Obama Caves In Harder Than A Poorly Constructed Chilean Mine

[Tacitusitis]

White House Gives In On Bush Tax Cuts

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's top adviser suggested to The Huffington Post late Wednesday that the administration is ready to accept an across-the-board, temporary continuation of steep Bush-era tax cuts, including those for the wealthiest taxpayers.

That appears to be the only way, said David Axelrod, that middle-class taxpayers can keep their tax cuts, given the legislative and political realities facing Obama in the aftermath of last week's electoral defeat.

"We have to deal with the world as we find it," Axelrod said during an unusually candid and reflective 90-minute interview in his office, steps away from the Oval Office. "The world of what it takes to get this done."

"There are concerns," he added, that Congress will continue to kick the can down the road in the future by passing temporary extensions for the wealthy time and time again. "But I don't want to trade away security for the middle class in order to make that point."

The basic problem with the Obama administration is I can't think of a single policy achievement he's made that he wouldn't have been willing to compromise away had the Republicans attacked it fiercely enough. There are no policy non-negotiables. Virtually everything he spoke about on the campaign trail has been bargained away, compromised or abandoned just to "get something passed." He signed a healthcare bill that was the opposite of what he campaigned on: it had a mandate and lacked a public option. Now he will extend the Bush tax cuts for the rich just like McCain wanted.

The Democrats, especially conservative Blue Dog Democrats, seem to always think that if they just game or tinker a bill's details they can make it x% more popular or they can defend their vote to conservative voters.

The opposite is true. This legislative process delivers a half-loaf bill that doesn't accomplish its goal, the process justifiably confuses the public as to what exactly the bill does and what the Democrats stand for, and the Republicans attack everything as socialism anyway.

Healthcare was a campaign issue because of affordability. I am a bit of a policy wonk and even I am not clear on if/how the bill delivers cost savings. The public is entirely lost. There isn't a "messaging problem," there IS NO messaging. As usual the news today is filled with Democrats taking three or four different policy stances on the Bush tax cuts. There is no unity and no leadership from this "pass ANYTHING and I'll sign it" administration.

We are getting exactly what we worked so hard to avoid, a Clinton president who is working as hard as he can to disown liberalism, dishearten his party, and make sure the next 12 years are Republican.

 

[Leonel]

That's just too damn bad. From what I understand, letting the upper class tax rates expire would have helped the economy immensely. I would have rather have all tax cuts expire so we can try to dig ourselves out of this.

 

[lutzj]

That's just too damn bad. From what I understand, letting the upper class tax rates expire would have helped the economy immensely. I would have rather have all tax cuts expire so we can try to dig ourselves out of this.

It wouldn't help "the economy" much, but it would have been great for the treasury.

With regards to the OP, I think Obama is smart to cede some ground if it means he can make demands elsewhere.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Regarding the OP, you didn't really expect the wealthy to gladly take a tax increase now that the Republicans control the House. Did you?

 

[GoodSarmatian]

It wouldn't help "the economy" much, but it would have been great for the treasury.

With regards to the OP, I think Obama is smart to cede some ground if it means he can make demands elsewhere.

It wouldn't help the economy, but it wouldn't harm it either. If you really want to reduce the deficit you have more instruments than just cuts. You could also increase revenue.
Also from what I see and read in the news Obama is not the type to make any demands or seriously pursue a progressive or liberal agenda (or fulfill his campaign promises) and has given in to corporate intrest and republicans on several occasions.
The guy looks more and more like either a total pushover or a fraud.

 

[Tacitusitis]

With regards to the OP, I think Obama is smart to cede some ground if it means he can make demands elsewhere.

I am so sick of this 11-dimensional chess where every defeat for Democrats somehow boomerangs around and becomes a Super Secret Victory.

Caving is caving and Obama has done little but.

 

[Till]

That appears to be the only way, said David Axelrod, that middle-class taxpayers can keep their tax cuts, given the legislative and political realities facing Obama in the aftermath of last week's electoral defeat.

Why didn't they pass it before the election? It was fairly obvious that a defeat was in the cards...

 

[Tacitusitis]

Regarding the OP, you didn't really expect the wealthy to gladly take a tax increase now that the Republicans control the House. Did you?

Obama doesn't have to do anything, the tax cuts expire automatically. When they were originally passed, they had to have a sunset because they were unpaid for.

Obama does nothing, the cuts expire. He demands a bill extending tax cuts for the middle class. Congress passes a bill extending tax cuts for the rich. Obama vetoes it and uses the bully pulpit of the Presidency to take the Republicans to the woodshed for holding the middle class hostage to tax cuts for millionaires.

Except this would require guts and principles and using the Presidency effectively like George Bush did.

 

[Formaldehyde]

The point you seem to be missing is the one stated in the article you posted. A Republican-controlled House can now blackmail Obama into supporting the current tax cuts for the rich because they now control the destiny of the middle class tax cuts as well. They will obviously tie the two together so Obama will look even worse to the largely ignorant public if he tries to veto it. They won't blame the Republicans. They will blame the Democrats for raising their taxes.

 

[Tacitusitis]

The point you seem to be missing is the one stated in the article you posted. A Republican-controlled house can blackmail Obama into supporting the current tax cuts for the rich because they now control the destiny of the middle class tax cuts as well. If he doesn't go along with it, chances are that the middle class will indeed have their taxes raised and the Democratic Party will be blamed for it by the ingorant public.

It would be easier to believe this sad lil excuse if Democrats had acted on extending the middle class tax cuts before the election.

 

[civver_764]

Obama is such a joke, shame he had to be the first black president.

 

[bhsup]

Well thank God for that at least. We shouldn't be in the business of punishing success in this country.

 

[.Shane.]

With regards to the OP, I think Obama is smart to cede some ground if it means he can make demands elsewhere.

Except it doesn't. If you think that this will get him any credit with the Republicans, you are wrong. Axelrod may say "We have to deal with the world as we find it" but the Republicans surely didn't behave that way after 2008 elections and if you think they're more inclined to now, after they won such massive gains... well, we'll have to check your meds.

The Dems are incompetent at organizing and messaging, whereas the Repubs are ruthless at it. The Repubs will control the agenda even though they control 1/4 of the combined exec and legis branches.

 

[Leonel]

It wouldn't help "the economy" much, but it would have been great for the treasury.

With regards to the OP, I think Obama is smart to cede some ground if it means he can make demands elsewhere.

Yes because if the rich have all the money, they'll maybe give us jobs.

 

[illram]

I said this in the BP Spill thread aeons ago; he is risk averse. Sometimes too risk averse. It's a disease that affects many lawyers.

 

[Formaldehyde]

It would be easier to believe this sad lil excuse if Democrats had acted on extending the middle class tax cuts before the election.

So now you are calling Obama a liar?

The Republicans had to change a lot of their strategy and tactics when they lost the House in 2006. It is just political reality in the US.

 

[Patroklos]

This is basically proof that the whole tax repeal initiative of the Democrats was just some crazy punitive action against the rich rather than an economic necessity as billed. Democrats are such hateful people.


Moderator Action: Warned for trolling.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[illram]

This is basically proof that the whole tax repeal initiative of the Democrats was just some crazy punitive action against the rich rather than an economic necessity as billed. Democrats are such hateful people.

I think it just proves Obama is "politically calculating" his way into running the White House like a liberal-Republican President.

 

[emzie]

I don't understand this at all. Doing nothing means the tax cuts expire. If Republicans want to follow that up with a political debate about reintroducing across-the-board tax cuts, then do that.

Ugh. More and more, I'm glad I moved away from that mess down south.

 

[danjuno]

It's official, Obama is a wuss who won't stand up to the GOP. Biden 2012!