GOP tax expert Mark Prater chosen as staff chief for budget ‘supercommittee’

[TacticalPeek]

Source: Washington Post

WASHINGTON — The co-chairs of a budget “supercommittee” responsible for coming up with more than $1.5 trillion or more in deficit cuts announced Tuesday that they have chosen a Republican tax expert as their top staff aide.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, have selected Mark Prater, a tax lawyer with the Senate Finance Committee, as the supercommittee’s staff director. They said in a joint statement that Prater’s two decades of experience as a top GOP aide on the panel bring the know-how and experience required to help the supercommittee succeed.




Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gop-tax-expert-mark-prater-chosen-as-staff-chief-for-budget-supercommittee/2011/08/30/gIQAN3JipJ_story.html

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Done, ruined, fucked are we.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. GREAT! A GOP tax expert. Exactly what we need. Someone with an agenda. nt

[TwilightGardener]

2. Thanks, Patty.

:eyes:

[Marblehead]

3. Super

committee is unconstitutional.

[SoapBox]

4. GOP + "Tax Expert" = Oxymoron

...or just plain old moron.

[Divine Discontent]

5. as if we expected

ANYTHING different.

it's always our side that concedes and allows them to get one of theirs in there...
of course, the highest in DC will say compromise is the goal. the people will be screwed over again, Some Things Never CHANGE

:mad: :mad: :mad:

[Roy Rolling]

6. Exactly what is a "tax expert"?

Perhaps I am stupid (okay, no perhaps about it) but tax law is (should be) strictly mathematics and applying mathematical formulas.

A "tax expert" in the sense they imply is a tax interpretation expert, someone who can deliberately misinterpret the crystal clear meaning of tax statutes to favor one group over another.

It's like going to a football game and inserting your hand-picked referee who is an "expert" in pass interference because the opposing team has an awesome passing game advantage.

[ejbr]

7. Why in fuck do we even bother to vote

if holding the White House and the Senate mean fuck all?

[kenfrequed]

8. I ask myself that question all the time

Apparently holding several governing bodies only works if you are a republican.

[TacticalPeek]

9. One does not even need to hold the Senate.

One or two minority party Senators have often changed the whole course of things, usually by acting as idiotically as possible.

It's dead, Jim.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

12. Does it mean all when we have a Republican president and Democrat Congress? nt

[kenfrequed]

15. Lets be fair

The "democratic senate" had a bunch of crappy blue dogs that would sit in the corporate middle at the behest of evan bayh and kill anything that looked to progressive. It is possible that President Obama could have been a better president if more progressive legislation had made it to his desk. Still, rather than picking that blue dog enabler Rahm for his COS he could have picked someone that would actually have bet a few arms and pushed to get them into line on things.

[No Elephants]

17. Fair, or fanciful?

What evidence do any of us have that Obama fought (or romanced) the Blue Dogs for better legislation?

Lyndon Johnson didn't sit passively and wait for the Civil Rights Act or all the Great Society legislation to get to his desk. He sent it to Congress, sold it to America and wheeled, cajoled and horse traded unti lhe got it passed. Sure, more Democrats were in Congress then, but a lot of them were conservatves.

Obama sent legislation to Congress, too.

Instead of trying to sell the public option to America (which was already sold on it by 70% to 30%), Obama made the rounds of town meetings calling it "only a sliver" and "unimportant." Meanwhile, however, Gibbs was saying the President supported the public option. Are you kidding me?


Please cite us to all the progressive legislation Obama fought for that Bayh killed.

[kenfrequed]

29. Hey now

I criticize the hell out of President Obama, but I like to put the appropriate amount of Blame on Bayh and the Blue dogs. Sure he could have done more. I agree a hundred percent. I think he did a terrible job. He surrounded himself with DLC superstars and clintonoid corporate moderates that utterly warped his perspective and pulled him further and further from his stated positions.

I still want to take him at his word with regards to his promises just I take the (Koch funded) DLC at their word (sort of) with regards to getting away from traditional democratic constituencies.

[No Elephants]

40. Again, though...

Please cite us to all the progressive legislation Obama fought for that Bayh killed.

[kenfrequed]

42. Hmm

I think we have to look at this as stupid tactics as well. Win-crazy Rahm didn't care about losing wars in terms of public policy and more concerned with winning every battle which to him was more about picking only battles that could be won (regardless of how stupid or backwards or regressive they were).

I accept he didn't fight hard enough. I will say that again. I just don't want Evan Bayh and the blue dogs to get a free ride and allow them to write books about how the Democratic party moved too far to the left. (Which by the way Bayh is busily doing)

I want Bayh to be persona non-grata forever. I want him gone and ignored as he should be. I don't want to see him on any program ever again to spew his BS that was at least as responsible for two years of failure as anything else.

[No Elephants]

44. How many times will you "reply" without directly addressing anything in my Post #17?

Or supporting your claims?

Sorry, I just don't have the patience for this kind of discourse.

[kenfrequed]

46. Right...

If you looked at my posts over the last three couple of years you would find me a regular critic of the administration for going too far to the right and selling out to corporations, banks, the republicans, and insurance interests.

I think I have already acknowledged your points repeatedly. I think he didn't fight enough. I admit that. I admitted that repeatedly.

Now my problem is that you seem to be completely willing to write off the blue dogs and blame EVERYTHING on President Obama and I just don't find that acceptable. I want to assure that ALL of the Democrats that sold us out are made to account for their actions. You want this to be about the president and limit it there but I see there is a lot more involved here.

Tell me where I haven't acquiesced your point and precisely how and I will either rescind and agree or explain my concern.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

27. I have no reason to be 'fair' after 30-plus unfair years of right wing ideology

It has impoverished our middle class, put our poor in more danger than ever, and is heading our country towards 3rd world status.

[No Elephants]

18. You mean, as in 2006-2008?

[No Elephants]

43. So, it's better if only the RW votes? As happened with the special election in Massachusetts, when

Coakley lost to the Brown turd because Boston, the most populous and liberal part of the state, did not turn out?

Sorry, I just don't don't get it.

[ejbr]

45. I don't get why we even try to get power in order to give it away to the repigs n/t

[99th_Monkey]

10. Why is this Rethuglican working in a Democratically controlled SENATE committee in the first place?

Oh that's right, our two party system is just for show. Never mind.

[cstanleytech]

16. I blame the founding fathers for letting conservatives have a say!!!

All joking aside though its not a problem with a 2 party system but rather its the same problem ever other nation has had since the first politician took office which is that the wealthy in the end have to much power and control.

[No Elephants]

19. It's very much a problem with the two party system. The Democratic Party was not like this

before the DLC took it over.

And, if you can tell me the sharp difference between the DLC?New Democrat/Third Way/No Labels types (no, not only those formally on the membership list) and neocons, I'll buy you an ice cream cone.

Democrats even waffle (or worse) now on reproductive choice and human rights. And the DLC has been advocating that Dems should not be so rigid about religion, aka separation od church and state.

[cstanleytech]

22. No, if it was just a problem with two party system then other systems like for example the UK

would have no problems but they have many parties but still have similar problems in that the very wealthy either directly or indirectly via corporations have to much influence in the end.

[99th_Monkey]

25. I do get your point. I didn't mean to imply that all our problems are due to 2-party system.

IMO all or most of our problems stem from the actions of a tiny minority -- a greedy/wealthy few -- who been busily worming their way into
the Halls of Power, ever since these words were penned by Alexis de Tocqueville nearly 200 years ago.


"The manufacturing aristocracy of our age first impoverishes and then debases the men who service it, and then abandons them to be supported by the Charity of the public. ...
The friends of democracy should keep their eyes anxiously fixed in this direction; for it ever a permanent inequality of conditions and aristocracy again penetrate into the
world, it may be predicted that this is the gate by which they will enter". ~Alexis de Tocqueville (1832)

[No Elephants]

41. Problem is, we keep getting closer to a one-party system.

And maybe that is a problem with a two-party system.

[99th_Monkey]

24. It's not like we in the USA weren't warned. We just didn't listen, or forgot.

"The manufacturing aristocracy of our age first impoverishes and then debases the men who service it, and then abandons them to be supported by the Charity of the public. ...
The friends of democracy should keep their eyes anxiously fixed in this direction; for it ever a permanent inequality of conditions and aristocracy again penetrate into the
world, it may be predicted that this is the gate by which they will enter". ~Alexis de Tocqueville (1832)

This is such a mind-blowing quote to me, written nearly 200 years ago.

[Inuca]

28. So when the Senate was controlled by Rs

you wanted no democratic staffers to work there?

[99th_Monkey]

34. Providing a career ladder for RW Rethugs is not my idea of good strategy

And this appointment is a good illustration of why it's problematic.

I'd be curious to know how many strongly Democratic staff members there are in the House right now.

Do you know?

[COLGATE4]

11. Jesus Fucking Christ on a crutch!!!! Are we EVER going to try

and stand up for ourselves and for the people that the party supposedly represents????:grr: :banghead: :nuke:

[No Elephants]

20. No. Now, what?

[yellowcanine]

13. If he actually is an expert on taxes this could be a good thing. Means he actually knows something

about taxes and tax policy which is much more than you can say for most GOPers.

[No Elephants]

21. Ah, yes, Since Obama got into office, Democrats suddenly started saying

having an administration full of Republicans, even Bush leftovers, could be a good thing.

What is so good about a Democrat picking a Democratic tax expert? We have a population of well over 300 million people. Somewhere among them are at least a few hundred thousand Democrats who sre tax experts.

[cstanleytech]

14. Considering the guy was one of the main ones behind the bush tax cuts

which have been proven to be failures (despite being given a fair chance to succeed) they might want to consider finding someone better and of course less biased in making fair and honest changes when it comes to taxes.

[Bozita]

23. Any respectable pinball machine would be showing "TILT" right about now

Disfuckinggusting!

[lark]

26. Done, ruined, fucked are we" - SO VERY SADLY TRUE

Having a Dem destroy SSI is the radical reichs wet dream and about to come true. I can't believe it would ever come to this, but face it folks - we have been sold down the river and the current is pulling us into deeper water every second causing normal working folks to struggle mightily just to get a breath of air. Not so strong folks just drown. This is the Repug dream, brought to fruition by a Trojan Horse DINO president.

thank you reich wing and enabler in charge for destroying the good things about this country and turning us into a banana republic.


:nuke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :nuke:

[NM Independent]

30. Fuck you for agreeing to this, Murray. Sorry fucking traitor!

[KamaAina]

31. And who, might I inquire to ask, is the chairman of that committee?

Why, that'd be fellow Cat Food Committee member Max Baucus. Quelle surprise. :eyes:

[NM Independent]

32. My email to Pat Murray...

"A REPUBLICAN Tax Expert?

Are you kidding me??!! A republican "tax expert" is who you have agreed to be the committee staff director?

Not only a republican, but THE REPUBLICAN most responsible for engineering THE BUSH TAX CUTS that was one of the biggest factors in getting us into this mess in the first place.

Seriously, I don't think I've ever been so angry at the ineptitude and inability of the Democratic party to GROW A GOD DAMNED SPINE AND FIGHT THE DISGUSTING SLIME ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLE. Enough of this bipartisan BULLSHIT. ENOUGH!! Be a Democrat and work for the ideals that your party has fought for for DECADES, or get the hell out of the party.

Every one of you god damn blue dog bastards are going to be drummed out if you don't pull your collective head out of the ass of the Third Way.

I've given up. I completely expect you to SELL US OUT. By the time your asinine committee is finished, every American will be worse off for it. Unless, of course, they are part of the upper 5%.

Consider these words, and consider the massive inequality of wealth in this nation, or consider the coming revolution if you don't. Americans will not tolerate anymore coddling of the super rich. TAX THE GOD DAMN BASTARDS at the same rate that they rape from the economy or more, but NO LESS!"

I'm sure he'll never see THAT, but I sure feel better!

[plumbob]

33. This guy carried the water for the Bush tax cuts.

As such, he can be considered an accomplice, never an expert, unless he is an expert at "fucking shit up." (Thanks, Samuel L. Jackson)

[99th_Monkey]

36. Exactly. And why in the hell is he on the payroll of the "Democratically controlled" Senate?

Apparently some here see no problem with providing a livelihood and a solid career ladder for RW GOP ideologs.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4978835&mesg_id=4979224

[fascisthunter]

35. lol...

unfucking believable... we have some stupid fuck-ups running everything. WHo has the majority in the Senate... oh nevermind.

[sarcasmo]

37. The stupid committee.

[BadGimp]

38. The FIX is in AGAIN!

[indypaul]

39. To quote the now famous

POTUS: Don't call my bluff.

Eric Cantor: Call

POTUS: Fold