[Vinca]

44. You're exactly right. He might be the smartest man on the planet,

but he doesn't seem to have the ability to stand firm on anything. Then, again, maybe we were all hoodwinked and he never intended to.

[spanone]

30. the thugs will please the rich and take credit for the unemployment extension

[NCarolinawoman]

31. I never want to hear him talk about the deficit again!

He is obviously not serious about it.

The Democratic brand use to be caring about the "little guy". He has completed the ushering in of the Gilded Age, and he has completed the destruction of the Democratic party.

Doubt that he cares one bit! :grr: :nuke: :nuke:

[Bodhi BloodWave]

37. and based on your post

i could say that i doubt that you care one bit about the unemployed since you obvious would prefer them to starve

Likely wouldn't be accurate, but based on your post i could make the argument since you seem angry at obama trying to get what he can to help the "little guy"

[the redcoat]

38. Wow, vote down benefits, then use it as a compromise? Can you say "well planned"

Oh, interesting, somehow unemployment benefits extension doesn't pass, when by all accounts it's good for everyone considered, and now we're being told that to get something that should have already gone without saying, we give up ground on what really matters.

So they essentially stole our money, then offered to buy something off of us and pay with that stolen money.


The happiness I felt when the house passed the middle-class cuts is gone. There is no government. There is rich and poor.

[inna]

41. this is becoming scary.

and i mean it.

[Karmadillo]

45. Who could have expected anything different?

nt

[WinkyDink]

46. WHY??? THE U.S. NEEDS THAT MONEY. TAX-CUTS GOT US WHERE WE ARE.