Liberal Left is mad as hell at Obama for supporting Bush tax cuts

[R.R.]

He is also breaking his biggest campaign pledge in 2008. I guess we'll see how this plays out. This article also refers to the 9.8% unemployment rate as a jump, XO.

Left sees tax surrender, says Obama reelection bid now crippled



President Obama could be crippling his own reelection effort by making a deal with Republicans to extend all of the Bush-era tax cuts, Democratic strategists and liberal groups said Monday.

A two-year extension of tax rates ushered in by President George W. Bush nearly a decade ago, would ensure a resumption of today?s fiery debate in 2012, when Obama is expected to reapply for his job, strategists in both parties said.

It also is angering the left wing of the Democratic Party, which already has a long list of complaints about Obama.

?President Obama has shown a complete refusal to fight Republicans throughout his presidency even when the public is on his side ? and millions of his former supporters are now growing disappointed and infuriated by this refusal to fight,? said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.

The PCCC on Monday afternoon circulated quotes from 2008 Obama campaign staffers who expressed disillusionment with the president for agreeing to extend tax cuts for the wealthy amid signs that the White House and Republicans were edging closer to a deal.

?Obama is demobilizing the troops and demoralizing the public right before he seeks reelection,? Green said.

The compromises by the White House have also disappointed liberals in the House and Senate, who have pushed Obama to take a tougher line with the GOP. Some liberals had said it would be better for Obama to allow all of the tax cuts to expire rather than cave to GOP demands and allow tax cuts for the wealthy to be extended.

Democratic strategists are disappointed that the president appears to be fighting the tax debate on terms dictated by Republicans, who have been able to frame a tax increase on any taxpayers as detrimental to a struggling economy. Friday?s unemployment report, showing a surprising jump in the jobless rate ? to 9.8 percent ? didn?t make matters easier for the White House.

?This is only a tough fight [now] because Americans have lost faith that President Obama is fighting for their economic futures,? said Jamal Simmons, a Democratic strategist and former official with the Clinton administration.

Privately, Republican aides say they would love to have a fight over the high-end tax cuts as a central 2012 campaign issue.

?It?s ultimately a question of whether Democrats believe their own rhetoric,? said one Senate GOP aide. ?They seem to think that Americans are OK with raising taxes on small businesses. Republicans disagree and would love to debate that notion anytime."

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/132307-angry-left-sees-refusal-to-fight-as-crippling-2012-reelection-bid

[BT]

Meanwhile:

WASHINGTON ? The Club for Growth today declared its opposition to the tax compromise proposal reached yesterday by President Obama and congressional Republicans.

?This is bad policy, bad politics, and a bad deal for the American people,? said Club President Chris Chocola.  ?The plan would resurrect the Death Tax, grow government, blow a hole in the deficit with unpaid-for spending, and do so without providing the permanent relief and security our economy needs to finally start hiring and growing again.?

?Instead, Congress should pass a permanent extension of current rates, including a permanent repeal of the death tax, and drop all new spending,? Chocola said.  ?A month ago, the American people repudiated Washington big government.  It?s time for both parties to finally hear that message and act on it.?

http://www.clubforgrowth.org/perm/?postID=14565

[sirs]

And the "uncertainty" gets perpetuated

[BT]

Where is the uncertainty?

For the next two years the Bush Tax cuts will remain in place for all Americans. Payroll taxes have been cut, and death tax ceilings have been raised, while the tax rate for the same has been lowered.
Seems far more certain than it was a week ago.

[sirs]

Where is the uncertainty?

Just going by YOUR article:

The plan would resurrect the Death Tax, grow government, blow a hole in the deficit with unpaid-for spending, and do so without providing the permanent relief and security our economy needs to finally start hiring and growing again.  Instead, Congress should pass a permanent extension of current rates, including a permanent repeal of the death tax, and drop all new spending

[BT]

MY article was posted to show that the man just can't win. Gets it from both sides. Perhaps i was too subtle.

But the American People seem to have won on this one. Tax Cut remains, payroll tax cut, Death tax lowered, I think there was something in there for the AMT, all this for extending UE benefits.

My personal take on this is that Obama folded against a pair of deuces.

[Christians4LessGvt]

why do you think that is BT?
dont the Democrats still control Congress and the Executive?
how can he claim disgracefully that the Republicans are "hostage takers"
When Obama and his party are still in Control?
The only way his agenda could be stopped is Democrats not supporting it.

[BT]

His reputation for working with the GOP has been dismal at best. This is an about face. Perhaps he just kicked off his 2012 campaign. His base will vote for him anyway, he might have picked up some friends in the middle with the payroll tax cut and extending UE benefits.

[sirs]

MY article was posted to show that the man just can't win. Gets it from both sides. Perhaps i was too subtle.

Happens with just about every President.  Not sure what the news flash is here.  The deal was a "compromise" in the technical definition, and a defeat of Obama on both his policy positions and base.  But this was politics, and he played it as best he could.  It was a good time to push "tax cuts" (when in reality, there are no cuts at all, merely an extension of what is currently), which I think even he knows will help the economy.  He can say he signed it while the Dems were still in charge.  And 2ndly, it pushes a prized liberal objective of extending unemployment even longer, helping to keep folks happy about their current employment status, not having to work too hard at changing it

For him, politically, it's good timing.  If this were an election year, you wouldn't have seen this.  Doing this now allows his base to "get over it", while the Dems can parrot the GOP line of tax cuts for all

[sirs]

dont the Democrats still control Congress and the Executive?...The only way his agenda could be stopped is Democrats not supporting it.

BINGO

[BT]

It was a good time to push "tax cuts" (when in reality, there are no cuts at all, merely an extension of what is currently)

Payroll taxes were cut by 2%

[sirs]

I was referring to the Bush Tax cuts.  But hey, if the left wants to rail about the defunding of SS, they have my blessing.  My guess is there will be barely a squeak, but had this been a GOP president, it'd be 24/7 MSM outrage

[BT]

I was referring to the Bush Tax cuts.

You weren't clear on that.

But as far as the Payroll tax the cut is half assed anyway. They are only cutting contributions from the employee side, leaving the employer side as is. Not sure how that will increase jobs, but the employees will have a little extra jingle in their pockets so maybe it will help increase demand.

SS is underfunded anyway. Expect reduced payments, retirement age set back to 70 or later  and possibly means testing.

[sirs]

But as far as the Payroll tax the cut is half assed anyway. They are only cutting contributions from the employee side, leaving the employer side as is. Not sure how that will increase jobs, but the employees will have a little extra jingle in their pockets so maybe it will help increase demand.

Perhaps, but definately not business friendly, is it.  

SS is underfunded anyway. Expect reduced payments, retirement age set back to 70 or later  and possibly means testing.

Yep, yep, but I doubt the last.  Too many folks, and too grossly unfair to those that had money taken out for "them", for it not to be returned, when they're entitled to it.  The bigger point though was that again, if this were Bush and the GOP passing this, it'd be wideranging Democrat and MSM outrage.  Then again, if it were Bush and the GOP, we'd likely not be in this bad an economic mess, but they'd still cry outrage

[BT]

Perhaps, but definately not business friendly, is it. 

Once again, it depends upon what the employees do with the money.

Yep, yep, but I doubt the last.  Too many folks, and too grossly unfair to those that had money taken out for "them", for it not to be returned, when they're entitled to it.  the bigger point though was that again, if this were Bush and the GOP passing this, it'd be widranging Democrat and MSM outrage.  Then again, if it were Bush and the GOP, we'd likely not be in this bad an economic mess, but they'd still cry outrage

This recession started under Bush, the TARP bailouts were his doing. And the GOP didn't lower payroll taxes when they had the chance so we don't know what the MSM would have said. And yes a payroll tax holiday on both the employee and employer side were being talked about back then.