Why would Obama give up all the leverage he and the Democrats have on the Bush tax cuts issue?

[brentspeak]

He has total leverage on this: the GOP has to beg him to sign an extension of the upper-income tax cuts. If the Republicans don't want to approve any subsequent Democratic-sponsored middle-class tax cut legislation, then that their own political grave to dig. "Hey, American middle-class: the Republicans don't want you to have a tax cut, but will agree to give you one only after holding you hostage so that the top 2% get one, too."

One of the few times that Obama actually has the upper-hand on the Republicans. Will he use it or surrender it?

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

1. Because it would be impolite to do otherwise?

:shrug:






.

[playstation]

2. surrender it

[polichick]

3. I'd like to say that any thinking Dem would use it, but too many times...

Pres. Obama "plays chess" - we'll have to wait and see.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

4. he could do a tiny comprimise like tax cuts for those under 300,000

no tax cuts for the very rich

[greymattermom]

6. tiny or slightly bigger compromise

How about 500K. Plenty of urban couples who make 250K don't feel rich. They have to pay for expensive day care, private schools, etc. Sitwell Friends school for example. But 500K is getting close to neurosurgeon and rock star territory.

[Warren Stupidity]

9. 1,000,000 as the threshold has already been rejected.

The House should just keep issuing new versions of an extension that excludes obviously filthy rich income levels until the clock runs out, and force the Republicants to filibuster it over and over and over again.

But of course that won't happen. Instead we won't have more than one symbolic showdown, and then the cave.

[DirkGently]

5. Can we all agree now that righting-led "commissions" are ... not a great idea?

[Billy Burnett]

7. Unless you're in the admin - that's what the admin wants.

Compromise, American style ...


Wounded Knee

[Warren Stupidity]

8. Because it is a perfect opportunity to win over Republicant hearts and minds

by giving them what they want!

[Dinger]

10. Just Saw this On Bartcop:

Somehow I think it relates to your question:

[ProSense]

13. RepublicanDirtyTricks.com?

How does that relate?

[dreamnightwind]

11. Trojan horse?

That's pretty harsh, looking more correct all the time though.

He'll make some token effort to get the Dem policy before enacting the Repub policy, so he can say he tried, as usual.

[Azathoth]

12. You have it exactly reversed

The GOP wants tax cuts for the upper 2%, but they don't need them immediately. The rich can (reluctantly) swallow two years of marginally higher tax rates while they work to put a Dubya clone back in the White House. Hence the GOP will be perfectly content to make getting rid of Obama their sole legislative priority, even at the expense of tax cuts for the wealthy.

Obama, on the other hand, has no choice but to maintain the Bush tax cuts for the rest of us. Allowing a tax increase on the middle class in this economy would be a political deathstroke for him.

Bottom line: Republicans don't have an overpowering motivation to compromise. Obama and the Democrats do.

[Dr Fate]

14. Clear eyed pragmatism got us into this mess, and clear eyed pragmatism will get us out.

Chill out, Obama has got this.

[elana i am]

15. the gop is irrelevant here

(although less irrelevant than they were a couple weeks ago)

does he have leverage against the blue dogs and moderate dems? that's the question.

i keep waiting for peeps to realize the repugs have been irrelevant since january 09. it's not the repugs obama has been kowtowing to. it's his own party. and until 2 weeks ago a small subset of dems held all the power against obama and the other more progressive dems because there were enough of them to derail any and all legislation.