Why couldn't Obama give DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR

[Horse with no Name]

For every $1 billion he gave to the rich, why didn't he give $1 billion to the rest of us?
That would have covered the 99'ers, it could have funded some other programs, it could have funded that shortfall in Food Stamps--there is a lot of things that would have been equitable. But, asking me to be happy that he gave the billionaires some real cash and gave us chump change...THAT is hard to swallow.

[TwilightGardener]

1. Congress?

[Horse with no Name]

2. Obama TOLD Congress to approve it--without changing it

HE was the negotiator on this.

I believe Biden was sent to the Hill to deliver the message...Take it or Leave it.

Short memory?

[TwilightGardener]

5. The answer is still "Congress". Whatever is proposed must pass

the House and Senate.

[treestar]

27. This whole subthread and many posts on DU are as if

they just don't understand how a bill becomes law.

[vi5]

3. That doesn't really hold water any more....

The whole "Obama doesn't control Congress" thing doesn't really work when he met with them to craft this tax legislation. He had more direct input in this legislation then the actual Democratic members of congress who weren't even included in the negotiations he had with the Republicans.

[TwilightGardener]

7. He needed a tax plan THAT WOULD GET 60 VOTES in the Senate.

That's what Biden negotiated.

[Lorien]

6. Excuses? Sorry, that fish rots from the head down.

[TwilightGardener]

10. Reality. Obama can't simply reach into his ass and pull out a billion dollars

without the votes of the House and Senate.

[Ozymanithrax]

4. Because Obama can not fund anything...

It must be done by Congress.

[pacalo]

8. But when Obama wants something, he's shown that he can make the Democrats

hold their noses & give him the funding.

[TwilightGardener]

11. Can he make Republicans do that, too? Actually, he can't even make all Democrats

do his bidding.

[pacalo]

18. He can't make the Republicans do anything -- the problem is it's the other way around.

[TwilightGardener]

20. Well, they can certainly mess with his agenda.

[Ozymanithrax]

12. Yes, over all, Democrats looked at the deal, examined what they would likely...

get next year, and recognized that this was the best they could get. Both Kucinich and Franken voted for this bill. They saw that it would really benefit their constituents in desperate need.

You can, if you wish, believe that Kucinich and Franken sold out to corpornazi's and are now drinking expensive champaign at Cheney's undisclosed location.

The fact remains. Obama can only ask Congress for money. Republicans know that they don't have to give it. They negotiated to get wha they wanted.

There will be a lot of not giving it after January 5.

[pacalo]

22. Who knows how much better the bill could have been if our Democratic allies would have

been included in the negotiations. They weren't allowed to & we'll never know. Even in a court of law both sides are given the opportunity to defend their interests.

It was shoved down their throats & they had to vote for a very contentious bill that sacrificed some Americans' long-term needs in order to protect other Americans' short-term needs. One was as important as the other, both are Democratic interests, & Obama should have stood up firmly to the Republicans. The ball was in his court; he could have sat on the tax-cut extension for the super wealthy. He broke a major campaign promise at our expense.

[Ozymanithrax]

26. Perhaps, but no matter who negotiated, they had to consider...

what the would get next year. I am not convinced that more Democrats in the room would have gotten a better deal. I am convinced that after January 5, there will be no good deals at all.

I do not believe that Republicans would have been willing to give anymore than they gave. They had the power to stop it and knew that all the benefit from the right and moderates would accrue to them if they waited.

[emulatorloo]

19. Sherrod Brown talked to his constituents and they told him to vote for it

I would imagine Ohio residents like unemployment insurance and don't want to see the middle class and below get hit with a tax increase during a recession.

[pacalo]

24. I certainly understand that!

As I've already said above in another post, this bill was shoved down the Democrats' throats. One long-term Democratic ideal was sacrificed for a short-term Democratic problem fix. Our Democratic allies weren't given the opportunity to participate in the negotiations, but they were mature enough to bite the bullet. I certainly don't care to see out-of-work families suffer, but we'll never know if our Democratic allies could have made a difference, where no one who could least afford it had to sacrifice for the benefit of the super wealthy.

In any case, the least we could expect from a president who campaigned on the "Yes, We Can!" slogan & specifically promised to discontinue tax cuts to the super wealthy is to stand up to Republicans' demands that he do the opposite.

Even though I fear for my husband's & my financial situation in a few years, I don't begrudge the desperately-needed money afforded by this bill to the unemployed. To the Rockefellers out there, they can put their gifts where the sun don't shine.

[emulatorloo]

17. I get the feeling lots of people cut the Civics/Government class in high school

[femrap]

23. I don't think any

schools teach that course now...which is unfortunate.

[jannyk]

9. Because he was 'best'ed'!

And anyway, we don't count for shit - unless it's election time. I have now accepted this - it takes away disappointment and just leaves the anger - which is more useful.

[COLGATE4]

14. Yep. We're just electoral 'cannon fodder'.. get the troops out there

to get him elected/re-elected, and then tell them to fuck off for another 4 years.

[emulatorloo]

16. Reminder: Senate tried to pass middle-class only tax bill. They did not have the votes

If the Senate could pass a middle-class only tax bill, that is what we would have.

[Creative]

13. Obama's net worth is only $10,111, 249, so he can't give anyone a billion.

http://www.mangoboss.com/ObamaNetWorth-2010Updates.html

[NNN0LHI]

15. Fuck that. I want 10 dollars for every one they got!

Why sell ourselves short?

Don

[emulatorloo]

21. LOL that would by a lot of ponies!

:toast:

[truedelphi]

25. You really have to wonder why it is that if the Utra Rich were demanding

The extension of a four percent increase knocked down, that he couldn't have seen to it that they receive a hike of at least 2 percent.

That is compromise. Giving away the store is NOT COMPROMISE!

[treestar]

28. the President and Congress must agree

Thats 536 people.

Some of them are Republicans.