Senate Cloture Vote on Extending Only Middle Class Tax cut fails.

[Clio the Leo]

This is the House bill passed Thursday (or at least their version of the House bill.) Vote was 53-36 with 11 not voting. Seems there weren't even 40 "spines" to be found on the hill today.

They're voting on the Schumer "up to $1 million" plan now, also expected to fail.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Lets just see how successfully the Dems frame THIS message...how the repukes

are blocking tax relief for the middle class...and insisting that millionaires get THEIR tax cuts...
Judging from how they successfully framed the issue about the repukes blocking the unemployment extension, I am not going to hold my breath.

[Phx_Dem]

2. It must be Obama's fault that some Dems voted no.

:sarcasm:

[young but wise]

5. +1

He can't make them get in line. Just like he can't make DU progressives get in line. Democrats are independent thinkers.

[cornermouse]

17. You've heard of arm twisting?

I wonder what would happen if Obama tried a little arm twisting on conservative democrats?

[Telly Savalas]

20. Yes. This is clearly more evidence that he is a stupid bad man.

[golfguru]

28. No, he is not stupid and he is not bad

but he is inflicted with the McCain disease...

which is he wants to be liked by all sides.

[Clio the Leo]

3. And the Schumer vote (up to $1 million) fails 53-37. nt

[Enrique]

4. republicans filibuster democrats' tax cuts

bring it up again, make the GOP keep filibustering the tax cuts. Make them pay a price for once.

[rhett o rick]

8. This will be totally ineffective if Obama extends the Bush tax cuts. nm

[Phx_Dem]

6. So now Feingold has voted no on financial reform and tax cuts for the middle class.

What the hell happened to him? No wonder he lost his job.

[Kaleva]

11. Apparently he is for letting all the tax cuts expire.

In another thread, a member had posted that doing so would increase tax revenue by about 4 trillion over a ten year period.

[Phx_Dem]

12. For middle class. High income tax cuts weren't even on the table in

Baucus' amendment, which Feingold voted against. It was for tax cuts for anyone making less than $200K. When you're more conservative than Max Baucus, it's a good thing you've lost your Democratic seat. And, more importantly, he voted against unemployment benefits for people who have been out of works of up to two years, largely through no fault of their own.

By a vote of 53-36, seven short of the 60 needed to break a filibuster, the Senate rejected a measure by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) that would have preserved Bush era tax cuts for lower- and middle-income taxpayers, but would have allowed cuts for people earning more than $200,000 a year to expire. Democrats Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Ben Nelson (Neb.), Jim Webb (Va.), Russ Feingold (Wisc.) and Independent Democrat Joe Lieberman (Conn.) joined Republicans in voting nay.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/04/senate-unemployment-benefits_n_791995.html

[Kaleva]

13. Frankly, I'm all for allowing the middle class tax cuts to expire...

and certainly for allowing the tax cuts for the rich to expire too. The Baucus bill included the amendment to extend EUC08. Based on Feingold's past support for extending EUC08, I'm sure he'd have voted in favor of extending it had it been a stand alone bill or attached to a bill he supported.

[Clio the Leo]

15. The GOP isn't going to simply let the tax cuts expire....

.... and by January, they'll have more power, more power to say "we're trying to cut taxes and the Dems wont let us." ALL legislation in Congress will stall, including any job creating measures the President wants to get through. So we'll be stuck with raised taxes and nothing else to stimulate the economy. With less in their pay checks, Americans will spend less. Things will go from bad to worse.

Simply letting the tax cuts expire isn't enough of a revenue raiser to merit the complete log jam doing so would create. It's not the magic fix something think it is.

[Kaleva]

19. 4 trillion over the next ten years.

I think it's enough of a revenue raiser.

[Clio the Leo]

21. Well I THINK lollipops will rain from the sky tomorrow....

.... I dont have any experts who actually agree with me on this though, sadly.

[avaistheone1]

18. Russ Feingold?

WaaaaH?

:wow:

[bobburgster]

7. I propose .....

that that we contact the democratic senators who voted against the bill, that each member on DU send an e-mail, or call, them to go on record with your disapproval. If you live in their state get others to do it too. If you know any groups in their states, try getting them to ask their members to do likewise. This needs to be done over quickly if we hope for any impact.

I know the republicans still can filibuster, but it will be squarely on their shoulders. There are a few who may succumb to the pressure.

My other proposal is for us to all send e-mails to President Obama telling him to fight, and advertise, this one. Tell him there is no gray area here, the rich will survive, and it will help reduce the national debt.


See link below for the list of names.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9690055

[Clio the Leo]

14. That's an EXCELLENT idea but...

... it's FAR too easy to just blame everything on the President.

[bobburgster]

22. I understand byt he needs to take the bull by the horns. n/t

[high density]

9. Republicans filibuster middle class tax cuts

^^ A true headline which we won't ever be seeing.

[GSLevel9]

10. Republicans fight to protect all Americans from tax increase.

lol, that's the headline we'll be spoonfed.

[demwing]

24. But not for the reasons you believe, I bet

we won't see it because the Republicans won't HAVE to filibuster. Th threat is enough to make Dems compromise.

That's all we seem to do lately, give it away without forcing a fight...

[Steve_I_Am]

16. Its all "Political Theater" unless . . .

the Democrats come back next week and use RECONCILIATION to pass middle-class tax cuts.

If they don't do that, they were just "setting the stage" for a complete surrender.

If Obama caves in to the GOP - "temporarily" extending all of the Bush tax cuts "he is dead to me." I will not support him for re-nomination, but will, instead, be actively working for any progressive who runs against him in the primaries. My choice, at this point will be - HOWARD DEAN. I'm already working on my "Draft HOWARD DEAN in 2012!" bumper stickers!

[Teaser]

23. uh, how can they?

They didn't put reconciliation instructions in the budget bill for this, as far as I know.

[Steve_I_Am]

27. I called the Offices of both of my Democratic Senators . . .

and was told by a Legislative Assistant in each office, that there was nothing in the Senate Rules that prevented Harry Reid from bringing middle-class, only, tax cuts to the floor for a vote under the Senate's reconciliation rules.

Apparently, the only thing missing is the courage to do it.

[ellie]

25. There is this thing

called the filibuster in which the opposition party must debate the issue at length. Why don't the Democrats make the repukes do this? Make them earn those tax cuts for millionaires.

[lunatica]

26. drip, drip, drip

One thing at a time so maybe we don't notice.