White House Raising White Flag on Bush Tax Cuts?
Emerging from his midterm beat down, President Obama instructed his cabinet Thursday to make a "sincere and consistent" effort to engage with Republican leaders instead promising "no compromise." But if the President is looking for an issue to dig in his heels, it's ending the budget-busting, Bush tax cut windfall for the wealthy. As the Tuesday's exit polls showed, this is a case where good policy is good politics. Nevertheless, the White House may be raising the white flag.
That possible retreat was signaled Thursday by press secretary Robert Gibbs. With Obama set to meet in two weeks with Congressional leaders of both parties, Gibbs suggested the president will be open to extending the upper-end Bush tax cuts for one or two years as part of a broader compromise with Republicans:
"He would be open to having that discussion and open to listening to what the debate is on both sides of that. Obviously... making those tax cuts for the upper end permanent is something the president does not believe is a good idea."
Neither do the same voters who produced a red tsunami two days ago.
As the national House exit polls revealed, only 19% of voters said cutting taxes was the highest priority for Congress. And only 39% felt the expiring Bush tax cuts should be extended for all voters. A 52% majority said they should either be continued for families earning under $250,000 a year (37%) or not at all (15%).
For months, Americans have been telling President Obama that his plan to end the Treasury-draining tax giveaway to the rich is a winning one. (Sadly, they seem unaware that Obama already delivered tax relief to 95% of working households, which at $300 billion was the largest two-year tax cut ever.)
That's the word from Gallup. Its September survey conducted for USA Today found that:
A majority of Americans favor letting the tax cuts enacted during the Bush administration expire for the wealthy. While 37% support keeping the tax cuts for all Americans, 44% want them extended only for those making less than $250,000 and 15% think they should expire for all taxpayers.
That level of support for bringing an end to the gilded class payday is reflected in other recent polling. The question posed by late July survey from Pew Research/National Journal Congressional Connection produced similar results. 58% supported either ending the Bush tax cuts outright or for just the top 2% of earners, compared to 30% who wanted to perpetuate the red ink - and staggering income inequality - they produce. Even Fox News showed majority backing the return of upper bracket tax rates to their Clinton-era levels. At the end of July, 36% favored continuing current rates for those earning under $250,000, while 14% backed allowing all of the Bush tax cuts to expire. As the Polling Report summary shows, a CBS survey conducted between August 20 and August 24 gave expiration this year for households earning about $250,000 a year or more a 20-point (56% to 36%) margin.
Yet on the same day that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell taunted Barack Obama and repeated his objective of making him a one-term president, the White House seemed to suggest that it is willing to fold without a fight. With even more vulnerable Senate Democrats facing the reelection in 2012, temporarily extending the Bush tax cuts could be the same thing as making them permanent. Stopping the Republicans' $700 billion windfall for the wealthy, especially at a time of big budget deficits, is a winning hand for the President. Yet, the Obama White House seems determined to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
(This piece also appears at Perrspectives. For more background, see "The Bush Tax Cuts in Pictures.")
Just keeps gettin' better and better with this assclown of a President.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
Both the Republicans and Democrats will see him as a weak leader if he easily cavesto Republican demands. Jesus , what's it going to take to get him to stand up to the Republicans?
Pres Obama needs to be the man he was during his campaign, otherwise I will not vote for him in 2012..
I have a hunch history will view him in the same light as Jimmy Carter; a weak one term president, but an excellent x-president
I have been thinking about this Carter comparison for some time...a nice, smart man with a good heart who either cannot or will not sacrifice comity for progress. Two peas in a pod. No political future, though he may be able to build homes for Habitat for Humanity. On the other hand, Bill Clinton has shown how to do good works after the political knife fighting is over...
The person who defines Reality wins.
showing job gains etc... while Carter was President?
and that is:
When exactly will Obama announce that he is switching party affiliation to the Republican Party -- during this term's "lame duck" session, or will he wait until the new session of Congress is seated?
Anyone here taking bets?
On a positive note, Obama will have no need to replace any of his Cabinet ...
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
-- John F. Kennedy
Personally, I came to the conclusion several months ago that the most likely reason why Obama ever ran as a Democrat in the first place was because he realized that his chances of ever being elected to public office under a Republican ticket were to say the least extremely slim -- especially given the way that the party has slowly yet steadily been moving further to the right and growing less diverse as time goes on.
Never trust anyone who insists that patriotism requires you to blindfold yourself with the flag.
...his affiliation long ago when he was a senator.
He voted for the patriot act re-authorization, FISA immunity for wiretappers, a TARP bankster bailout with no oversite...and he voted for every single war war appropriations bill that Chimpstain ever asked for.
Obama is a Neo-con. (just like Sarah Palin and Dick Armey)
They fight amongst each other on T.V. like WWF and NWO but...
They all get their paychecks from Vince McMann.
audit-prosecute-incarcerate
Isn't the white flag the internationally recognized symbol to open fire?
Or is that the whole black smoke white smoke thingy?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
How do you exactly "open fire" with your arms up after throwing your weapons to the ground?
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
under any other circumstances it's considered either a flag of truce (for parley), or else surrender. And in Obama's case, strictly for surrender.
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
-- John F. Kennedy
Or some words to that effect.
In my opinion, the real question here should be...over the last two years, how many times has President Obama not raised a white flag to the Republicans on an issue?
Never trust anyone who insists that patriotism requires you to blindfold yourself with the flag.
Republicans are playing The two Santa Clause theory perfectly.
I beg the Obama Administration not to do this. Please consult economists that have a clue.
Only when the last tree has died
and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught
will we realize we cannot eat money.
Obama just has the GOP exactly where he wants them, n-dimensional chess, you guys just don't understand the magnitude of his genius because you haven't thought outside the box for long enough time... yadda... yadda...
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
he won't know what to do.
That second question in the poll isn't worded properly. A tax cut on the first $250,000 someone makes would affect 100% of the population, not just those earning below that amount. Someone who makes $400,000 would still get the tax cut extension on the first $250,000 they make.
The choice is between extending a tax cut to everyone or extending a tax cut to everyone, plus giving the rich an extra tax cut extension on top of that.
The way people keep wording things, you'd think that people who make $260,000 won't get a tax cut extension at all under Obama's suggestion, when in fact, 96% of their income would indeed be subject to a tax cut extension.
Obama needs to take a good long look in the mirror. What does he stand for at this point? If I were him, I'd assume he's heading into being a 1 term president and just do whatever he thinks is important to do for the next two years and damn the consequences. The Republicans have already stated over and over that they will not compromise with the President or the Dems so why should he reciprocate? With all due respect to the so called message of the American people on Tuesday, I don't agree that throwing the Dems out means they're embracing the Repubs. The Repubs HAVE NO PLATFORM AND NO IDEAS and I think Americans understand still that Bush and the repubs are very much a heavy part of the problem. The anger is about jobs. If Obama can put together a jobs program and build infrastructure i think he'll get a second wind from the American people. The tea party? What a !@#% joke. Congratulations, you're in congress and the senate. Welcome to the grind. Let's see how you're ridiculous, naive and completely populist lacking in reality ideologies go over when you actually have to put them into policy. Every cent I have says you go down in flames.
Over the last few days, the mainstream media has been rattling on about the fact that this is the third election in a row which has been marked by a signficant repudiation of incumbents as well as a sizable shift in the balance of power.
In 2006, the voters repudiated Bush and the Republican Party in general by taking majority control of Congress away from the Republicans. In 2008, largely in response to the crashing economy, they expressed their dissatisfaction by sending Obama to the White House instead of McCain and giving Democrats an even bigger margin of control in Congress. Two years later, seeing that a Democratic trifecta wasn't proving terribly effective at solving the serious problems facing the country, they gave the House back to the Republicans and reduced the Democratic majority in the Senate...despite the fact that the Republicans really have no new strategies to offer and seem to be concerned more with obstructing Obama than they are with helping the American people.
So what happens in 2012, when the voters realize (as they almost certainly will) that they're no better off than they were back in 2010 -- or perhaps even worse off than before? What happens when a critical mass of voters finally wake up and realize that our political process is in such dire need of repair that all we're really doing at this point is changing seats on the Titanic?
Never trust anyone who insists that patriotism requires you to blindfold yourself with the flag.
more tax brackets!
more tax brackets!
more tax brackets!
If you read this article it clearly says that the Obama administration may be willing to extend the upper bracket tax cuts for a couple of years in return for something. Whatever that something might be. That's called negotiation and that's what they should be doing. Call it folding if you want but it doesn't make it so. Has a nice pejorative ring to it though.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
Yeah...he'll go along with extending them if they stop calling him names.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
chasing his tail, always looking forward. Do us a favor Barry, resign before you destroy Social Security.
but in this instance it is too risky to extend the upper class tax cuts for a couple of years.
first off, there aren't too many things that would be worth negotiating that for. debatable, yes, but my opinion.
also, it will be coming up for a vote again, if we extend it, during the 2012 campaign season. and, in that circumstance, i would be willing to bet cash money that the bush tax cuts for the wealthy would be a huge political issue that the GOP would champion (and if they win the WH they would make permanent [if possible], and the obama admin would begrudgingly (publicly) accept in order to appear more bipartisan/centrist
in other words, i figure that the bush tax cuts would become permanent if the admin agrees to an extension.
kill it now while it is still possible.
...then they'll say "NO!" and he'll smile and say "Gee Willickers! I tried."
I hear there's talk of tripling the current Estate Tax rate - maybe even raising it tenfold.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
What's the chance we can find a genuine progressive to replace our Blue Dog president on the 2012 ticket?
Starting a a challenge now would at least probably have the effect of driving him to the left, because the middle and right aren't going to vote for him. But it can't wait until right before the election, the base has to declare that we want a progressive candidate and nominate Feingold-Grayson right away. They might go for it.
... a progressive challenge from within the Dem party in the primaries would have the same effect that it did in 79. And I shudder to think who the GOP has in line as their XXI century version of Raygun.
The best we can hope for is probably for a 4 way race: The teabaggers go into full split mode, then there are 2 corporate parties the GOP and Dems, and then liberals create their own political party (maybe making the Greens viable at the national level). I believe Lincoln was elected in a 4-way race. So I hope such diverse elections are not the prelude to civil wars in this country :-(
But that is very unlikely to happen, so the most certain outcome is that we're for all intents and purposes fucked either way. Obama could end up being a one-termer because he was neutralized by the right, and yet it will probably be the left who will be blamed.
Happy days are here agaiiiiiinnnnnnnnn.........
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
Without a spine, courage or commitment to true American principles. Time to find another candidate for 2012 right now (I keep saying this).
Obama not only wants to please the rich, he wants to be one of the elite insider's club. But they're so racist, I doubt they'll let him in. I doubt that Powell, Rice or Thomas are truly "in", all just little race jockeys by the door. He's pathetic.
electric socket.
No! No! No! No! No!
ZAP!
We're all going to get burned.
Well, all I can say is these rich motherfuckers better generate a shitload and I mean a shitload of jobs. That is their selling point after all. Lying bastards.
... it is just that they will be created in India or China. You need to specify the location of those jobs, you just can't leave any fine print out or these rich bastards are bound to find a loophole (that is why they are rich motherfuckers to begin with...)
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
You are right of course. Your point reminds me of that movie "Bedazzled."
"... the president will be open to extending the upper-end Bush tax cuts for one or two years as part of a broader compromise with Republicans".
Caving in to the Repugs again. The Dems own the Whitehouse and the Senate they cave in AGAIN to the Repugs.
No Obama doesn't get it.
Obama's going to lose his base entirely if he doesn't fight the Bush Tax cuts for the rich. If he thinks making nice with the republicans is going to make him more popular or more successful he's in a dreamworld. If he stops fighting for our side then we'll just find someone like Alan Grayson who will in the next presidential election. What the hell is Obama thinking??? Get out of the fetal position and get to friggin' work fighting for the 90% of Americans who actually need the help.
It's official: GOP leaders in the House and Senate have both confirmed that they will buck calls from the Tea Party supporters and not back a ban on federal earmarks.
Spending is good said the leaders of the GOP today.
So do you think we can scare up 40 Dem senators who will stand up to this nonsense and filibuster any extension of the Bush tax cuts to the wealthiest? I know, crazy of me to think a dem politician might actually take a stand, much less 40 of them. But surely some of them must be getting tired of being a doormat, even if the president isn't. A lot of these people are parents - don't they understand the importance of "no means no"?
'nuff said.
we know most profits are from overseas operations since off-shoring took hold, we have a possible 22% unemployment rate, discounting the government bullshit. this is crazy, we already have massive deficits, this is impossible.
for some brilliant commentary on this up and coming stab in the back.
JC , what a mess. This is and was entirely predictable . So much for wising up . Reminds me of some abused woman who just keeps going back for more , "but I love him ! "
Insanity , it is what it is , there is no understanding it .
for voting for Obama. Who's gonna take the blame for voting in all the f*ckups this year?
NOBODY 2012
I can be a spineless pushover too!
NOBODY 2012
Democrats have been raising the white flag since they got anthrax sent to their offices and they took impeachment off the table. They refused to enforce the subpoenas they issued as well. They are a weak alternative corporate party to the Republicans. It is a sham. Oh.. They also didn't demand that Bush and Cheney testify under oath to the 9/11 Commission. That was a big one too.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Just as I predicted on election night, Obama and the Democrats are going to pass the Bush tax cuts intact. What I want to hear now is party apologists explain why it's not possible for Democratic Senators to filibuster this legislation. They're going to spin themselves into the center of the earth trying to explain this one away.
They just have to do it. The MSM will still claim the Democrats are being too socialist/liberal/fascist. And the "progressive" blogs will explain it away by saying that Obama hasn't enough time and that the Republicans are worse - much, much worse.
Always remember: if you don't support the Democrats a Teabagger will kill you in your sleep and eat your children. Oh, and you deserve it too, because if you don't support the Democrats you must be a Teabagger yourself. Darn cannibals.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
In comparing the voter demographics/the statistics from the 2008 and 2010 election results, one immutable numerical fact is glaringly CLEAR/UNDENIABLE. Democrats CAN’T WIN without the full support of liberals and progressives.
In other words, Obama and Democrats are GUARANTEED LOSERS without the full support of liberals and progressives.
To those who are claiming that the PROFESSIONAL LEFT is done for, why is it that liberals and progressives have MORE political leverage today than they had Monday?
For Obama to continue to DENY/IGNORE that fact and continue to compromise away the VALUES of liberals and progressives is a LOSE/LOSE proposition for Obama and Democrats!
Explain to me what voter block is going to replace the liberals and progressives who got Obama and Democrats elected in 2008 in Obama's 2012 reelection if he doesn't win back their full support. Teabaggers?
I was pretty much screaming that myself. I've read a few (thankfully) posts that say he lost because of the liberals (as in positions taken). What a friggin joke. If it's even possible, let the democrats move more to the center. Wait, they can't because they are already right of center. And see what it get's them.
This administration is clueless.
This administration knows exactly what its doing:
"Obama’s top contributors are corporate law and lobbying firms (Kirkland & Ellis and Skadden, Arps, where four attorneys are fund-raisers for Obama as well as donors), Wall Street financial houses (Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase), and big Chicago interests (Henry Crown and Company, an investment firm that has stakes in industries ranging from telecommunications to defense)."
-Barack Obama Inc.:The Birth of a Washington Machine
By Ken Silverstein
Harpers, Nov. 2006
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31510813#40013591
I'll retract my comments if he refuses to pass an extension of the tax cuts. Somehow, I think that's unlikely.
"...raising the white flag..."???
That suggests that there was a fight on at one time.
(Pssst) ...There wasn't.
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
So Obama gives in on unneeded tax cuts for the rich and in return the republicans Obama what?
The Democrats still have the House!!!! Why do they have to "compromise" now? OK, the Republicans won the last election, but not because the voters want tax cuts for millionaires. And just suppose the voters did want tax cuts for millionaires. The Democrats should still push their agenda through while they have both Houses.
This story has troubled me because it shows the Democrats (not all of them, of course) as a party are not spineless, but corrupt. They kept saying they didn't want to take the vote before an election that they knew they would lose. Why? So they could use the excuse that the Republicans will take over in January and we have to compromise now. Oh, really? Not even Mother Teresa would have been that nice to Republicans. Anyone in power would push their agenda through while they still had the power.
This will add to the deficit, which will then give those "concerned" about "out of control spending" an even higher number to cite as they try to cut benefits for us "little people."
Really shouldn't surprise anyone
Obama continues his stupidity with "working" with Republicans who will get him to do things they want then have NOBODY give him any votes
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