Posted on 07/18/2011 6:37:42 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued
Now, I am no anti-tax purist. When the economy finally stabilizes and Washington eventually gets around to tackling the federal debt, I expect to see a plan that cuts spending and raises revenue.
But with a nationwide unemployment rate of 9.2 percent and the economy hobbled by public skepticism that Washington actually can reduce spending, this is no time to raise taxes -- even if, as President Obama likes to point out, the increases do not take place until 2013.
While pundits scold Republicans for not supporting the "grand bargain," it is not clear the package could pass even if House Speaker John Boehner signed on. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has come out against any cuts in entitlement spending -- an extreme position that breaks the deal.
Me? I can't get past the suspicion that the "grand bargain" is one big gimmick. For one thing, Obama opposed a similar compromise in February, after bipartisan fiscal hawks Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson released their plan to save $4 trillion. And: Obama has yet to release his plan in writing.
(Excerpt) Read more at rasmussenreports.com ...
If 0bama, Geithner, Reid and Pelosi are so concerned about the US, WHY DON’T THEY WANT TO CUT SPENDING?
0bama’s ‘budget’ was so bad that no Democrat/Communist Senator voted for it. Why was it so bad?
Raising taxes during a recession is risky.
Raising taxes at any time is risky, IMO.
The gubmint has demonstrated such abysmal stewardship over tax revenues, they shouldn’t be trusted with even one more thin dime.
For that kind of money the GOP should have called his bluff and said sure, you put it in the stimulus package you can take it out, next.
To get out of this hole Federal Agencies have got to go. Entire Agencies.
It won’t be tea we’re throwing overboard. Thanks CF.
You suspect??? DUH!! This is all about Obama 2012 campaign, Obama has no deal to offer!
Well Obama keeps telling the MSM and voters (TV) that spending cuts are on the table when he has put NOTHING on the table, while Republican keep saying tax revenue changes are off the table. The trick to winning a battle like this is to convince the voters that it is Obama taking a hard line and will destroy the economy to do it. OK, so the tax stuff is ‘off the table”??? Then what the hell were Republicans doing wasting time in these ‘negotiations’? It bought them nothing. If you do go waste time in these you have to come out and keep saying :"Obama keeps saying 'no' ", and do what Obama does spin-spin-spin to win-win-win!
What if instead Republicans had sent a number of bills to the Senate and were accusing Obama of being the one of blocking the debt increase for political reasons? A few 64% to 36 % polls blaming obama would give Obama that attitude adjustment he needs to cave.
Oh well!
Yeah....oh well.
Boehner,Cantor and McConnell were at the WH today discussing the terms of the surrender, although I did hear that they are trying to get some (probably minor) spending cuts in the deal now.
That proposal allows Republicans to vote against three debt increases (as if they were in the minority again) so congressional Democrats/Obama would have to round up the 40 votes for them in the Senate. That certainly would make Republicans job easy again.
Cut, Cap & Balance is $111 billion in immediate cuts. Those are cuts negotiated with Biden but, according to Paul Ryan on Mark Levin's show today, the Democrats have been walking back from those fast.
Yes but what exactly did Biden offer? Just that Obama wouldn't veto it if a deal was made?
About month ago Pat Buchanan had a brilliant idea: have the house sent the Senate a bill with the Biden cuts and no tax increases and dare him to veto it, although the real way to play it would be to get on TV with the phony Democrat tears and beg him not to ‘plunge the country into default when you got everything you asked for Mr President’ Then pass it and go home.
Unfortunately the House Republicans appear to be holding out for the McConnell 'surrender' plan which is probably what we will get.
Maybe he should ask Bill Ayers to write a plan.
...no, wait.
If McConnell caves(which I have little doubt the cowardly old fossil will), it may set off a war with the tea party types.
I’m for the war!
McConnell already said he will cave, but it is Boehner that must replace the Tea party house members with Pelosi Democrats to get it passed in House.
Republicans played this out so badly that they may end up in a situation where (assuming Obama plays it out correctly) that not giving in on a debt limit leads to Pelosi as Speaker again. Many in the House dont seem to understand exactly what went wrong in 1995 and how Obama is playing from the Clinton script.
The GOP has made one mistake after another, not the least of which is that they underestimated the gullibility of voters again. Obama leaks that he will play ball with the GOP, the the sycophant press press repeats it, and the public buys it.
As Herman Wouk wrote, "It shouldn't deceive anybody who is not determined to be deceived."
Complaining about the voters when they show the same patterns over and over and Republicans make the same mistakes is getting old. It doesnt help when those like Newt claim the voters rallied behind him in 1995 and Clinton caved.
I know a lib Obama Koolaid drinker who didnt believe me in 2009 when I told him that the Dems would take a beating in 2010, but by mid last year he had changing his mind . Well After the mid term election he told me that voters were stupid for not giving Obama enough time to fix things. I asked him :”You mean those SAME voters you thought were brilliant in 2008?”
You get the idea, both parties always conclude that just one election completely changed human behavior from decades of patterns.
Evidently, whe God passed out “street brains” he missed every Repub. in the House & Senate.
Exactly. That's why I said "The GOP has made one mistake after another, not the least of which is that they underestimated the gullibility of voters again."
Voting gives us only the possibility of good government, or even of national survival. It's foolhardy to have too much faith in human nature.
Voters dont want their taxes raised or ‘their’ spending cut or the spending of anyone that they sympathize with cut. Nor do they want deficits.
Obama is targeting independents for 2012. That why he keeps saying words ‘compromise’ and ‘bargain’. And whenever there is a standoff that is what works politically. I bet he endorses the gang of 6 plan as long as it gets some democrats on board.
I dont know if you have noticed on FNC the past few days but most of the polls they have been showing have turned against Republicans to Obama(even though he proposed nothing) , and now extending the debt limit is NOT UNpopular anymore.
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