What do Republicans want more than tax cuts for the rich? What would they give for it?

[Capitalocracy]

If the Democrats actually got together and threatened to let the tax cuts for the rich expire, what could we have gotten in return in addition to 13 months of unemployment benefits and a couple of things the Republicans actually support (middle-class tax cuts, payroll tax holiday)?

If we were going to sell them a tax cut, shouldn't we have gotten more in return? Couldn't we have gotten, like... everything?

[msongs]

1. with obama negotiating they have to give almost practically nothing at all lol nt

[tabatha]

2. Because they can get more money for elections.

[COLGATE4]

3. Obama is the unquestioned King of Negotiating against yourself -

he gives it all up before even starting to negotiate, and then declares anything the Rethugs give him as a winning 'compromise'.

[Capitalocracy]

5. This appears to be a failure a long time in the making

I actually think it's probably worse, given the situation we're in now, to take away unemployment benefits than it is to give money to the rich, so I'm not even going to hold it against congresspeople who vote for this deal. But the groundwork for changing this policy had to take place before the election. It had to take place after the election, rather than the immediate capitulation and the immediate "leaks" to the press that they were open to extending the tax cuts. A narrative of bold progressive leadership needed to be built on from the beginning of this presidency.

So that's what bothers me about this more than the actual deal that was made. It's the fact that we have the president and we still have the Senate, but we're letting the other side set the agenda. It's shameful. They eliminated the possibility of using reconciliation. They didn't take a tough stance on ANY negotiation so far. And all the major legislation that Obama's been going around saying is just as important as the civil rights act, is essentially the Republican platform from a few years ago. And we're letting them get away with calling their own former platform socialist, therefore moving the nation even further to the right. And yet they don't even get called out for being ex-socialists themselves, because everything gets blamed on the Dems - they even pinned the bailout on the donkey.

They've made the wrong move every step since the beginning, they let the Republicans take control even though we didn't vote for them, and whenever the Republicans throw them a bone, they expect a parade.

[Zoeisright]

4. What do they want? Power. That's it.

They want to be in power. They want Obama and the Democrats out. That's all. They don't give a flying fuck about anything else. The whole country could be in smoking ruins and, as long as they're in power, they wouldn't care.

[lib2DaBone]

6. Two years tax cuts for the wealthy.. Obama should have gotten at least 2 years unemployment ....

..and something for the 99-ers... who are totally screwed now. 2 for 2.. nothing less.

2 years extension also puts the tax cuts at the 2012 election.. at which time the Republicans blame Obama for increasing the deficit.. it's a lose-lose.

[Capitalocracy]

7. Seriously, 1 year of unemployment benefits

costs us 2 years of handouts to the rich. Jesus, the expansion of the size of their heads alone is a reason not to do this.

[Skink]

8. They let us replace Scalia with a lib now and they can pick.

[MiniMe]

9. Donations

Most of the money the rich get will go into republican campaigns.

[Turbineguy]

10. "What would they give for it?"

How about your pension or SS?