My Inner Republican
My inner Republican is showing.
I have to say that I'm amazed and delighted in one way at the appearance of spine in the Democratic party. Good for you! They're finally standing up and saying "NO" instead of just rolling over and grabbing the KY as usual. However, I'm not sure that this is the battle they need to be fighting.
The deal made by the President was, I think, the only one that he could have made, given the constraints imposed by the Right. They were very willing to hold the long-term unemployed hostage. Very very willing. When the thug has a gun to the head of the least able to fight back, you give in. I personally don't see why people with incomes over $1M (or, indeed, $250k) have to get tax cuts, but the Right was ready to let taxes rise for the poor and middle-class and to deny unemployment benefits to get those cuts for the rich, and the price was too high in my estimation. (I'm curious, though, about how the Teabaggers are going to sell a $700B cut in income to their constituencies. I guess we're only supposed to worry about the deficit when we're talking about gov't spending.)
Anyway, I don't see that Obama had a choice. If Congress rejects the plan (and a surprising number of Dems are declaring their intention to vote against it) it's the poor and middle-class and unemployed that suffer.
The only thing I can think of is that the Dems can vote "no" knowing that it's going to pass anyway. Then it's all rhetoric, which is certainly nothing new in politics.
I have to say that I'm amazed and delighted in one way at the appearance of spine in the Democratic party. Good for you! They're finally standing up and saying "NO" instead of just rolling over and grabbing the KY as usual. However, I'm not sure that this is the battle they need to be fighting.
The deal made by the President was, I think, the only one that he could have made, given the constraints imposed by the Right. They were very willing to hold the long-term unemployed hostage. Very very willing. When the thug has a gun to the head of the least able to fight back, you give in. I personally don't see why people with incomes over $1M (or, indeed, $250k) have to get tax cuts, but the Right was ready to let taxes rise for the poor and middle-class and to deny unemployment benefits to get those cuts for the rich, and the price was too high in my estimation. (I'm curious, though, about how the Teabaggers are going to sell a $700B cut in income to their constituencies. I guess we're only supposed to worry about the deficit when we're talking about gov't spending.)
Anyway, I don't see that Obama had a choice. If Congress rejects the plan (and a surprising number of Dems are declaring their intention to vote against it) it's the poor and middle-class and unemployed that suffer.
The only thing I can think of is that the Dems can vote "no" knowing that it's going to pass anyway. Then it's all rhetoric, which is certainly nothing new in politics.