Obama and the tax cut issue

[Kobi]

I am getting a little concerned with how Obama is handling this issue. I am surprised at how he is spending so much time negotiating with the Republican leadership while seemingly ignoring his own party opposition in the House.

Given the coming changing of the guard come January, is this a prudent approach or an example of the Stockholm syndrome?

Discuss.

[atomiczombie]

I am SOOOOOO disappointed with prez Obama. I knew during the campaign that he wouldn't be able to keep every promise he made, cause thats the reality of all presidents. But come on, he is spineless! I can't imagine any issue he is willing to risk his presidency over.

On a happier note, Bernie Sanders led a Democrat filibuster of the proposed bill today. Check it out:

http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_new...al-fillibuster

[MsDemeanor]

Don't get me started......there's a three page rant in my brain.

On the plus side, the 2012 Democratic presidential ticket is wide open, as it's become clear that Obama will be seeking re-election as a Republican.

[betenoire]

Originally Posted by atomiczombie

I am SOOOOOO disappointed with prez Obama. I knew during the campaign that he wouldn't be able to keep every promise he made, cause thats the reality of all presidents. But come on, he is spineless! I can't imagine any issue he is willing to risk his presidency over.

On a happier note, Bernie Sanders led a Democrat filibuster of the proposed bill today. Check it out:

http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_new...al-fillibuster

I'm watching it live right now. It's kinda sexy.

linkyloo

[MsTinkerbelly]

Originally Posted by betenoire

I'm watching it live right now. It's kinda sexy.

linkyloo

I watched an interview Racheal Maddow did with Senator Sanders a week or so ago; I would vote for him if he ran for President! He has a whole lot of common sense that most of them seem to be lacking these days.

[betenoire]

Originally Posted by MsTinkerbelly

I watched an interview Racheal Maddow did with Senator Sanders a week or so ago; I would vote for him if he ran for President! He has a whole lot of common sense that most of them seem to be lacking these days.

Plus his accent is kind of sexy.

No seriously, I'm loving his accent. I'm still watching. Oh, and he does make sense and isn't a jackass.

(I'll probably mute cspan for a few minutes so I can watch him on Maddow, though.)

[katsarecool]

Being the President is the hardest job in the world!!! That said, I stand behind President Obama in his decision. Why you ask? The behaviors of the Republicans in the last few weeks especially will without a doubt bite them in the ass in 2012.

Republicans have flat out said they would not be renewing Federal Unemployment for the nine million Americans and their dependents. And their extended families who are bound to be angry at their behavior and not likely to forget this slight and abuse of power. They have also made disparaging remarks repeatedly about those who are out of work. And have referred repeatedly to Unemployment Insurance as Entitlement Programs which it is not. Employers pay for this insurance each month while processing payroll. So it is not a handout as Republicans would wish all Americans to believe.

Obama's decision was a very intelligent one and in addition it clearly demonstrates his concern for the middle class in this country. Which is what we all want in a President; a person who shows compassion and the ability to be able to perceive how he can best help the majority of our citizens. Thats what I want.

The Republicans will feel the sting of their DADT actions as well. I feel the citizens will also remember the Republicans vicious manovers in pushing through the tax cuts for the rich!!!!

All of the behaviours will rise to the surface during the campaign of 2012 and I hope many of us participate in getting the word out.

The Democrats who are opposed to his actions are for the most part postulating for their constituents; it is mostly for show. They ought to be careful of their behaviors as well.

There are some financial experts on sites such as Huffington Post who are expressing similar opinions as mine.

[katsarecool]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hoyt-h..._b_794452.html

At first blush, President Obama's tax cut deal -- trading an extension of tax cuts for the wealthy in return for an extension of unemployment benefits for millions of Americans -- is a setback for Obama and the Democrats. But a closer look at the reality of the deal makes this a clear win for Obama, and probably for Democrats in the long run. Even better, it appears that Obama has finally hit his stride and is now beating the Republicans at their own game.

Granted, it is outrageous to be subsidizing tax breaks for millionaires in the midst of the Great Recession -- not to mention adding to the deficit. But let's look at the facts for a moment -- both of the policy and the politics. First, on the policy front, the tax cut deal amounts to a $900 billion dollar stimulus package at a time when most economists -- notably progressive economists like Paul Krugman -- are calling for continued stimulus to promote economic growth. Can you imagine the reaction from the Republicans and the Tea Partiers -- not to mention Blue Dog Democrats -- if Obama had proposed a $900 billion stimulus package? But that is exactly what the Republicans have agreed to.

This was clearly a case where the White House outfoxed the Republicans by leveraging their own inconsistent ideology against them. At the very same time that the Republicans are screaming about government spending and about lowering the deficit, they were stonewalling any attempt to take away big tax handouts to the wealthiest Americans. Okay, said Obama, have it your way. We'll let you have your tax cut extension in return for extending assistance to the millions of unemployed Americans who desperately need our help. Fine, said the Republicans, perhaps gloating over their tax cut victory, but not realizing that theirs was nothing more than a Pyrrhic victory. The net result -- another $900 billion stimulus package. Try explaining that to the Tea Partiers.

When you look at the politics of the deal, Obama's victory over the Republicans seems even more impressive. Another $900 billion in stimulus funds will certainly help to hasten the recovery, which is already on a slow uptick. By 2012, the economy should be on the upswing, if not in full recovery, which will only help Obama's re-election prospects. Clearly, the single most important factor in the re-election of any presidential incumbent is the state of the economy, and this week's tax cut deal makes Obama's re-election chances look considerably brighter. (For the sake of the country, we must address the deficit for the long term. But I would much rather have rational, progressive approach to deficit cutting than the knee-jerk, inconsistent Tea Party sloganeering).

As for the Republicans, the tax cut deal rips open the inconsistencies in both their politics and their policies. From a policy standpoint, they are screaming about the deficit and government spending while they push for tax cuts for the richest Americans at the expense of millions of the unemployed. In any universe, that is both bad politics and bad policy. Their position will come back to haunt them as they try to explain their position not only to the Republican base, but especially to independents in the future.

Perhaps more importantly -- from the perspective of political optics -- the public will recognize before long that the Republicans cut a very bad deal, and that Obama was particularly adroit in outmaneuvering them. In fact, this deal may be the same kind of important turning point as the Gingrich shutdown of the government in 1995. Looking back, the tax cut deal may be regarded as the point when Obama finally regained his stride.

From a purely political perspective, the opposition that Obama is experiencing from Democrats in Congress is actually a positive for the White House. When the rest of the country -- especially the independents -- see Obama getting flack from his own party for the deal, he will rise in their estimation as someone who is willing to take on his own base. In truth, when the outlines of this Obama victory become clear, it is likely that most Democrats in Congress and around the country will realize that Obama has regained his mojo and outfoxed the Republicans at their own game.

[Nat]

I feel pretty hopeless about the state of the country at the moment. I think this really defeated my hope. I feel like going into hibernation now. My feelings on Obama regularly change. I think he's a human being, that he ran - as most politicians do - on empty promises. I think he's better than McCain. I don't think he does anything based on his own convictions or conscience alone, and I guess I am starting to personally dislike him. But I will still be voting for him in two years and I hope things look better by then.

[dreadgeek]

Originally Posted by Kobi

I am getting a little concerned with how Obama is handling this issue. I am surprised at how he is spending so much time negotiating with the Republican leadership while seemingly ignoring his own party opposition in the House.

Given the coming changing of the guard come January, is this a prudent approach or an example of the Stockholm syndrome?

Discuss.

I think that Obama is demonstrating the advanced stages of Battered-Democrat-Syndrome. In year one, I had thought--as it turns out mistakenly--that Obama was some kind of political jujitsu master and that he would allow the GOP to to demonstrate just how uncooperative they were being and then, just when they were getting cocky, toss them over his shoulder with a flip of the wrist all the time looking serene. That is not what I’m seeing. Rather, I'm seeing him capitulate to the GOP time and time again. What's worse is that he does it before negotiations.

My understanding of compromise was that you give up something you want and I give up something I want and we meet in the middle. But that's not what Obama is doing. Instead, he gives up *everything* he wants and gets nothing in return. Hell, the Republicans turn their noses up at their OWN plans if Obama adopted them.

Now, I've read two op-eds basically saying that all of us liberals who aren't Obama, Larry Summers or Tim Geitner don't understand that Obama won. But if this is a win, I'm not sure what defeat would look like.

Cheers
Aj