Dean says Obama has done terrific things, tax bill is not one of them.

[madfloridian]

On Face the Nation today he reiterated that there would be no primary foe for Obama. He was also critical of the tax bill.

Obama won't face serious foe.

"I think that would be bad thing for the country and a bad thing for the Democratic Party. The history of people running against presidents in their own party is that the challenger, he loses, and then the president is weakened and loses."

As the controversial tax deal the White House struck with Republicans to extend the Bush-era tax cuts enrages liberals, there's been plenty of buzz that Obama might face a primary challenger in 2012. And Dean's name has even been floated as one of the more likely people to challenge him.

On Sunday, Dean supported the president, saying, "He has done things that are terrific."

Yet quickly added, "This is not one of them."

He also called the tax bill a "short term Washington fix".

Howard Dean On Tax Deal. 'A Short-Term Washington Fix' Filled With Easy Promises

"This is a short-term Washington fix," former DNC header Howard Dean declared on CBS's "Face the Nation." "It does nothing about this biggest long-term threat to America, which is the deficit. I don't hear Republicans or Democrats talking about the deficit. There is no pain in this agreement. This is the easy way out for everybody, much as everybody is complaining, hooting and hollering, this is an inside-the-beltway fuss and somebody needs to do something about the long-term problems to this country. It is not in this bill."

Dean also criticized the Social Security 2% tax holiday, and Jerry Nadler agreed with him.

What piqued Dean in particular, however, was a provision in the "framework" that provides a one-year, two-percent payroll tax holiday that, critics say, could end up siphoning money from the Social Security Trust Fund.The nation's largest senior-issues lobbying organization, the AARP, said it was comfortable with the provision -- confident that it won't be extended down the road.

But appearing alongside Dean on CBS, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), another critic of the president's tax deal, made the case that a Democratic president had just brought the retirement program squarely into the deficit debate.

"Governor Dean is entirely right about the long-term risk to Social Security here," said Nadler. "Now this one time, $120 billion tax cut in social security taxes will be paid for out of the general fund. But that, for the first time, starts getting the general fund to subsidize social security for $120 billion a year, and brings Social Security into the deficit debate, which greatly undercuts the political support to avoid eviscerating Social Security a few years down the road."

[ProSense]

1. Not everyone agrees with Dean and Nadler

Congressional Black Caucus' position on the tax holiday:

<...>

The CBC's counter-proposal showed few signs of members giving up ground. The proposal includes a two-year extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for the middle class -- which was part of the tax-cut measure that the House passed this month -- as well as a payroll tax holiday and a 13-month extension of unemployment insurance benefits. All three components are priorities for congressional Democrats.

<...>

The cuts do not siphon money from Social Security.

Dean: "He has done things that are terrific."

Really?

[John Q. Citizen]

2. No, the cuts result in Social Security being funded differently which means that

it's no longer a pay as you go insurance program but is instead welfare, paid for by the largess of the Repo leaning leadership in congress and the White House.

how could those workers be "entitled " to something that they didn't pay for? Well they wouldn't be, now would they?


I'm with Dean on this.

[merbex]

4. Me too , EXCEPT for the bit about a primary opponent

Obama DESERVES one for the threat to Soc. Sec. ALONE

[ProSense]

5. "it's no longer a pay as you go insurance program but is instead welfare"

What?

By that logic, any tax cut can be considered welfare.

The cuts are fully funded and Social Security remains intact.

[John Q. Citizen]

11. Welfare was always paid out of the general fund shrank, welfare shrank.

Social Security is funded directly from workers to the fund, so that regardless of the deficits that Republicans and Democrats run, the money is always there for the people who contributed all their lives.

[DirkGently]

9. Yes. "Welfare" can be eliminated. It's our money, but it's being re-characterized as a hand-out.

[madfloridian]

6. The cuts are the beginning of a change in SS. Sorry the CBC is for them.

The payroll tax holiday for SS is wrong even if Democrats are for it.

DADT is wrong, even if Dems are fearful to vote for repeal while they have the majority.

Privatizing schools is wrong, even if Dems are for it.

[ProSense]

7. Don't agree

"The payroll tax holiday for SS is wrong even if Democrats are for it."

That's a position I don't share because Social Security is not being touched.

"DADT is wrong, even if Dems are fearful to vote for repeal while they have the majority."

They just voted on DADT, and 57 members of the Democratic caucus voted to repeal it.

[madfloridian]

10. It is a fact. You can disagree, but you can't change the facts.

I never imagined a Dem president would advocate this type of change for SS.

[John Q. Citizen]

12. I agree.

[aquart]

3. So they're saying swallow it so Obama can be re-elected?

Destroy ourselves for him?

[democrank]

8. Kicking for Howard Dean

[GeorgeGist]

13. Terrific can mean

3. very frightening: inspiring a sense of terror

So I had to disagree with Dr. Dean on the tax thing.