It looks like Obama will likely extend tax cuts for the rich. They are just too powerful.

[Cali_Democrat]

The corporate media has been excellent at portraying a rise in taxes for the rich as a rise in taxes for everyone. Of course that's bullshit. We all know that a rise in taxes would only impact the wealthy.

After two years of Obama campaigning for an end to tax cuts for the rich, the corporate media has successfully muddled his message and confused the voters. Many voters are convinced Obama will raise their taxes even though 95% of the population will not have their taxes raised. They are convinced just like they were convinced Saddam had WMD and was behind 9/11.

That's what money and influence buys you. It allows you to get your message out there and the powers that be have been able to convince the American people and advance their agenda through the media they control.

This will get even worse with the citizens united decision. Expect a flood of anonymous money in the 2012 elections the likes of which we have never seen.

Our Democracy is gone and there may be nothing we can do about it. The rich have complete and total control from the media, to the Fed's monetary policy.

We now live in a plutocracy.

[RandomThoughts]

1. I don't live in a plutocracy.

Side note, Pluto is the worst of planets.

Also known as Hades, not a place I will ever be part of.

Pluto is said to be the god of Dead and Riches in Greek Lore.


For Centuries people been saying it is a battle against life and death.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto_%28mythology%29

[jeanpalmer]

2. If he is willing to do that

he has forfeited all ability to reduce the deficit. He might as well disband the catfood commission.

Someone has to pay for government. Will it be the rich or the poor? He has to make a decision. The rich have benefitted immensely from the fraud and the bubble. They should pay.

[lostnfound]

8. Not true. He can still reduce the deficit by siphoning more from social security.

Extending the retirement age for example. Getting a portion of it into 'private' accounts in the stock market might help save the stock market. Who knows? Maybe the next derivatives bubble will be a new breed, built on the trading of empty Social Security accounts or some similar nonsense. I'm sure their financial imaginations are better than mine.

[joshcryer]

9. No, private accounts in all scenarios will destory social security sooner.

[lostnfound]

15. Of course they will, but that money will prop up the uber-wealthy. nt

[doc03]

3. I would have taken a $100 bet 6 months ago that the tax cuts

would be extended. If they aren't and a year from now we still have high unemployment you give the Republicans credibility. Simple tell them we will extend the Bush tax cuts if you find the money to pay for them, it shouldn't be that difficult to find $70 billion a year out of a $3 trillion budget.

[Bitwit1234]

4. Yes indeed after all the even OWN the US Supreme Court

at least the five republican activist justices.

[msongs]

5. or he is too weak nt

[emulatorloo]

6. Based on what evidence?

[Cali_Democrat]

18. See here:

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/127699-obama-moves-toward-gop-on-tax-cuts?page=2#comments

[EC]

7. They are trying to push them for 2 more years so we can

have the same fight next election...They try to act so concilitary like, "here we'll compromise, we'll just extend the cuts for 2 more years" Ha...well, gee what's happening 2 years from now?

[besdayz]

10. aa

imho obama completey mishandled the tax cut situation......

no matter how good it seems to bash the rich, overall carrying the water for any whiff of tax increase in this economy no matter who it hits is dangerous......

he should've taken this off the table early in the yr by extending it 1-2 yrs and make it a 2012 issue......

instead he lost and now will have to reach a compromise which will be extending it 1-2 yrs and making it a 2012 issue.....

stupid stupid stupid.




he had to have known that this cycle there were too many things going badly for him
unemployment, foreclosures, healthcare,
why he allowed taxes to be another is just dumb.....


this was one of several tactical blunders starting with pairing too closely with pelosi/reid and allowing them to handle the healtcare debating for a yr, wasting time trying to compromise with monolithic goons in teh other party, and most importantly walking all over the hard core base with war strategy, guantanomo, DADT, union baiting,

[Chan790]

14. If he's going to do that...

He should call their bluff and extend it 3 years.

Push it to 2013.

That way it's past the next election. Force the GOP to run on it in the second midterm of his presidency, that way any Democrat it could hurt can publicly break with the President on it...it's not like he'd care, he's not running for anything at that point. It still would fail, even if a half-dozen Democratic senators have to support it...the likelihood of the GOP jumping all the way to 66 seats from <50 in one electoral cycle is nil, so worst case scenario is it passes Congress and he has to veto it in 2013.

[provis99]

11. yep. We're more and more like the declining Roman empire every day.

I better dust off my old copy of Edward Gibbons' magnum opus.

[niceypoo]

12. Obama needs to stop listening to the media

...and do what is right for the country. More GOP tax cuts for the rich will collapse the economy, except this time there will be nothing left to stop it.

[Capn Sunshine]

13. Here's the way past that one

Deficit Commission will release its findings soon. Make a huge fanfare of that, then stress the tax cuts for the top two percent will COST US 700 BILLION.

Look over Boehners way and ask, "are you serious about reducing the deficit? here's a great chance. I'll compromise. We keep the tax cuts for 98.5% The top 1.5% go."

[gkhouston]

16. "In the spirit of compromise", Obama should have televised Q&As on CSPAN with the

House and Senate leadership so we can see them discuss these sorts of issues in real-time. }(

[TransitJohn]

17. LOL

We all know the way it'll go. The President will, at the outset, favor making those cuts for the uber-wealthy permanent as 'compromise.' Then, he'll 'work bipartisanly' to trim the deficit by cutting or eliminating entitlements.