The Opposite of Leadership: President Obama’s Tax Cut for the Rich

[beforeyoureyes]

Great blog at firedoglake...He has the bully pulpit. He has a country where the majority do NOT want the Republican tax plan...

It is beyond clear whom this President serves and it is not American people.

From Firedoglake:

It’s bad enough that the President is going to break a major campaign promise by giving the richest Americans a huge and undeserved tax cut. The real damage is done because he hides from his decision, negotiating with a political party dedicated to his destruction. Actually, he isn’t negotiating. He sent his bank-loving Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner and his no-name budget director Jack Lew. Obama can’t be bothered telling Americans why he has to negotiate with the unprincipled and thuggish Republicans.

Compromise makes sense in some cases, where the outcome is uncertain, and reducing uncertainty has an independent value. That is simply not the case with tax cuts for the rich. The outcome is certain. The Republicans don’t have the votes to win. So why is he negotiating?

Equally important, there is absolutely no merit to the Republican position, and they know it and so do we. The Republicans claim that we are facing horrible deficit problems, and that spending must be slashed, starting with social safety net programs. They claim that failure to take action will debase our currency, destroy profitable and necessary trading relations, and wreck our position in the world. Then they turn around and claim that we can’t raise taxes on the richest Americans, or anyone else, for that matter. They claim that this would destroy our economy, and reduce us to penury, and remove the engine for growth, as if the rich were dedicated to providing jobs for anyone except themselves.On one hand, Republicans claim we need to cut off money to the unemployed, retirees, and sick people, and on the other, they claim that the rich should be given a huge tax break.There is no reason to compromise with people whose bargaining position makes no sense. There is no reason to abandon campaign promises and good policy for the sake of terrible politics.

President Obama hides behind Robert Gibbs, his press secretary, Geithner, a man best known for handing money to giant banks, and a host of anonymous leakers. He chooses to leave the battle in the hands of the notoriously weak Senate Democrats, a group utterly without principle or political courage.

He could have led. He could come out in public and explain the situation. He could explain why he has to compromise, he could explain the wonderful reasons why the Republicans are right to insist on cutting taxes for the wealthy and slashing social programs. He could tell us why he changed his mind. He could make a case for compromise.

http://firedoglake.com/2010/12/03/the-opposite-of-leadership-president-obamas-tax-cut-for-the-rich/

Why are we not rallying and organizing to find a true populist leader? Are we FOREVER just going to meekly accept this status quo of tweedle dee and tweedle dumber of a sham two party political system? How much is enough? How much more damage? How many more betrayals?

The shades of very light gray between the parties are blurring to white

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Excellent analysis....and a painful truth.

[ProSense]

2. "President Obama’s Tax Cut for the Rich"?

What the hell is FDL talking about? Are they working for the RNC now?

[leftstreet]

3. If it happens on his watch, it's his n/t

[ProSense]

6. If is not a fact.

If he were a Muslim, the GOP would be proven right.

[leftstreet]

7. My apologies. "when" n/t

[beforeyoureyes]

5. If you read the article, it is abundantly clear what they are discussing

And, the charge that Jane Hamsher & the FDL crew is now right wing sounds like a Limbaugh talking point.

[ProSense]

8. If you read the title

it reads like RW spin.

[beforeyoureyes]

9. If Obama continually capitulates to the Republican minority, it looks like RW 'leadership'

[nashville_brook]

11. if you pay attention to what he does, it appears to be RW policy

[Skittles]

4. he sucks up to repukes

that's his other talent besides giving good speeches

[treestar]

10. We don't vote by initiative at the federal level

We voted in the Congresspeople, so the POTUS has to live with THEM.

[gratuitous]

12. This IS leadership

Without a powerful assist from the White House, the affirmative work it takes to make sure the tax rate for the wealthy doesn't go up wouldn't happen. As FDL says, the Republicans don't have the votes to overcome the automatic expiration of the ill-advised and ruinous tax cuts. But thanks to some true leadership, the minor hurdle appears to be behind us, as Congress will almost surely get the heavy lifting done to extend lower tax rates for everyone on every dollar or earnings, especially for the wealthy who contribute so much to our society. This is leadership, intoxicating in its strength, that overcomes all public opposition and every legislative hurdle to make sure that the overrich do not have to pay an extra three cents on the dollars they make over a quarter million.