Harkin: If Obama Caves On Taxes, He Better Pray For Palin In 2012

[laughingliberal]

WASHINGTON -- The sense of frustration among Senate Democrats over the White House's handling of the tax cut debate has grown throughout the week, culminating in a series of articles on Thursday anticipating some form of presidential capitulation.

Whether the mood is genuine or deliberate -- or, perhaps, a bit of both -- is worth some honest debate. Aides acknowledged that they were airing concerns about a forthcoming tax cut deal, in part, for the purpose of stiffening the White House's spine during the remaining negotiations. None would take the step of going on the record with their remarks. But others were even blunter when they went completely off the record.

When leaving a Senate Democratic caucus meeting late Thursday night, most members declined to answer questions about the White House's role in the tax cut negotiations. But the few who did talk didn't exactly hide their sadness over the state of affairs.

Read what they said: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/03/harkin-if-obama-caves-on-_n_791589.html

[ProSense]

1. THE RELATIVE EASE OF FINGER-POINTING....

THE RELATIVE EASE OF FINGER-POINTING....

<...>

My goal here is not to pick on Harkin, a senator I've long admired. The point, though, is that President Obama established the Democratic baseline on tax policy quite a while ago -- permanent cuts for those making less than $250,000; Clinton-era top rates for the wealthy -- and he's stuck to it for nearly two years, including through the election season. The president appears poised to yield to GOP demands now, which is unfortunate, but is largely a reflection of what transpired on Capitol Hill, where Dems chose to stray from the baseline Obama had already set.

In this particular case, we see Harkin on Thursday demanding that Obama fight against the same Republican plan Harkin was open to on Wednesday.

<...>

Maybe Stein's article is sloppy, who knows?

[CakeGrrl]

11. I doubt that seeing Harkin's remarks in FULL CONTEXT will be very popular

Better that he come off has having verbally bitch-slapped the President, not the reality of being a flip-flopper flinging some tough words around.

:eyes:

[rhett o rick]

12. I agree. There is absolutely no basis to believe that Obama will give in to the 'con's THIS TIME.

Just because he has so many times before, THIS TIME he mite not.

"Hey would you like to buy a cool bridge in Brooklyn?"

[aquart]

17. Certainly. First kick this football.

[donco6]

27. But he DID! What a shocker! n/t

[Winterblues]

24. How exactly did Democrats stray from the baseline Obama set?

Obama campaigned time and time again on repealing Bush*'s tax cuts for the wealthy. He has said numerous time that he planned on using the saving to pay for many of his priorities.. How exactly have the Democrats strayed from that? From where I sit it appears it is Obama that is straying from his explicit campaign promises along with all his reasoning for why he believed that way..

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

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

[ProSense]

30. Did I put those words in Harkin's mouth?

Stop pretending only the President is wrong. It does wonders for attitude.

[whatchamacallit]

31. Dude, he *is* wrong

isn't the first time, and unfortunately it won't be the last. Wake up!

[ProSense]

32. I'm not a "dude"

and people need to wake up to the reality of Congress.

[whatchamacallit]

33. Oh, sorry :/ (nt)

[Catshrink]

2. Damn right.

His choice: a spine or one term.

[OhioBlue]

3. It is odd that Harkin makes that statement when he was

previously open to negotiations. Are they playing good cop/bad cop or did he honestly do a 180? Or dare we hope that the Senate has figured out a strategy in the past 24 hours to pass the tax cut plan that Speaker Pelosi passed in the House?

[David__77]

8. Isn't negotiation different than giving the GOP what it wants on taxes?

And what they want is to extend all the cuts for the same duration of time. If that happens, I fail to see how that isn't capitulation. If the rich cuts were extended for two years, and the rest were made permanent, that would be reflective of "compromise."

[OhioBlue]

9. It seems that negotiation vs capitulation is in the eye of the

beholder on this issue. If they extend them all for the same period of time but get DADT, START, Unemployment, and or raising the debt ceiling... I could see that as a compromise. Likewise, they could extend all the personal income tax rates and raise capital gains taxes, estate taxes, extend or improve some of the things in the Small Business/Jobs bill, work out the 1099 reporting and I could also see that as a compromise.

[Dr.Phool]

14. Compromise is not in the equation.

The GOP is demanding capitulation on ALL the tax cuts. Why? Because they're pretty sure they can get it.

If they wanted compromise, the current bill, with no cuts for the upper 2% should be a STARTING point. There's room to tinker later. But, that's a non starter for the GOP. If they want to do anything with capital gains, it's reduce them. They foam at the mouth anytime you even mention any type of Estate Tax.

We need to make a stand. 98% expires or nothing expires. And go on TV every day, all day, and scream that the GOP held your tax cut hostage for Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Donald Trump, and Paris Hilton.



Somebody needs to be selling this to the public instead of vacationing in Kabul.

[TwilightGardener]

4. To be fair, Harkin also needs to publicly lash out at those Dem colleagues who will

certainly side with Republicans (Benny Nelson, for example). Otherwise this is just theater to bolster his progressive credentials.

[saracat]

6. Unlike some, Harkin doesn't need to "burnish HIS credentials". Tom Harkin

calls it as he sees it.Ben Nelson is a joke and it would be pointless to even talk about him.The President was the subject of the conversation.

[TwilightGardener]

7. Harkin is hopefully applying similar pressure to his colleagues. They can certainly

influence each other--and they are the ones who must vote.

[Skink]

5. Govenment Jobs are good paying jobs.

One should aspire to them. So what does Obama do? I can forgive him not getting through this crisis but cutting where it ain't warrented?

[Bluebear]

10. Tom never really loved him.

:cry:

[ProSense]

13. Do you think Senator Harkin

doesn't support the President?

His comment is not worth crying over.

[TexasObserver]

15. Harkin is right.

He's been fighting the good fight in congress since the president was in middle school.

The president would be wise to listen to some of the old timers and stop kidding himself. He hasn't "got this."

[ixion]

16. uh, "blunter"?

I believe "more blunt" is the appropriate usage.

[nashville_brook]

18. it's like he wants Palin to be president.

[laughingliberal]

19. Lol! nt

[Dr.Phool]

20. Will she take McCrazy on as VP?

Or will she need a Cheney, as in Jeb?

[nashville_brook]

21. or might she choose someone she could really push around, like...

obama?

[amborin]

22. K&R

[Dinger]

23. Dang, Too Late to Rec

But I can kick it!

[bvar22]

25. K&R

Is there anyone still holding on to that "Hope & Change" marketing slogan? :shrug:

[4dsc]

26. NO LEADERSHIP from the White House is the problem

It all comes down the leadership and right now, as Dean put it, leadership is lacking with President OBama.

[donco6]

28. He's still got two years left to make things even worse.

<Envisioning a Palin Republican Nat. Convention and getting violently ill>