A compromise has been in the works for weeks.

[ProSense]

Everyone predicted there would be a compromise.

Why are people shocked?

An imperfect, but not-that-bad, deal on the tax cuts

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

1. we got too little

[ProSense]

5. It's not a done deal,

Bernie Sanders is threatening a filibuster and the House and Senate have to weigh in.

[Imajika]

10. No, it's pretty much a done deal...

...you know that.

Sanders will not have 40 votes to block cloture.

Everything we are about to see is more theater. All of this has been a show - including the votes last week and this Saturday in the Senate. There will be shouting, red meat thrown to fire up the base, threats of perhaps joining the filibuster, etc, etc, but in the end, this is the deal.

Virtually all Republicans will be pleased with this, and there plenty enough Democrats who will join them considering Obama is supporting it.

[ProSense]

22. There is still the House.

I wonder how many Democrats will joing Sanders' filibuster? Will any Republicans?

[rucky]

36. Sanders used the same strategy to make healthcare reform semi-palatable.

I hope he can do it again for this raw deal.

[JamesA1102]

30. According to what Sam Stein said on Countdown

they got $95 billion and we got over $200 billion. Sounds like a good deal to me.

[cali]

2. rage needs a climax.

this provides an opportunity.

[DJ13]

3. So it was a slow sellout?

That makes it better.

[Subdivisions]

4. So go on record, ProSense. You on board with this compromise or not? n/t

[ProSense]

7. It's a working deal.

The tax cuts for the rich are not ideal, but the rest of the package is really good.

[originalpckelly]

15. Have you even noticed the timing?

They've known about the tax cuts expiring for years. Why now?

They're doing it now, because they've got people over a barrel. The republicans won't vote for the unemployment extension without the rich people tax cuts. Why didn't our people address this before now? What are they smoking over in D.C.?

[Subdivisions]

26. I have something to say about the timing...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9706651&mesg_id=9707127

[Egnever]

52. Because they couldnt get a vote on it?

Conspiracy bullshit is fun but the reality is they couldnt come to a deal before this and are now forced to or they expire. Its not some wild conspiracy to wait till after the election its repukes playing hardball in the senate with a less than cohesive dem counterpart. The only interesting thing about the timing is the fact that if nothing is done they will all expire Jan 1 its now or never.

Do you really think Obama would have gotten any of the thiongs he got in this deal if it hadnt gone to the wire? It is the only thing giving him any leverage at all at this point.

[Subdivisions]

27. Raising taxes on the rich would have paid for the UI extension - and then some. But,

there was no fight. None. The President rolled over like a broken-spirited dog as soon as the abusers looked in his direction.

[Goldstein1984]

6. Even those of us with low expectations were still hoping that Obama

might put up a fight.

This household is done with him. If he's the 2012 Democratic candidate, we'll be voting third party.

[rurallib]

14. I had hope even though this is like the 5th time we have seen the exact same movie

I keep thinking that once, just once it will end differently. But it never does.

[Goldstein1984]

24. To paraphrase Mark Twain

Obama doesn't repeat himself, but he does rhyme.

One broken promise after another.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ProSense]

11. The details are at the link.

Ezra Klein didn't negotiate the deal. Despite is approval, one can read the information and make their own decision.

[BzaDem]

17. No, but that says a lot more about "around here" than it does about Ezra Klein.

People around here will never be satisfied in their entire life with any President that gets elected. Both parties have people like this in their base; this isn't new.

[leveymg]

20. Maybe not until we find one that gets the people's business done. This one's fired.

That was it. We'll mail him his last check.

[BzaDem]

32. Luckily, a tiny minority of the Democratic party doesn't have the power to "fire" the President.

Good luck with that though. :hi:

[leveymg]

35. That's what they said about the Blue Dogs in Congress.

"Don't worry, the liberal base is just a tiny part of the Party and they'll come out and work for you no matter how you vote, Congressman. Now, go ahead and sign the industry-sponsored Bill. The lobbyist for General Atomics is holding on Line 4 . . ."

[Pholus]

37. And the 83% doesn't have the power to elect the President by themselves. Just sayin'

Just how the H*LL do you honestly think independents will back this bunch of horse hockey we're being fed.

I'm one of your inconsequential "15%'ers" and I'm hardly neutral -- I WANT OUR GUY TO WIN!

But when this all becomes a grand game of "here, have two huge deficit busters and we'll take one little one in return" the people who decide elections are going to see it as weakness. AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO WIN.

And in the name of compromise what we're going to see is even HARDER demands next year in the name of the deficit we just blew out. Is *that* when we're going to take a stand -- when the situation gets even more dire? When our backs are up against the wall even harder and we've added another TRILLION dollars to the deficit for the rich?

Nope, what you're going to see next year is the apologists, the self appointed "85%'ers" getting on this board telling us we need to give the Republicans another big list of demands (and I expect them to be draconian because the "deficit" will be even worse) because ohhhhh we can't make waves SO CLOSE TO THE ELECTION.

The bad guys get what they want, and we look like total weak-assed chumps.

And when this load of shit happens and we get tossed out on our ear, the apologists, the self-appointed "85%'ers," will tell us it's because we didn't clap hard enough so tinkerbell died.

When do we stop playing their GAME and call them out for what they're doing? It was now or never as far as election cycles were concerned.

Clinton called their bluff and they caved -- Obama seems to want to be the gentleman and we're going to watch them slit our throats.

[dionysus]

49. ROFL

:spray:

[Toucano]

9. No one is shocked. It's OUTRAGE.

Some of us were holding back "for weeks" because we don't like to trust the D.C. rumor mill AND we'd like to have a little hope that Barry might channel FDR.

Today's announcement removed our reason to hold back.

[Pholus]

12. Because we were told there wasn't one, ohhhh about a month ago.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4610751&mesg_id=4610751

[dana_b]

40. wow -

amazing what can happen in a month, eh? disgusting

[unapatriciated]

42. I guess you didn't notice this statement.....

"but we can't afford a permanent extension of the tax cuts for the wealthy."

It allows them to claim that they never said they wouldn't temporally extend just not make them permanent.
I'm so tired of the used car salesman's doublespeak we have been getting from this administration.

[robdogbucky]

51. Imagine that, Huffpo!

Being right about this. And getting trashed here, just like the other sources that have actual reporters and columnists and bloggers with balls, etc. Huffpo was right!

Again

[mitchtv]

13. not suprised or shocked

not happy either. I will continue to vote for the more liberal candidate.

[ProSense]

18. Right

it's neither shocking or surprising. The worst aspect is the tax cuts for the rich, but they were known to be the bargaining chip.

The thing now is how the House reconciles with the WH package, which was definitely negotiated with the Senate in mind.

[City Lights]

16. So we're the frog in the boiling pot?

Swell.

[laughingliberal]

19. Not sure shocked describes it.

For me, despair and resignation to our future in exile fits.

For Mr. LL, I think furious works.

[me b zola]

21. Of course it has been

That's why Boehner called congressional Dems chicken-shit for voting on tax cuts for those under 250K. The deal was already mostly worked out and the vote was a dog & pony show meant to convince us they were actually fighting for us.

[riderinthestorm]

23. Because it smells like horse shit.. And I should know. Just posted an OP on it

Good luck selling your shit here.

[Mimosa]

25. Are you saying Bernie Sanders is a bad guy? n/t

[ProSense]

33. No, Bernie is a great guy

and I don't think he's surprised or shocked. Mostly, I think is anger is at the Republicans.

[TBF]

28. Here we go again. No we are not shocked, and yes we are pissed. nt

[MannyGoldstein]

29. It's like jerry garcia's death from a drug overdose

Shocking, but not the least bit surprising.

[robdogbucky]

48. Except Jerry Garcia did not die from a drug overdose

"...Although his overall health improved somewhat after that, he also struggled with heroin addiction,<3><4> and was staying in a California drug rehabilitation facility when he died of a heart attack in August 1995..."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Garcia


I am so fucking tired of false stereotypes. You might even call it character assassination.

[Safetykitten]

31. I want to borrow money from you.

[donco6]

34. Who's shocked?

Not me.

[ibegurpard]

38. yeah, we knew he was going to sell out

and you were told we would be pissed.
and you're surprised why?

[Pholus]

39. Actually the 85%'ers were upset that we had the gall to call it before it happened.

It was supposed to be a grand compromise that came out of nowhere to break through the gridlock.

[chimpymustgo]

41. Any fool knows this is not a compromise. It's complete capitulation. Or complicity.

[Winterblues]

43. "The Audacity of Hope"

Hope has vanished, and as the Tea Baggers say you can "Keep the Change"...

[Supersedeas]

44. It was only a week or so ago that Repigs stated they would filibuster everything

[MadHound]

45. Because there was no need for it

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9710114>

[whatchamacallit]

46. Not shocked, disgusted.

What about betrayal don't you understand?

[bigwillq]

47. Don't think "shocked" is the right word (nt)

[tekisui]

50. Disappointment and anger does not equate to shocked.

In fact, many had been predicting this for some time. It was bad policy and bad politics before, and still is.

[Marr]

53. "Wait and see how it actually comes out before you complain".

"Everyone expected this, so why are you complaining?"

I suppose in six months or so, we'll be to the, "if you thought he was on the wrong track, you should've complained harder" stage.