Here Comes Failure
Thanks a lot, President Obama. From the New York Times:
Rather than extending the tax rates only on income described by Democrats as middle class — up to $250,000 a year for couples and $200,000 for individuals — the deal would also keep the rates for higher earners, probably for two years. In return, Republicans said they would probably agree to extend jobless aid for the long-term unemployed. "
How can you even begin to explain what a thorough, humiliating failure this is for a party that still controls both houses of Congress by large margins? Can Obama be so stupid as to think that the same Republican howling about "raising taxes" that made him collapse this time will not occur in two years, when he is running for reelection? And even the fig leaf of the Republican agreement to extend unemployment benefits is not any kind of a guarantee. In fact, what can be virtually guaranteed is that, with Obama capitulating on this issue, the Republicans are going to demand more and more before they allow unemployment benefits to be extended.
As Kos points out, just 26% of Americans favor extending the Bush tax giveaways to the rich. With that kind of popular support, Can't Obama find it in himself to make some kind of stand against this abominable theft of our resources? Apparently not.
This is a thorough rout. Once again, the rich have their way, no matter what damage it does to the country, and in the end, Obama isn't lifting a finger to protect the rest of us. There are no words to explain my fury at this man's voluntary impotence.
"White House officials and Congressional Republicans said Sunday they were closing in on a deal to temporarily continue the Bush-era tax cuts at all income levels, while bitterly frustrated Democratic Congressional leaders began exploring whether they would have the votes for such a package.
Rather than extending the tax rates only on income described by Democrats as middle class — up to $250,000 a year for couples and $200,000 for individuals — the deal would also keep the rates for higher earners, probably for two years. In return, Republicans said they would probably agree to extend jobless aid for the long-term unemployed. "
How can you even begin to explain what a thorough, humiliating failure this is for a party that still controls both houses of Congress by large margins? Can Obama be so stupid as to think that the same Republican howling about "raising taxes" that made him collapse this time will not occur in two years, when he is running for reelection? And even the fig leaf of the Republican agreement to extend unemployment benefits is not any kind of a guarantee. In fact, what can be virtually guaranteed is that, with Obama capitulating on this issue, the Republicans are going to demand more and more before they allow unemployment benefits to be extended.
As Kos points out, just 26% of Americans favor extending the Bush tax giveaways to the rich. With that kind of popular support, Can't Obama find it in himself to make some kind of stand against this abominable theft of our resources? Apparently not.
This is a thorough rout. Once again, the rich have their way, no matter what damage it does to the country, and in the end, Obama isn't lifting a finger to protect the rest of us. There are no words to explain my fury at this man's voluntary impotence.
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