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Tentative agreement reached on tax cuts

Kandahar

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Ezra Klein has a summary of the highlights of the tentative agreement Obama has reached with House Republicans. It could still fall through, but it looks like they have a deal for now.

Ezra Klein - An imperfect, but not-that-bad, deal on the tax cuts

Some of the highlights of the agreement:
- Bush tax cuts extended for two years
- Estates will be taxed at 35%, with the first $5M exempted, for two years
- The EITC, child tax credit, and American opportunity tax credit are extended for two years
- Unemployment insurance gets extended for 13 months
- A 2% cut in the payroll tax paid by employees for one year
- Businesses will be allowed to expense their long-term investments for the next two years


Looks like a wholesale capitulation to the GOP to me. There's a lot of stuff that the GOP wanted, some stuff that everyone wanted, and really nothing that the Democrats wanted and the GOP didn't aside from an unemployment extension. Obama played his hand absolutely horribly here.
 
I guess we will just note that Obama is now Boehner's Bitch:mrgreen:
 
A very sad day for America.

And Turtle - Boehner did not mean crap to all this. His half of Congress was rolled. You can thank the rules of the Senate plus the goose stepping all in time by the Senate Republicans. Boehner is a joke .... but the joke is on the country. Boehner's dream would be to be somebody's bitch.
 
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A very sad day for America.

And Turtle - Boehner did not mean crap to all this. His half of Congress was rolled. You can thank the rules of the Senate plus the goose stepping all in time by the Senate Republicans. Boehner is a joke .... but the joke is on the country. Boehner's dream would be to be somebody's bitch.

Your misery means its a good day

two more years where you dems cannot steal more money from our most productive tax payers.

Obama is the joke
 
Your misery means its a good day

two more years where you dems cannot steal more money from our most productive tax payers.

Obama is the joke

yes indeedy - a good day for 2% at the expense of 98% because of the goose stepping GOP marching all together like freaking Nazi's with nobody daring to break discipline. Its sad and pathetic. The only thing more sad is the caving in of Obama on this.

Obama could have nailed the GOP into a corner as the ass kissers of the rich for the next several election cycles. But he failed to pull the trigger and let a minority dictate to him. Really sad.

I would hope the Dems learn from the Republican strategy - but they will not and Obama will continue to crash the ship upon the rocks hearing the siren song of bipartisanship. When you deal with vermin you exterminate them without mercy. Because Obama failed to do it now it only means it will be tougher down the line when it has to be done eventually.

And make no mistake - there will be blood.
 
yes indeedy - a good day for 2% at the expense of 98% because of the goose stepping GOP marching all together like freaking Nazi's with nobody daring to break discipline. Its sad and pathetic. The only thing more sad is the caving in of Obama on this.

Obama could have nailed the GOP into a corner as the ass kissers of the rich for the next several election cycles. But he failed to pull the trigger and let a minority dictate to him. Really sad.

I would hope the Dems learn from the Republican strategy - but they will not and Obama will continue to crash the ship upon the rocks hearing the siren song of bipartisanship. When you deal with vermin you exterminate them without mercy. Because Obama failed to do it now it only means it will be tougher down the line when it has to be done eventually.

And make no mistake - there will be blood.

there will be blood? is that some sort of threat? what are you gonna do-start a revolution. I got news for you buddy. its people like me who know how to use weapons-

not leftwing radical schoolteachers who are mad that the rich aren't going to get as screwed over as you want.

But knock yourself out trying

it will be fun to watch
 
there will be blood? is that some sort of threat? what are you gonna do-start a revolution. I got news for you buddy. its people like me who know how to use weapons-

not leftwing radical schoolteachers who are mad that the rich aren't going to get as screwed over as you want.

But knock yourself out trying

it will be fun to watch


2 versus 98 ... do you like those odds?
 
2 versus 98 ... do you like those odds?

Wrong silly. many of the smartest and hardest working people will side with the winners over the losers your side represents.

and your masters are all in that top 2%

feel free to start your revolution say 850 meters from my door.
 
from Turtle

Yeah that will be a piece of cake

Cake? Cake?


Let them eat cake was heard before. And we well remember what happened.
 
from Turtle



Cake? Cake?


Let them eat cake was heard before. And we well remember what happened.

bring your 97 best friends

and we can party!!!
 
bring your 97 best friends

and we can party!!!

Do you think this is the Old West and you will be in the OK Corral? Metaphorically speaking ...there is more than one way to skin a cat ... or slowly poison the lord of the manor through his own caviar would be another way to put it.
 
Do you think this is the Old West and you will be in the OK Corral? Metaphorically speaking ...there is more than one way to skin a cat ... or slowly poison the lord of the manor through his own caviar would be another way to put it.

You want to play a game for blood my friend? you sure seem intent on violence. I suggest you seek some help for this unhealthy fixation.
 
You want to play a game for blood my friend? you sure seem intent on violence. I suggest you seek some help for this unhealthy fixation.

You really don't get it do you? Or maybe you don't want to get it?

I DO NOT WANT VIOLENCE. I was hoping the battle between fascist corporatism and the rest of the people could be avoided and Obama would be the one to do that. But the events today tell me that we have just taken another step towards an inevitable showdown that could be very messy for everyone.

And people today - people like you Turtle - people who wallow in their own wealth and their own privilege and who attempt to have the rest of us serve you in a condition little better than serfdom, only make this more possible through their toadies in the Republican party and through the spread of the disease of libertarian thought and ideology.

Understand me - I hope it never comes to that because it will be a terrible thing to witness. It makes me sad to admit that we have taken a step closer to this today.
 
You really don't get it do you? Or maybe you don't want to get it?

I DO NOT WANT VIOLENCE. I was hoping the battle between fascist corporatism and the rest of the people could be avoided and Obama would be the one to do that. But the events today tell me that we have just taken another step towards an inevitable showdown that could be very messy for everyone.

And people today - people like you Turtle - people who wallow in their own wealth and their own privilege and who attempt to have the rest of us serve you in a condition little better than serfdom, only make this more possible through their toadies in the Republican party and through the spread of the disease of libertarian thought and ideology.

Understand me - I hope it never comes to that because it will be a terrible thing to witness. It makes me sad to admit that we have taken a step closer to this today.

your rants are getting silly-not raping the rich with idiotic taxes is hardly fascist
 
A very sad day for America.

And Turtle - Boehner did not mean crap to all this. His half of Congress was rolled. You can thank the rules of the Senate plus the goose stepping all in time by the Senate Republicans. Boehner is a joke .... but the joke is on the country. Boehner's dream would be to be somebody's bitch.


The joke is on the country? How do you figure? The unemployed got a 13 month extention and no one got a tax hike. Merry christmas everybody! Go Obama! LOL
 
A very sad day for America.

And Turtle - Boehner did not mean crap to all this. His half of Congress was rolled. You can thank the rules of the Senate plus the goose stepping all in time by the Senate Republicans. Boehner is a joke .... but the joke is on the country. Boehner's dream would be to be somebody's bitch.

How is this a sad day for America? I would think that any given Libbo would be elated to find out that taxes on samll businesses, might not go up.

I think the problem that most Liberals have, is that they really believe that everybody hates rich folks as much as they do.
 
2 versus 98 ... do you like those odds?

Those 2 take care of those 98. You keep forgetting that. There'd be no free lunches without them. Why the hatred? Jealous?
 
How is this a sad day for America? I would think that any given Libbo would be elated to find out that taxes on samll businesses, might not go up.

I think the problem that most Liberals have, is that they really believe that everybody hates rich folks as much as they do.

I don't really mind the tax cut extensions, so much as I mind the fact that Obama didn't negotiate anything substantial from the Republicans in exchange. He basically just rolled over and gave them what they wanted. He should have gotten a lot more than just an unemployment extension in exchange...like maybe some substantial economic stimulus.
 
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I don't really mind the tax cut extensions, so much as I mind the fact that Obama didn't negotiate anything substantial from the Republicans in exchange. He basically just rolled over and gave them what they wanted. He should have gotten a lot more than just an unemployment extension in exchange...like maybe some substantial economic stimulus.

Why would he ask for something that knows isn't going to work?

He already looks like a dumbass, because of his past stimuli. I think he's too smart to make himself look like an even bigger dumbass, by flushing more tax dollars down the toilet.

I'm sure he feels lucky that he got the unemployment extension and rightfully so.
 
Why would he ask for something that knows isn't going to work?

He already looks like a dumbass, because of his past stimuli. I think he's too smart to make himself look like an even bigger dumbass, by flushing more tax dollars down the toilet.

I'm sure he feels lucky that he got the unemployment extension and rightfully so.

It's not like he had a weak hand to play here. He could have credibly threatened to veto the whole damn thing if the Republicans didn't work with him. But he decided to completely capitulate, with just a token concession to make it look like a compromise. Unfortunately it appears that he's more interested in compromise for the sake of compromise than he is in good governance, kickstarting the economy, paying down the deficit, or even winning the PR battle. The Republicans have no such illusions.

P.S. You are aware that your signature quote (and the Dr. Laura book from whence it came) is a work of political humor, right?
 
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It's not like he had a weak hand to play here. He could have credibly threatened to veto the whole damn thing if the Republicans didn't work with him. But he decided to completely capitulate, with just a token concession to make it look like a compromise.

Like I said, he's too smart to make himself look like an even bigger dumbass, than he already does.

How would Obama explain to the American people that he raised their taxes, all because he has a giant hard-on for rich folks?

Unfortunately it appears that he's more interested in compromise for the sake of compromise than he is in good governance, kickstarting the economy, paying down the deficit, or even winning the PR battle. The Republicans have no such illusions.

If he were interested in good governance, kickstarting the economy, paying down the deficit, or even winning the PR battle, he wouldn't be pushing an agenda that is totally counterproductive to what's best for the country. Obama has done more to hamper all of the above, than he has to help.


P.S. You are aware that your signature quote (and the Dr. Laura book from whence it came) is a work of political humor, right?


Of course it's humor. The Obama admin is a ****ing joke.
 
Eh...

I'm more or less sold on extending the tax cuts for those earning under $250,000 (note that those above this level still pay low takes on everything up to this), but I'm on the fence as to the tax cuts for income above this.

I'm okay with the government running a deficit in a recession, but only if they pay it back later, which I'm doubtful they will, they'll probably just chuck it onto the national debt and leave it there. Debt reduction should be #2 on the agenda, right after getting us out of the recession. It costs too much over the long term, and is basically giving money to China when that money could be better spent here.
 
from apdst

How would Obama explain to the American people that he raised their taxes, all because he has a giant hard-on for rich folks?

Not the proper question at all. it should have been

How will the national Republican Party explain to the American people that they caused their taxes to be raised because they kiss the fat behinds of the rich?

The Dems could have run on that for a generation and won. But Obama threw away the trump card.
 
Holy crap, this looks like a Republican "compromise".

By that I mean "We'll compromise by giving you what you want, just less of it". We'll give you tax cuts, just for less time then you'd like.

This is the type of compromises that always annoy me with republicans. We'll give you minimum wage, just less. We'll give you welfare, just less. We'll give you spending, just left. We'll give you healthcare, just less. Kind of nice to see that kind of "compromise" happening on the opposite side for once.
 
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