All Nancy has to do is pass a Middle Class Tax Cut in the House and send it to the Senate

[Aramchek]

The Repigs may play tough and try to filibuster it at first
All Harry has to do is bring it up again and again until it becomes an albatross of negative public opinion for the GOP.


And when the filibuster collapses, we have the votes even without Manchin.

We can call this the Obama Tax Cut.

Most Americans won't even notice when the Bush Tax Cuts fade into obsolescence.

[T Wolf]

1. From your keyboard to her desk. One time, please, Dems. Just try the assertive approach.

Who knows. You might even like it if you accomplish something.

[David__77]

2. Better yet, further cut taxes for the lower 98%.

Make it so the change is revenue neutral - taxes would go up for the very few, while going down for the others. This would be smart politically, but no such thing will happen of course.

[w4rma]

32. Then we can really call it the Obama/Democratic tax cut. (nt)

[VMI Dem]

3. I'd call it the Pelosi-Reid Tax Cut.

[Diamonique]

4. It's so simple. I don't understand why the Dems in congress can't see this.

Let all the tax cuts expire. Send up a bill for tax cuts for the 98% and make the Republicans fight it.

[MrSlayer]

6. What's not to understand?

The owners of the country want the tax cuts for the rich. Doing what you suggest would thwart it from happening. We are fooling ourselves by believing anyone in Washington is on our side. There isn't an us and them, it's just them and the Democrats are a part of them. It's painfully obvious.

[w4rma]

33. Purge the DLCers from all positions of leadership in the Democratic Party.

That's how we'll get change.

[DirkGently]

5. Beat them over the head with their own hypocrisy. Make them fight to add $700 billion to the deficit

[Rosa Luxemburg]

35. Exactly, they should be exposed on this

[rhett o rick]

7. I want some of whatever you're smokin. nm

[Blue Owl]

8. Doesn't seem too difficult, does it?

Yet these are exactly the kind of things the Democrats find a way to fuck up.

:mad:

[phantom power]

9. Yes, but to do that, they would have to upset the Republicans.

Can't have that. It's not bipartisan. It's not Reaching Across The Aisle.

[Skittles]

23. it's not sucking up

let's call it what it is

[karynnj]

10. I hope tht she will do just that - there's no reason not to because

no Democrat can be faulted for voting for it. (In Manchin's case, I hope that Rockefeller will strongly defend it pointing out that only he and Raese and a few others in WV would benefit from including the additional tax cut for the wealthy.)

[slipslidingaway]

11. knr nt

[Dinger]

12. K & R

Excellent:)

[tritsofme]

13. If they had the votes, they would have done this before the election.

They didn't have the votes then, and they still don't today.

Also Republicans have already signaled that they are willing to filibuster, even causing the tax breaks to lapse on the first of the year, and then deal with it in the new Congress. As someone said in another thread, they are willing to shoot the hostage. I wouldn't count on them to blink, and President Obama knows that he cannot allow middle class tax rates to rise on his watch.

[Exilednight]

18. They only need 51 votes. n/t

[tritsofme]

20. They need 60 votes to break a filibuster in the Senate.

And the reason they didn't try for a vote in the House they probably would have lost.

[Exilednight]

22. No, they only need 51. This is how he gets it done with 51.......

Step 1: Make the case that Bush made them temporary.

Step 2: Explain how the tax cuts have been in place for ten years, and we all ended up with is outsourcing.

Step 3: Propose legislation giving the bottom 98% tax cuts.

Step 4: If Republicans attempt to block cloture, then get the Senate majority leader to call session, close the doors and lock them to keep a quorum and have the Sgt at Arms keep anyone from leaving until everyone has had their say. That's right, make them actually stand up and filibuster. (this has actually been done in the past, and no rules have ever been put in place to stop it)

Step 5: Put Obama on TV every chance you get and hammer home the point that Republicans are holding up tax cuts to 98% of the population.

Eventually, Republicans will capitulate.

[Dr Fate]

38. That would only work in a far-left fantasy world.

Stop trying to make centrists do really, really hard stuff.

[Blasphemer]

41. Put it to a vote and let the chips fall where they may

The public should know exactly which politicians, on both sides of the aisle, are voting against their interests. Not forcing votes keeps the obstructionists in power.

[LaPera]

14. Let the deficit raising-no jobs produced-10-yr Bush tax cuts for the richest 2% expire-Submit a new

middle class tax cut bill for the 98% of everyone else making 250,000.00 and under, in this session of congress (before Jan 3rd 2011) and send it to the 59 Dem senate majority & hopefully it passes the Dem senate and President Obama WILL sign it!

[moondust]

15. Go for it.

Just make sure you have a legion of messaging people standing by when the tax cuts expire who can burn it into people's minds that it was REPUBLICANS that blocked their tax cut/raised their taxes (back to sustainable Clinton levels).

[Rosa Luxemburg]

16. NO one is complaining on TV that the GOPwants to give tax cuts for the rich

don't those poor little people who voted for the GOP and have nothing complain?

[Canuckistanian]

17. ... and then do NOTHING

Obama can veto everything after that

[Dr Fate]

36. delete

n/t

[eleny]

19. This would be a good test of a good old fashioned filibuster complete with cots and phone books

[Exilednight]

27. I would actually watch this. Just for the comedy value. But let's get rid of the cots.

:popcorn:

[Andy823]

34. Also

Harry should keep them there till the bill passes, even through Thanksgiving. Show the people of this country that democrats hear them, and they really care! Of course I won't be holding my breath for this to happen!

[FBaggins]

21. Harry can't "bring it up again and again"

If he doesn't break the filibuster by the end of the lame duck session, it's over. He can then only vote on whatever the new House sends him.

[Aramchek]

25. but until then he can bring it to a vote repeatedly, correct?

[FBaggins]

28. If he wants to look silly? Sure.

You really think votes change over a couple days? When the opposition knows that they have friends on the way and just won an election?

If it was something that they thought they could pull off (and/or that voters supported)... They would have done it before the election.

Heck... I'm not sure that even Pelosi thinks she has the votes with all those bloody scalps hung on the gallery rail.

[jeff47]

29. The point is not that votes might change

The point is the advertisement in 2012 that Senator ____ voted 347 times to raise your taxes, because Democrats wouldn't give more money to Wall Street.

"I'm not sure that even Pelosi thinks she has the votes with all those bloody scalps hung on the gallery rail."

The blue dogs were terrified of losing their seats if they voted before the election...well that's kinda moot now.

[Dr Fate]

39. Voters dont like it when politicans get all aggressive & shrill like that,

Stop trying to make DEMS do hard, liberal stuff.

[jeff47]

42. Amazing how voters say that...

...and then vote for the most aggressive and shrill candidate.

[sally cat]

24. Nancy would never do it though. She's not a tax cut kind o' gal.

[Aramchek]

26. what is that supposed to mean?

[kentuck]

30. She was ready to do that before the election...

But somebody talked her out of it...

[mirrera]

31. I am glad you are getting a better response than I did!

I agree 100%! It seems so clear?!?

My Post in ref to Obama tax cut... we don't need no stinkin Bush tax cut!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9540240

[Dr Fate]

37. The far left is always trying to make the center do the impossible.

What you propose would make us look petty and shrill.

The American people just said that they wanted us to WORK WITH the Republcians, not to oppose them or come up with grid-locking counter-assualts.

Cute idea, but this is simply not the way things work. It just isnt. The party Leadrship knows that America is a center right country, even if you keep telling yourself it is not.

[Joe Chi Minh]

40. Yep. Obama said extending the tax-breaks for the rich was off the table, and.

he means it. Anyway, it's good practice for him to face down their filibusters.

A retort of "That the best you can do?" by the Democrats would be a nice follow-up, wouldn't it?