A tax and unemployment deal between Obama and the Republican is going through the Congress right now but might not make it since a bunch of Democrats oppose it. Basically it keeps the Bush tax cuts for 2 more years, keeps the death tax fairly low, lowers taxes on businesses and individuals, and extends unemployment for 13 more months.
So do you think the compromise will make it through? Do you hope it makes it through or would you like to see it get stopped? I think it's funny that democrats suddenly care about the deficit while the republicans suddenly don't give a fuck about debt and just want tax breaks.
On a sidenote, is it just me or is black text on a white background murder on the eyes?
I really liked Obama's response to the whole mess"We've got to make sure that we're coming up with a solution, even if it's not 100 percent of what I want or what the Republicans want," [Obama] said.
But many Democrats felt the president gave up too much and gave in too fast. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) was noncommittal. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said he would filibuster, and a group of progressive Democrats in the House circulated a letter in opposition.
Adam Green of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee called the deal a capitulation.
"Everything President Obama has done has signaled weakness and has sent a signal to Republicans that if they block tax cuts long enough, at the end of the day he will pass whatever comes across his desk. That is not how you negotiate," Green said.
TranscirptThis is the public option debate all over again. So I pass a signature piece of legislation where we finally get health care for all Americans, something that Democrats have been fighting for for a hundred years, but because there was a provision in there that they didn't get that would have affected maybe a couple million people, even though we got health insurance for 30 million people, and the potential for lower premiums for 100 million people, that somehow that was a sign of weakness and compromise.
Now, if that's the standard by which we are measuring success or core principles, then let's face it, we will never get anything done. People will have the satisfaction of having a purist position and no victories for the American people. And we will be able to feel good about ourselves and sanctimonious about how pure our intentions are and how tough we are, and in the meantime the American people are still seeing themselves not able to get health insurance because of a preexisting condition. Or not being able to pay their bills because their unemployment insurance ran out.
That can't be the measure of how we think about our public service. That can't be the measure of what it means to be a Democrat. This is a big, diverse country. Not everybody agrees with us. I know that shocks people. Now, the New York Times editorial page does not permeate all across America. Neither does the Wall Street Journal editorial page. Most Americans, they're just trying to figure out how to go about their lives and how can we make sure that our elected officials are looking out for us.
So do you think the compromise will make it through? Do you hope it makes it through or would you like to see it get stopped? I think it's funny that democrats suddenly care about the deficit while the republicans suddenly don't give a fuck about debt and just want tax breaks.
On a sidenote, is it just me or is black text on a white background murder on the eyes?