GOP: No Compromise on Bush Tax Cuts

[steelmania75]

WASHINGTON -- Just as Senate Minority Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has attempted to lower expectations in recent days by saying that Republicans can't really accomplish anything unless President Obama is voted out of office in 2012, so too did Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) set the stage on Sunday by declaring that any lack of progress in Congress -- including a possible government shutdown -- will be Obama's fault.

"I would say, Chris, it's as much as his responsibility," said Cantor in response to a question from Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace about who will be to blame for a government shutdown or a default on the debt. "In fact, he is the one who sets the agenda as the chief executive and as the president of this country."

Cantor also made clear that if there's going to be any compromise, it's going to have to come from Obama, who has said he is willing to work with Republicans. Cantor, however, said that Republicans will work with Obama only if he agrees with them 100 percent.

"Listen, are we willing to work with him?" said Cantor on Sunday. "First and foremost, we're not going to be willing to work with him on the expansive liberal agenda he's been about, but if he is serious about working with us on things like earmarks, for instance -- which he said he would work with me on that -- I'm absolutely hopeful we can do that. I hope he calls Harry Reid the first thing to get the Senate to go along with the House position."

Earmarks may prove tricky for the GOP caucus though, because it's not clear that there is a unified Republican position. McConnell and Boehner have both said that they're in favor of an earmark moratorium -- a temporary suspension -- but have refused to go all-out in support of a permanent ban. "You can eliminate every congressional earmark and you would save no money," admitted McConnell in a speech last week at the conservative Heritage Foundation, essentially saying that one of the top ideas touted by Republicans to cut the deficit won't have much of an effect. When asked about a ban by Wallace on Sunday, Cantor simply replied that a moratorium was "essentially a suspension for the entire Congress."

Many Tea Party activists, however, have made a ban on earmarks a top priority, and they sharply criticized House Republican leaders when an earmark ban was not included in their Pledge to America.


Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/07/eric-cantor-compromise-tax-cuts-obama_n_780029.html


That's fine. Having the tax cuts expire altogether would be the best option anyway. This would actually help GREATLY towards balancing the budget that you Repukes say you're all for.

[fishwax]

1. of course not -- compromise is for democrats

that's been the GOP's approach for years ...

[kenny blankenship]

8. Well the "D" stands for Bipartisanship

so it's kind of like we're constitutionally required to give them 80 to 90% whatever they ask for, as long as they're being unreasonable about it.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

2. But I thought that we were all supposed to "work together" and "compromise"?

:eyes:

......or is just Democrats whom are supposed to "compromise"?

Inquiring minds would like to know.

[steelmania75]

3. Compromise=watering down great ideas and turning them into meh

[polichick]

4. Gee, I wonder who'll cave first. nt

[spanone]

5. no news. they haven't compromised for 2 years. fuckem. Obama better go for broke.

[Ruby the Liberal]

6. President Obama, are you hearing this? Are you listening??

He just said that he will work with you as long as you accept their position 100%.

WHEN are you going to wake up that you can't work with these people! You can only rubber stamp them.

Crimeny, the tax cuts in the stimulus bill (that they didn't then vote for) should have been the END of this back in February 2009.

[CanonRay]

7. I'm shocked, shocked I tell you

to hear that those beacons of democracy won't compromise. They think the word compromise means "to do it my way"

[stray cat]

9. Great - Let them expire and then let the GOP block a tax cut to the middle class

[Initech]

10. Same shit, different day.

Of course now that the pukes are in power, nothing will get done. :eyes:

[State the Obvious]

11. Wouldn't this be a very EASY Democratic talking point?.....

.....on just about EVERY issue?

How can we move forward, if Republicans refuse ("no compromise") to work with us?

(And WAIT for an answer.)

[tsuki]

12. Husband and I talked it over. We are willing to forego the tax cut

and pay more taxes. Unlike the GOP, we don't love America, the dirt; we love Americans, the people.

[emulatorloo]

13. Repubs still can't explain how blowing a big hole in the deficit will reduce it.

[MindandSoul]

14. Okay, no problem. . .let the Bush tax cuts expire. . .and establish the Obama tax cuts!

Let the Bush tax cuts expire on December 31, and establish the OBAMA tax cuts on January 1st. . .ONLY for people making less than $250,000 per year.

Sure the Republicans would have to vote on this. . .but, with their "stated" policy of "cutting taxes," how can they vote against "NEW" tax cuts???

And . . .no more crediting "Bush" for tax cuts. . .credit "OBAMA!" for FAIR tax cuts for those who need those tax cuts.

[jillan]

15. Our response should be No compromise on Health Care Reform.

[City Lights]

16. ReTHUGlicans don't compromise on anything.

It's their way or no way.

:nuke: Let them cheney themselves. :nuke:

ReTHUGlican bullies suck.

[bluestateguy]

17. This is why they need to get this done in the lame duck session

Pass two bills: one for the bottom 98% and the other for the top 2%.

They will both pass, and then Obama can veto the latter bill. Case closed.

[NC_Nurse]

18. Fine. Be sure and let the struggling middle class know who refused to extend their

tax cuts.

[somone]

19. But Obama will refuse to give up

"PLEASE, PLEASE, let me compromise!!! I wanna be bipartisan!!"

[juajen]

20. Great! Let the damn things expire. NT