Watching Lawrence on MSNBC...

[Lost-in-FL]

and thinking he is giving too much credit to Pat Toomey (Tea-PA) for something that Nordqvist hinted to him several weeks ago in an interview.

Lawrence said today that Pat Toomey's 'brilliant' tax plan to "increase taxes close, but still below" that of the Clinton years is "technically" not increasing taxes in Nordquist's playbook. DUHHHHH!!!!!!

I still remember Norquist's interviewed by Lawrence himself saying that letting the Bush tax cuts expire, was NOT increasing taxes. So technically, Norquist's told the teahadists that night during the interview how to get out of that predicament and Lawrence O'Donnell just found about it today? I can't believe he didn't picked that up!

[hlthe2b]

1. I think LO has an ulterior motive in doing so...

I can't say I've figured it all out, but by building Toomey up, he may be buying some negotiation good will from him, while diminishing the ever obnoxious Grover NOrquist. :shrug: He did not strike me as being overly sincere.... more contrived.

[Lost-in-FL]

3. I was reading some sarcasm in the beginning of his segment...

but in the end, I didn't know what to think about the whole speech. Then I remember his interview with Norquist and got even more confused about the whole thing. :crazy: :think: :shrug:

[Graybeard]

4. So Larry's another guy playing chess?

I have a hard enough time keeping up with all

of the others just playing checkers.:crazy:

[hlthe2b]

6. I don't know that his motive has all that much to do with some great strategy...

More like his desire to just F__ck with them.

[glinda]

2. My husband figures our taxes will go up 87%. Yikes. We live on less and

have to charge our taxes as is. I don't think anyone should claim credit for making things even harder for lower middle class peeps.

[sasha031]

5. Super Committee Democrats Propose Scrapping Bush Tax Cut Debate In Exchange For Billions In Revenue

WASHINGTON -- Under their latest proposal to the deficit reduction super committee, Democrats would agree to undertake comprehensive tax reform that included a pledge to avoid letting Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy expire.

According to a private document, the authenticity of which was confirmed by a leadership aide, super committee Democrats are eyeing between $950 billion and $1 trillion in revenue raisers and tax hikes as part of a $2.3 trillion deficit reduction package. Between $300 billion and $350 billion of that would come from what one congressional aide described as "low-hanging fruit" -- ending tax incentives for corporate jet owners, closing loopholes for oil and gas companies, changing ethanol subsidies, and so on.

The remaining $650 billion in revenue that committee Democrats are targeting would be raised through a set of "Fast Track Procedures For Tax Reform." As part of those procedures, Democrats would agree to three guiding principles: "(a) corporate tax reform to enhance competitiveness, (b) an individual rate no higher than 35% and (c) a distribution of changes that ensures a tax code as progressive as current law."Another Senate aide, familiar with discussions, insisted that the document was not a formal Democratic plan but rather a "proposal that's been discussed."

As the law currently stands, the Bush-era tax cuts are set to expire at the end of 2012, at which point the rates on top earners will rise back up to 39.6 percent. Had the tax cuts been allowed to expire at the end of 2010, it would have generated an extra $690 billion in tax revenues over ten years, according to estimates based on Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation data. By committing to place a cap on those rates at 35 percent -- in exchange for pursuing a tax reform process that produces $650 billion in revenues -- Democrats are granting Republicans a potentially significant concession, one that could scrap a major party talking point about higher-income Americans needing to shoulder a larger share of the deficit burden.

The White House has made no secret of the fact that it wants to pursue comprehensive tax reform over the next year. But the president has also insisted that he will veto efforts to extend the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy, and both he and his party have tried to make income inequality a major theme of the 2012 campaign season.Will The President keep his promise?" emailed one top Democratic operative familiar with the proposal. "The Senate Democrats' proposal would make the Bush tax cuts permanent for millionaires. More tax giveaways to the top one percent is a complete capitulation to Republicans."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/11/super-committee-democrats-taxes_n_1088407.html

I think what Lawrence is doing is getting us ready for the fact that the Bush tax cuts are not going expire.