Posted on 12/06/2010 4:13:56 PM PST by USALiberty
President Obama and congressional Republicans have agreed to a tentative deal that would extend for two years all the tax breaks set to expire on Dec. 31, continue unemployment benefits for an additional 13 months and cut payroll taxes for workers to encourage employers to start hiring.
The deal has been in the works for more than a week and represents a concession by Obama to political reality: Democrats don't have the votes in Congress to extend only the expiring tax breaks that benefit the middle class. The White House estimates that the proposed agreement would prevent typical families from facing annual tax increases of about $3,000, starting Jan. 1.
Obama was able to extract an agreement from GOP leaders to support an additional 13 months of jobless benefits, a 2 percent employee payroll tax cut and extensions of several tax credits aimed at working families that were included in the stimulus bill.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
“Keep your powder dry, this is an opportunity to organize, not a reason to break ranks.”
Agreed. We went eyeball to eyeball, and Obama blinked. We made some progress towards restoring this country. Did we get everything we wanted? Of course not; but we ended up with a better deal than the Dims, and they still control all branches of government. This cannot be stressed enough: The Dims still control the legislative and executive branches (and much of the judicial branch); yet, for the first time in two years — hell, in four years — we prevailed on one of our issues. Temporary, yes; but prior to Novemeber 2, before the Dims took the shellacking they did, this never would have happened.
Now, if we can kill the DREAM Act, and START, and DADT, then I’d say we’ve had a pretty damn good Autumn.
Two Years. Two friggin years. Thats it? They sold out for TWO YEARS! Too many people worked too damn hard and spent too much money to get TWO YEARS. So much for a 65 seat swing.
The leadership needs a pair from Hilary
Im not surprised because the Keystone Cops leaderships past behavior (not words or blubbering through an acceptance speech) never made me think that the Lucy/Charlie Brown/football Pubbies would act any different. I have written often that the fossilized, ruling class elite, GOP cave-in-crowd leadership will always fold like a cheap lawn chair. Until the Pubs get new leadership more enamored with the future of the country than kind words in the Washington Post and invitations to the cocktail circuit, this will continue.
God Im disgusted.
I wasn’t implying that they were celebrating...just anticipating the next media catchphrase.
I don’t cast aspersions on the unemployed...in large part after reading what people are going through here on FR. I could very easily find myself in their shoes someday. Except as one of the self-employed, I don’t think unemployment insurance would even be an option for me.
I do hope that the Republicans hold firm on taking the extra UI time out of TARP or stimulus funds. And the death tax is an obscenity in any form.
Not to put a damper on 0’s hopes, but unless 0’nazicare is repealed companies won’t start hiring in the numbers that will matter. Then there is the drilling ban that killed several thousand direct oil related jobs, and many more thousand of support jobs.
Dram Act, START and DADT are definitely the real challenge in this lame duck session. No way the GOP could kill extensions of unemployment during the Christmas Season (does no one remember the Gingrich who stole Christmas meme- you could expect more of the same).
Two good things happened because of this- 1).Extension of the tax rate to the end of Obama’s term, 2). the left is livid with Obama, further erosion of his base.
If this is not a win, its definitely not a loss.
You didn’t vote for this. What you voted for happens on January. That’s why they are pulling this crap.
Best thing to do is look at every republipuke who voted for this and vote him out in 2012.
Youre right, its another BAILOUT.
*** I think what many here are forgetting is that this is the lame duck session, and while the GOP Senate may be able to block what Obama and the Dim majority want, now ****
Not forgetting this for one second....and because of that should be demanding MUCH more instead. Instead we have the whiff of the “reach across the isle”..”mark my words no new taxes” group...inside the Beltway group calling the shots again.
Yeah, my sister is happily unemployed so she can stay home and shop for furnishings for her new house and supervise the
work on her new patio, all while watching the free money roll in.
She was hoping for an extension. Looks like she got her wish.
Imagine having a baby and collecting unemployment for 2 years..? Wow what a great deal.
Well said. We can’t get everything right away.
And in two years we will go through the same process; and the Dems will force the GOP to drink another shot of poison for another two year extension, ad infinitum.
Good answer. I hope you’re right.
I am troubled by others who misguidedly blame the unemployed for their situations, instead of blaming the cause. Maybe they feel the unemployed are all Obama supporters, sitting back and enjoying their free money. From the people I know who are unemployed, that's just not the case.
The class card didn't work this time around, did it?
The race card doesn't work anymore, does it?
We're winning the argument. And, if you ran polls with the right questions, you'd find that most voters support the Republicans on the extension.
Otherwise, why would the Democrats and the President agree to it?
We’re winning the argument. And, if you ran polls with the right questions, you’d find that most voters support the Republicans on the extension.
Do the words “We’re Broke” mean anything to you ?
We'd be a helluva lot broker if the Bush tax cuts expired.
Is that what you want?
Extend the tax cuts the hell with the unemployment. Let him veto it if he chooses. It’d be his call.
What makes you think the tax cuts would ever get to him to veto? The Senate has to approve them first. And that's what this deal is about, to get Senate approval.
We don't own the Congress just yet. And, after January, we'll own but half of it.
The Republicans are not in a position to dictate anything to anybody just yet...
Good. We can finally be rid of them. Of course, not all of them will leave. They will always want their power, and still think they can jump on the conservative bandwagon, while still being ‘centrist’. Bunch of cowards!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.