Well, well..."McConnell Offers Law to Keep Bush-Era Tax Rates"

[quiet.american]

"The Chin" thinks it's a great idea to not only drive the car into a ditch again, this time, he wants to smash it into a brick wall first. It's going to be an interesting week. And not for nothing, this NYT article is also skewed heavily towards a "conservative" viewpoint - it neglects to mention even once that Bush tax cuts were a large part of getting us into the current mess, and the cost of continuing them.

McConnell Offers Law to Keep Bush-Era Tax Rates
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/us/politics/14cong.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

WASHINGTON – The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, proposed legislation on Monday to continue the Bush-era income tax cuts indefinitely, even for the wealthiest Americans, testing the willingness of Democrats to vote for a tax increase in a weak economy and making clear that the partisan fight over taxes will extend deep into the campaign season if not beyond. Mr. McConnell’s proposal came a day after the House Republican leader, John A. Boehner of Ohio, opened the door to a potential compromise, saying he would vote for President Obama’s plan to extend the tax cuts only for households earning less than $250,000 if he had no other choice.

Cue the usual suspects --

...Joseph I. Lieberman, the Connecticut independent, reiterated his support for maintaining the tax breaks at all income levels, at least for a year, in a speech on Monday morning to the chamber of commerce in Middlesex, Conn.

“I don’t think it makes sense to raise any federal taxes during the uncertain economy we are struggling through,” Mr. Lieberman said in his prepared remarks. “The more money we leave in private hands, the quicker our economic recovery will be. And that means I will do everything I can to make sure Congress extends the so-called Bush tax cuts for another year, and takes action to prevent the estate tax from rising back to where it was.”

Senator Ben Nelson, Democrat of Nebraska, issued a statement last week urging the same approach, saying he did not want any taxes going up until his state’s economy improves. “I support extending all of the expiring tax cuts until Nebraska’s and the nation’s economy is in better shape, and perhaps longer, because raising taxes in a weak economy could impair recovery,” he said....

[Cha]

1. lieberman is always trying to

insult the intellegence of the American voter in order to carry out his slimey agenda.

I think President Obama explained why the bush tax cuts needed to expire.. quite well in all his speeches lately and even in his presser where he has to get the message out with so many rabidly frothing to distort it.

[quiet.american]

4. Cha, for years I've wondered why Lieberman is tolerated by Democratic leadership.

The other thing I've wondered, is how does the guy live with himself? "Slimey" is an apt description.

[LiberalAndProud]

2. Dear Sen. Nelson:

Warren Buffet is not struggling in this economy. If we raise taxes on the upper reaches of his income, I don't think it's going to cost one.single.job. Mr. Buffet is on record as supporting higher taxes on his own income. So you aren't representing either one of us.

Who are you advocating for in Nebraska?

Signed,
A concerned Nebraskan

I wonder if Buffett will ask him to reconsider.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/tax/article1996735.ece
June 28, 2007

Buffett blasts system that lets him pay less tax than secretary

Warren Buffett, the third-richest man in the world, has criticised the US tax system for allowing him to pay a lower rate than his secretary and his cleaner.

[quiet.american]

5. Well said! nt

[Cha]

3. "Sixth national poll shows majority support for ending tax cuts for rich"

<snip>

"The other day I noted that five national polls revealed solid majority support for ending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.

We now have a sixth poll: The National Journal Congressional Connection Poll, conducted with the Pew Research Center, finds the same.

The numbers: Twenty nine percent support ending only the tax cuts for the rich, and 28 percent ending all the tax cuts -- meaning a total of 57 percent support letting the tax cuts for the rich expire. Only 29 percent, or less than a third, support the GOP position of keeping all the tax cuts in place.

Support also runs strong among independents, with 28 percent supporting ending the tax cuts for the rich, and 31 percent supporting an end to them all -- a total of 59 percent.

<snip>

But right now Dem leaders are engaged in intense debate over how -- and how aggressively -- to take a stand on this issue. And this is a national battle in the sense that in a nationalized election, such a fight could clearly define the differences between the two parties. Whatever is going on in individual districts, such nationalized messaging would presumably trickle down and impact these races.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/