Democrats unlikely to repeal tax cuts for the rich

[peace frog]

Source: McClatchy

WASHINGTON — Democrats in Congress are poised to play a leading role this month in thwarting their party's effort to raise income tax rates on the wealthy.

Tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003 expire at the end of this year. President Barack Obama and Democratic congressional leaders have been eager to extend the breaks for individuals who earn less than $200,000 annually and joint filers who make less than $250,000. Those who earn more would pay higher, pre-2001 rates starting next year.

However, a small but growing number of moderate Democrats are balking at boosting taxes on the rich. Many face electorates that recoil at the mention of any tax increase. Some represent areas that are loaded with wealthier taxpayers. Further, some incumbent senators who don't face voters this fall are reluctant to increase taxes on anyone while the economy remains sluggish.

Without their support, the push to raise rates on the rich probably will fail.




Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/01/99992/democrats-unlikely-to-repeal-tax.html

[DJ13]

1. Stupid bastards

[KarenS]

2. +1 n/t

[bullimiami]

7. NO SHIT. Corporocraticublicans are the majority party.

[sasquuatch55]

22. Then they can kiss my ass!!!!!

nt

[OhioChick]

66. No shit n/t

[defendandprotect]

73. PLEASE ... this isn't "stupidity" ... this is corruption, bribery of elected officials--!!!

[valerief]

3. They need a vote to sunset???? nt

[mzmolly]

12. No, the entire premise of the article is BS.

:hi:

[valerief]

13. Okay, thanks. For a moment I felt like a teabagger -- befuddled. nt

[westerebus]

44. Baffled and bewildered

I think we can can a song out of this.:rofl:

[AlbertCat]

18. No, the entire premise of the article is BS.

Yes indeedy do. It's that "Librul Media" at it again!

If they do nothing, the tax cuts for the wealthy will go away all by themselves.

Leave it to Dems, though, to get doing nothing wrong. (The Repugs are great at it!)

[Kweli4Real]

31. Yeah, but ...

so do all the other tax cuts, including those affecting moderate incomed folks.

[mzmolly]

46. I'm willing to forgo my so called tax cut.

I'd rather pay the deficit now than leave it to our children.

[Hello_Kitty]

55. Be willing to forgo the 2012 Presidential election.

They will destroy Obama if middle class taxes go up.

[mzmolly]

58. Let them try, given "THEY" will be responsible.

:hi:

[Hello_Kitty]

61. "THEY" won't have to.

I hope I'm wrong but I've predicted that the tax cuts on the rich would be extended for a long time. The GOP and ConservaDems will force Obama and progressive Congresscritters' hands on this. :(

[mzmolly]

64. I think your predictions are very wrong. Obama has followed through

on everything he said he'd do thus far. I think he's a person of his word.

[defendandprotect]

76. Obama is destroying himself in playing right wing corporate games .....

[DonCoquixote]

127. that is exactly the plan..

what makes people think the blue dogs want obama to win..they rode the gravy train for 30 years, and a democrat in the white house ruins that.

[defendandprotect]

75. ... and by the time you pay it, they'll have four more perpetual wars going on...

and will have quadrupled MIC budget!!

Please ....!!!

[mzmolly]

88. More non points

from my passionate e friend. Hello defend. :hi:

[defendandprotect]

104. You think YOU can pay off the deficit . . . ???

And you think this is the end of right wing/perpetual wars?

Any chance they get they'll be back at it --

Just like moving from one financial scam to another -- these are

parts of the right wing pattern that will always be with us!

:hi:

[mzmolly]

105. There are no wars being planned by this whitehouse and I think WE

can pay off the deficit, yes.

[defendandprotect]

108. I'm not talking about Obama ... I'm talking about the official rightwing . . .

Bush added Trillions to the deficit -- and his tax cuts for the rich only

increase the deficit.

Even if you forego tax cuts on the middle class, it comes no where near making

up for Reagan/Bush tax cuts for wealthy.

The very SURPLUS that Clinton was pointing to was to accrue over years and was

basically based on Social Security surplusses which are $250 Billion every year --

if not more now. Quite a Slush Fund for wars and elites!

Trust we won't see any new wars from Democrats -- but certainly any chance the

right wing has to move on war again, they will take it. Especially re Iran.

[RKP5637]

115. With the perpetual Iraq mess (thank you, Mr. Bush), I can only conclude

war with Iran is around the corner. We have gotten into such a F'en mess in the Middle East it's hard to conclude the US will ever get extricated from there especially if the RW has its way. And the MIC will love it...

[CLANG]

119. Right on - let them all expire - AS PLANNED!

Then they can blame it on Bush.

[GOTV]

120. Me too. there's no excuse for leaving this debt to our kids.

[martymar64]

93. I can live with paying my taxes at 2000 levels

As long as they wealthy pay their fair share again, I am all for the tax cuts expiring.

[AlbertCat]

111. so do all the other tax cuts,

That's when the Dems are supposed to come in with their OWN new and improved tax cuts for the middle class and small business....


and watch the Repugs rant and rail, hold them up and vote against them, But fail to stop them, and Dems get lots of credit!









Yeah yeah.... I know.....

[Kweli4Real]

30. No ...

The sunset is in place. The problem is if the Bush tax cuts expire, they ALL of the tax cuts expire, including the ones affecting moderate incomed folks. In order to do what the administration wants, congress would have to re-write the legislation ... Or, President Obama could accomplish it through an Executive Order [but then we'd have to change his title from President to King, Dictator, Monarch, or the like.

[wpelb]

131. I was thinking the same thing

It takes a positive action to extend the Bush tax cuts to anyone. The only thing that the Democrats who want to preserve them for the wealthiest 1-2% or whatever can do is try to attach an amendment to any legislation extending the cuts for everyone else.

[Hello_Kitty]

4. This is my last straw.

I really want to see how the usual suspects are going to defend this.

[emulatorloo]

34. The taxcuts are going to expire. They don't need to be "repealed" - the story is BS

[liberalmuse]

40. Thank you.

I even got worked up, until I remembered that was likely the aim, as it is with all these sorts of crap stories - to get the liberals pissed off so they won't show up to vote this November.

[Hello_Kitty]

52. That's the headline. But the intent of the ConservaDems is clear.

They're going to hold the extension of middle class tax cuts hostage to rich people's tax cuts. Extending tax cuts to the top 2% is going to cost us hundreds of billions. And they'll cut SS and Medicare to pay for it.

[defendandprotect]

78. Filibuster should be taken "hostage" by Dems . . .

[quakerboy]

A new tax cut will be entered into law

Its not whether it will happen, its what the details will be. Middle class tax cuts will be there. Obama is gonna fight to keep that campaign promise, I'd bet money. The question is whether they will include an upperclass tax cut as well.

While the framing of it is crap, the end result is the same. Will the tax cuts for the rich end or will the be continued.

[RKP5637]

5. WTF! WTF! WTF! n/t

[vi5]

6. That will be the end of it for me...

...that, coupled with the catfood commission is seriously going to put me over the edge of possibly not even gratuitously and begrudgingly voting democratic. That would seriously be the last straw.

[RussBLib]

128. no shit

...and we thought the Dems were serious about controlling and reducing the deficit? Not if they let the wealthy escape with the tax cuts.

[DBoon]

8. well, they do get a disproportionate amount fo campaign dollars from the wealth

so of course they will vote in the interests of their contributors

[Demeter]

9. Are they insane?

How many people have to say NO to their solicitations beofre they get the message: WE ARE NOT AMUSED.

[RKP5637]

15. Do any of them really care what we think? I used to think so, but unless you are

in a position to wave a lot of money at them, anymore, they don't give a F what you think. You are just one cog in the donation machine.

A minority might care, but not the majority IMO. I'm over the lofty ideals I used to have about the democratic party. I'm still the same, but the current democratic party has left me.

And they will tell you, you have to vote for them, because we have no alternative.

[The Northerner]

10. They better let the rich pay or they might lose plenty of progressive votes

[fascisthunter]

24. actually they already lost a lot of progressives

this will be a death blow.

[L0oniX]

96. +1000

[mzmolly]

11. This article is crap. They don't have to repeal jack.

"Tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003 expire at the end of this year."

[sweetloukillbot]

16. But Obama wants to extend the middle and lower class tax cuts...

Those also expire. Republicans are refusing to pass the extension without also extending the upper class cuts...

[jobycom]

20. That's simple. We control Congress. We put the extensions on the floor and make the Republicans

reject them, then we tell everyone that the Republicans raised their taxes. They do that to us all the time. The Republicans can try to explain to the voters that they only raised their taxes so they could get lower taxes for the very rich, too. Why are we always on the defensive even when we have the winning hand?

[Kweli4Real]

35. I like that!

[mzmolly]

49. EXACTLY!

:hi:

[Hello_Kitty]

53. Because President Lieberman wants it that way. eom

[defendandprotect]

81. Exactly . . . and the "why" of it is because Obama/Dems are playing pro-corporate games....

[yodermon]

123. you fail at "we tell everyone"

"we" democrats don't tell anyone jack shit. The corp whore media tells the masses that democrats are satan incarnate on every issue, wholesale, full stop.

[mzmolly]

48. Then let Republicans stand in the way of middle class tax relief.

:hi:

[progressoid]

14. Not surprised.

It's only a couple months until November after all.

[Tx4obama]

17. The article is BS. The tax-cuts MUST expire - it's what the law says.

Don't let the BS'ers get ya upset.
People are trying to divide the Democrats.
Don't let them win!!!

[RhodaA]

29. You're right

I posted the same thing below. Tax cuts automatically expire. Would need 60 votes to re-instate the cuts. Won't happen. Only thing that will be a problem is extending cuts for the middle class. Repubs will want to make some kind of deal.

[mzmolly]

50. I say no deal. They either vote for legislation on tax cuts for the middle class

or they reject said tax cuts.

[RhodaA]

59. Agree

There are other avenues to get middle class cuts. Don't bargain with the devil.

[mzmolly]

62. Welcome to DU.

:hi:

[RhodaA]

101. Thank you, mzmolly!!

Like the smile.

[txlibdem]

114. No deals with the party of thieves and liars (R's)

No deal. Get Biden in his chair in the Senate and push it through.

Start taking away committee seats and chairmanships for un-Democratic members.

[dkf]

19. The question is how much do they want the $500 per child tax credit or the removal of the marriage

Penalty.

It's probably repeal all or repeal nothing.

[onehandle]

21. We're going to lose the House anyway. Repeal tax cuts for the rich. nt

[fascisthunter]

23. The Jig is up... Now I too think Nader was Right

maybe there really is no difference between the two parties. I'm sickened by this...

This better be bullshit.

[V_Byl]

25. Just let all of the Bush tax cuts expire...

...and then repeal all the nonsense trade agreements that give us the 'freedom' to compete with people in communist countries earning $1.00/day (if they're lucky) with no worker protections. Get out of the WTO. Put a few protective tariffs in place on industries we need in the US, and I bet we can get rid of that national debt in no time.

Yeah, I got off topic, but oh well - it's been one of those days :)

[russspeakeasy]

26. Then.....F....Them

And we all need to see their names/....................

[RhodaA]

27. Misleading Story

Don't need votes to raise tax rates; they expire automatically. Only need votes to re-instate the cuts and they will never get 60 votes to do this.

Problem will be extending the tax cuts for middle class only

[emulatorloo]

32. Thanks for the "reality check" -very misleading story.

WELCOME TO DU!

[RhodaA]

56. Thank you, emulatorloo

I'vbe been reading the site for a long time.

[defendandprotect]

83. Economy/Jobs are the primary issue -- put more people back to work, taxes pick up....

Tax cuts for middle class keep economy going --

tax cuts for rich simply increase the power of the enemy!

[metapunditedgy]

28. "*MODERATE*" Democrats? Is that what it has come to? Low taxes for the super-wealthy

is a "moderate" stance?

[emulatorloo]

33. The Bush taxcuts are going to expire. They don't have to "vote on" them expiring, they just

expire. The story is misleading.

[metapunditedgy]

38. But the *way* it misleads is revealing. Do we want to concede the term "MODERATE" to

those who want to extend the tax cuts?

[Phlem]

36. Ya'll think

we're being represented!????

I hope it sinks in this time!

The push to the left needs to be continuous, incessant, and never ending.

The greedy never rest nor should we (progressive democrats).

-p

[bluestateguy]

37. October 2002

CW Meme: If the Democrats just vote for the Iraq War Resolution then they can get it off the table before the elections, and they'll be just fine.

Uh huh.

[crim son]

39. Is that so?

It's unacceptable. After everything else, it is totally unacceptable to me.

[alfredo]

41. Why not just do nothing. Let the law expire as intended.

[mzmolly]

51. That's what we will do. The article is bologna.

:hi:

[Hello_Kitty]

54. Which means taxes on a lot of middle class people will go up.

Wait until Joe and Jane Picket Fence realize their child tax credit has been cut in half. Retaining the middle class tax cuts is crucial to Obama sticking to his promise that he won't raise taxes on 95% of the country.

[mzmolly]

57. Which means that Obama is not responsible for any tax increase.

Further, Obama can put the "Picket Fence's" who are on the fence, firmly in the D category if Republicans vote to increase taxes.

[Hello_Kitty]

63. OMG you don't really believe that do you? eom

[mzmolly]

65. Yes I REALLY DO.

I'd love for the R's to hand us the "increase taxes on the middle-class in their time of need" gift.

[CLANG]

121. Obama isn't raising taxes

Bush put this ticking time-bomb in place - designed to expire! This will be a belated Bush tax increase.

[alfredo]

103. We won't repeal it because it is self-repealing. They will

most likely intro a bill that will extend the tax breaks for the middle class. The Republicans won't like that one bit and will whine, stamp their feet, and run out the clock. They won't get to keep their handsome tax breaks, and they gave a campaign "gift" to the Dems, and we get to see more money directed to shrink the debt. Nobody will really feel the change because the middle class got so little, and the rich have so much, they won't notice.

The Republicans wrote the tax bill that way, so they should shut the fuck up.

[mzmolly]

107. Well

said. :hi:

[alfredo]

112. This next session will be posturing and counting down

the days until recess. It will be short and nasty, and I doubt much will get done.

On edit: I hope I'm wrong.

[gristy]

42. un-rec'd

bs story, as others have noted

[Hello_Kitty]

60. What's bs about it? It says the tax cuts are set to expire right at the beginning

Which is the semantic point people are trying to refute it with. Everyone here knows, or should know, that the plan was supposedly to let the tax cuts on the rich expire while retaining the cuts for everyone else. But the ConservaDems are going to hold everything hostage to tax cuts for the rich, to do the bidding of their wealthy donors.

[mzmolly]

67. The headline is BS "Democrats unlikely to repeal tax cuts for the rich"

There is nothing to repeal. If your spin is accurate, wouldn't a better headline be "Republicans unlikely to extend tax cuts for the middle class?"

I'm tired of the media spin, and the people here who jump on it without thinking. We're SUPPOSED to be better than that.

[Hello_Kitty]

82. Evan Bayh is a Republican? eom

[mzmolly]

84. How is your question relevant

to my post about the misleading headline?

[Dawgs]

124. Are you intentionally ignoring everyone else's posts?

The ConservaDems can't stop it. They will expire and the Democrats can create a new bill that gives tax cuts to the middle class. It's actually pretty simple.

[bergie321]

43. If they are extended

The Green Party just gained a voter.

[russspeakeasy]

45. I will not only vote against you, I will work against you.

[OwnedByFerrets]

47. And if you are surprised, get your head outta the sand

[quakerboy]

68. Just when I think to myself

Democrats, come hell or high water, Gonna vote Democrat, even gonna grit my teeth and donate and work for Democrats, cause the alternative is worse. Just then, they come and kick me in the teeth and make me question whether its really worth fighting to save this system.

Fuck. Fuck.

[RKP5637]

116. "... whether it's really worth fighting to save this system." Frankly, I'm starting to

wonder the same. I've watched over the past several decades the system being rigged against most Americans over and over. I've gotten really F'en fed up with it all. I have some friends that have just completely tuned out. They feel it's so rigged, monied, bribed and basically corrupt.
:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[European Socialist]

69. I think Karl Rove must be running the campaign for the Dems,,,,

Keeping tax cuts for the rich while cutting SS is suicide. Who would have thought this possible two years ago?

[yurbud]

70. would you like your corporate lackey party with or without religious nuts?

that seems to be what our choices have deteriorated to.

[NCarolinawoman]

79. LOL

So true, so true. :spray: :thumbsup:

[varelse]

80. Pretty much, yes (nt)

[EC]

71. Obama had better veto... n/t

[JerseygirlCT]

72. Cowards

A Congress full of cowards.

Is it the right thing to do for the country? Then you do it. Politics - and keeping their own jobs - should be the last thing considered.

And you know what? I'm betting that courage would be rewarded. People aren't all as stupid as they think.

[Capn Sunshine]

74. THE PREMISE OF THE ARTICLE IS BS

C'Mon people! You're all so ready to bitch and moan you don't even read any more.

[mzmolly]

86. Agreed!

Hello Captain. :hi: Long time to see.

[JerseygirlCT]

95. Well, glad to hear it!nt

[Carnage251]

77. "Reconciliation" to keep tax cuts for the middle class!

[wisteria]

85. So, if this article is true, some Democrats don't care to do what is right for this country and

lower the deficit by letting the tax cuts expired, instead they are more concerned with party power. What a shame.

[LawnKorn]

87. Good politics not to raise taxes in an election year. Wait until we secure our control of Congress

Good politics not to raise taxes in an election year. Wait until we secure our control of Congress - then raise taxes.

We need to do it right and avoid the debacle of the Health Care Bill.

Correct the tax structure is a series of short bills addressing the most egregious points first.

1. Short 10 page bill to increase the marginal rate on incomes over 1 million dollars.
2. Short 5 page bill to address the estate tax and prevent unearned wealth to accumulate.
3. Short 10 page bill to encourage investment in needed jobs programs here in the United States.
4. Short 10 page bill to give relief to people earning the lowest wages.

And it goes on and on. We get the needed tax reform the American people deserve. We get the Republicans used to the idea that Democrats run this country and we pass legislation on a regular basis.

[INdemo]

89. Obama has hinted that he would like to extend the tax cuts

The corporate bosses have dangled the strings on our puppet President and they will get what they want..We have a majority in Congress that we cannot defeat..That is the corporatist's..Oh we might have a handful of real Democratic progressives but what exactly can they do against these corporate forces?? We are screwed


Democratic voters can see that there is really no difference between the Democratic Majority (the corporate Democrats) and Republicans they just wont show up at the polls and Republicans win..Take your own poll..this is the mind set of an awful lot of Democrats..

[Hulk]

90. This had better not happen!

I would be just as angry as if we invaded Iran the next day. The Democrats had better get a damned back bone quick, or they'll be getting my boot up their asses. I'd like to know who is getting weak kneed????

[CLANG]

91. Then they can all go to hell. Or anywhere else they can eternally suffer.

[Change Happens]

92. I say to them, go ahead mother fuckers, make my day...All they have to do is DO NOTHING

They will expire and that's all...I will seriously consider working AGAINST each one of them who will vote for keeping the tax cuts - for real.

[bullwinkle428]

94. My own Democratic congressman told us he might EXTEND ALL

BUSH TAX CUTS!!!

He is NOT a Conservadem!!

He gave us the line that the wealthy drive a great deal of demand in America, and it's important to keep the economic engine running...blah, blah, blah.

Everyone in this thread that insists the cuts won't be extended (talking about the wealthiest incomes specifically) has no fucking idea what they're talking about! :argh:

[KansDem]

98. "...the wealthy drive a great deal of demand in America,..."

Anyone remind him that's what Reaganomics was all about? That by giving the wealthy more money, they will invest in America and jobs? What happened with that? IT DIDN'T WORK!!!

The wealthy took their new-found swag and invested it in foreign companies that paid their workers pennies. And they squirreled away much in secret, off-shore tax havens.

In short, "trickle down" was pure "trick."

[bullwinkle428]

102. Most people at the event were pissed - unfortunately, he's got

that serious appeasement gene that plagues Obama, it seems to me.

[Dawgs]

125. How's he going to do that with no bill?

They only bill that will be presented is the one that will end tax cuts for the rich, and keep tax cuts for the middle class. If it doesn't pass then they all expire.

There is no way, unless Pelosi & Reid are as weak as some claim, that tax cuts for the rich will ever get voted on.

[dpbrown]

97. They don't need a repeal. The premise is flawed.

Let the breaks expire. We want taxes at the Reagan era levels.

[JDPriestly]

99. So, we have to show Democrats that there are political consequences when

they don't tax the rich as they should be taxed.

I say. Let all the tax cuts expire. And then, separately lower the taxes for the middle class and lower income people.

[nyy1998]

100. Pelosi doesn't have to bring this bill to a vote if she doesn't have the votes.

The worst case is that the middle class tax cuts will also expire, best case is the middle class ones are kept, and the wealthy ones expire.

[L0oniX]

106. Two sides of the same coin always comes to mind when I hear of this sort of thing.

I guess the only hope left is that I, we or someone hopes their vote will make a difference. I have abandoned that hope and I consider it a waste.

[liberal N proud]

109. Fucking WIMPS!

All they have to do is NOTHING! and they can't even accomplish that.

[JNelson6563]

110. Cue the hysterics on DU!

An opinion piece in LBN that is totally working from a false premise. Watch the DUers line up to scream bloody murder. Fools. I remember when DU always saw through such MSM crap, now it gets lapped up.

Julie

[ShamelessHussy]

113. you know what they say about being once burned...

twice shy

and it happens over and over again... i guess we shouldn't voice our concerns until after they make their decisions, eh?

[mzmolly]

118. Amazing isn't it?

"I remember when DU always saw through such MSM crap, now it gets lapped up." :crazy:

:hi:

[Dawgs]

126. +1. This place used to be immune to fear.

Not anymore. :(

[BlueMTexpat]

117. There is no "push to raise rates on the rich" as per this article ...

but there is general agreement among those who take the trouble to inform themselves that the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans should simply expire on schedule. It makes good fiscal sense if one is truly concerned about the US deficit, debt and the economy.

I call BS on this article.

[Ganja Ninja]

122. While the article may be BS, I have no doubt that the usual blue dog ...

suspects are ready willing and able to line up with the GOP again and vote to extend the Bush tax cuts at the expense of the rest of the party.

[merkins]

129. Reming me again why we worked our asses off to elect these shills?

Dear God what the fuck does this party stand for anymore?
who are we ?

[avaistheone1]

130. Once more NO real change in America.

Thanks Obama and Dems.