Posted on 11/28/2012 7:23:28 PM PST by Libloather
Obama: 'I'll do whatever it takes' for budget deal
By Amie Parnes - 11/28/12 07:57 PM ET
President Obama on Wednesday ramped up his sales pitch for Congress to accept a budget deal that includes tax increases on the wealthiest Americans, offering a stark warning to lawmakers that it’s “too important to screw this up.”
During brief remarks at the White House to a group of middle-class voters, Obama sought to push his proposal to extend tax rates only on households with annual income of $250,000 or less before those rates expire at the end of the year.
Obama, who will travel to Pennsylvania on Friday to tout his proposal, also urged Americans to take to Twitter and email to urge their lawmakers to prevent a tax hike on the middle class.
“I’ll go anywhere and I’ll do whatever it takes to get this done,” Obama said in his remarks. “It’s too important for Washington to screw this up. Now’s the time for us to work on what we all agree to, which is let’s keep middle-class taxes low. That’s what our economy needs. That’s what the American people deserve.”
Obama, who campaigned on raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans, said the “fiscal-cliff” debate is not just about numbers. It’s a set of major decisions, he said, “that are gonna affect millions of families all across this country.”
Seeking to apply pressure on the GOP-led House, Obama noted the Senate has passed his tax plan.
The president said he was proposing a plan that is “fair and balanced” and said he believed both parties can agree to a framework in the coming weeks. He added that his “hope is to get this done before Christmas.”
Obama’s public-relations approach bears a strong resemblance to a strategy the White House employed last year during the payroll tax debate, when the president urged people to email and call their lawmakers and use social media networks like Twitter to explain what a tax increase would mean to them.
On Wednesday, Obama used his bully pulpit to urge people to tweet with the hashtag “My2K” to explain how a $2,000 tax hike would affect their lives.
White House aides have said that Obama will keep up the public campaign in an effort to keep the pressure on Congress, a tactic that worked not only in the payroll tax debate but with student loan legislation earlier this year.
“The American people are watching what we do,” Obama said. “When the American people speak loudly enough, lo and behold, Congress listens … The lesson is that when enough people get involved, we have a pretty good track record of actually making Congress work.”
Obama also spent part of Wednesday meeting with 14 business leaders, including Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein; Frank Blake, the chairman and chief executive of Home Depot Inc.; and Joe Echeverria, the chief executive of Deloitte LLP, to discuss the looming crisis.
“Everybody’s going to have to move to the center,” Echeverria said of the budget talks.
He added that the “notion that something is off the table, I don’t think is realistic.”
Arne Sorenson, the CEO of Marrioatt, added, “My personal request to the president and his team was, do as much as you possibly can now.
“Don’t just talk about down payments, small down payments, that leave the uncertainty hanging out over 2013, because I think the uncertainty will be a threat to the economy as well,” Sorenson said. “So you have to do something that is real and substantive today.”
On Thursday, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Rob Nabors, the director of White House legislative affairs, are expected to hold individual meetings with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), along with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
The meeting on Capitol Hill comes as a new ABC/Washington Post poll shows that 60 percent of those surveyed support raising taxes on incomes over $250,000 a year.
In his remarks on Wednesday, Obama said he remained hopeful that a deal could be struck. But he added, “I don’t think we’ll get it done tomorrow.”
Zero takes zero time to do zero work. Zero blame when it eventually fails. Same plan as the last plan. FORE!
Obama would never talk to Congress ,that’s beneath him ,a king talking to the little people ,I say not
He's out campaigning again!!!
his sales pitch for Congress to accept a budget deal
what deal was that , “My way or the Highway “ ?
Best thing to do is to FIGHT this scumbag tooth and nail
on EVERTHING. Don’t give any ground on anything for the next four years. These statists depend on conservatives giving in, giving up. I believe we can beat this bastage back. You have to have a little backbone.
“budget deal” = raise taxes, no cuts
which will show the world this country is not serious about the debt and deficit
Best thing to do is to FIGHT this scumbag tooth and nail
on EVERTHING. Don’t give any ground on anything for the next four years. These statists depend on conservatives giving in, giving up. I believe we can beat this bastage back. You have to have a little backbone.
Obama wants to maintain the Bush tax cuts for people making less than $250,000, but not for people making more than that. He knows this doesn’t solve the problem (the government is spending more than it takes in), so why do it?
Let’s do a cost/benefit analysis. What are the costs associated with raising taxes on people making more than $250,000 a year?
What are the benefits of raising taxes on people making over $250,000 a year?
Very legitimate stats. Ha! Polls skewed to put the propaganda out along with Obama’s part doing his non stop save the middle class by taxing the wealthy. Unbelievable!
Soetoro will take the credit if there is a deal but if there is no deal he’ll cry it’s the GOP’s fault. He won’t propose anything he’ll have to own. Total coward.
Birth certificate or passport or school transcripts/records or documentation of name change.
Translation:
There's nothing too vile, that I won't do it to get my way.
Yep these guys are really the runts of their litters. Balanced approach means raise taxes and kill the economy now, then we will get to cutting entitlements later. All we need now is for Dingy Harry to try and pass a rule limiting filabusters...oh guess he is trying that too. At this point going over the cliff might not be so bad afterall. Assclowns.
What are the benefits of raising taxes on people making over $250,000 a year?
Obama could pay for the government for 8 days maybe
Did you fall for the trap? Were you thinking of costs and benefits for our country? Is that the cost/benefit analysis that Obama and the Democrats do? Look again at the cost/benefit analysis, but instead of looking at the costs and benefits to the country, look at the costs and benefits to Obama and the Democrat party. Does a positive balance in the public treasury help them? Does a negative balance in the public treasury hurt them? If the public treasury doesn’t concern them, then what does? Where do they worry about costs and benefits? Never assume that the Democrats have the same concerns as you or even care about the same measurements that you do.
Also, one on one meetings only serve to show how stupid he is.
The demogogue is going to get the mob riled up. That's the only thing the community organizer is good at.
A child of the fifties could tell you - if you ignore a top as it spins, it will wobble and eventually fall.
Ignore Bambi, ignore rhinos.
Ignore them all and let them fall.
They feed off of our reactions. Give them none.
Republican response to Democrat proposal to continue Bush tax cuts for people making less than $250,000 but not for people making more than $250,000, and likely outcomes.
A - Oppose the Democrat plan. Outcome(s) - Democrat Senate will pass. Democrats will say that Republicans support the rich over the poor. Old media will broadcast this incessantly. Plan stalls in House. Tax rates increase for all. Costs to Democrats = people making over $250,000 are mad at Democrats. Benefits to Democrats = people making under $250,000 a year see Democrats as “caring more about them”. Increase of political capital. Costs to Republicans = people making under $250,000 a year angry at Republicans for raising taxes. People making over $250,000 still see taxes raised. Benefits = people making over $250,000 a year slightly favor Republicans but wonder why they can’t stop these tax hikes which makes Republicans look weak. Decrease of political capital.
B - Support the Democrat plan. Possible outcome(s) - plan passes. Taxes increase on those making over $250,000 a year. Taxes stay the same for those making under $250,000. Media praises Democrats and largely puzzled by Republican response. Costs to Democrats = people making over $250,000 unhappy with Democrats. Benefits to Democrats = they are viewed as the winners by press and likely Democrat voters. Costs to Republicans = people making over $250,000 unhappy with Republicans.
Benefits to Republicans = they aren’t viewed as losers because they supported.
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