www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_02/016863.php
bigger than the tax cuts offered by Reagan, Kennedy or others. Now, perhaps some new analysis will show that the tax cuts end up not quite being the largest in history by this measure or that. I'm ducking the debate on whether this is economically a good or bad -- but surely it ought to be a big story. Waldman also notes that this is also an example of a liberal Democrat delivering early on a tax cut he promised during the campaign, a pledge "few Republican thought he'd keep." What's more, let's also not forget that Obama's tax-cut plan in the recovery package is not only arguably bigger than previous cuts, but also better targeted. George W Bush's tax cuts were long-term income-tax rate cuts, which amounted to a generous break for those at the top, since the wealthy pay most income taxes. Obama's tax cuts, meanwhile, are short-term refunds paid directly to working and middle class families (some of which Republicans have denounced as "welfare"). As such, GOP lawmakers are going to reject one of the largest, if not the largest, tax cut ever proposed by a president -- which just so happens to be targeted at the working and middle class families Obama vowed to look out for. When the economy recovers, I suspect many on the right will argue, "Obama's policy only worked because he passed a quarter-trillion dollars in tax breaks." But how will those same conservatives respond when it's noted that Republicans stood up to oppose one of the biggest tax-cut plans in American history?
President Obama waxing philosophical in his recent press conference: I suppose what I could have done is started off with no tax cuts, knowing that I was going to want some, and then let them take credit for all of them.
PERMALINK What makes you think anyone will remember or believe that Republicans opposed this tax cut? They will revise history, deny and accuse anyone who says otherwise of lying - same old, same old - some things never change, even if we Dems want to believe in CHANGE.
PERMALINK Remember how the money wasn't going to create any jobs? Jeff Sessions has just discovered that the construction spending in the bill will create 1-2 million jobs. Because with construction jobs there is the potential of hiring illegal aliens. He makes the admission of jobs because he wants to force a provision that employers use e-check, which verifies SSN.
PERMALINK I suppose what I could have done is started off with no tax cuts, knowing that I was going to want some, and then let them take credit for all of them. Surely he knew Republicans would have never pushed for the same tax cuts. In fact a few minutes ago, someone from Cato Institute was on MSNBC saying the only tax cuts that will stimulate the economy are marginal tax cuts.
PERMALINK The points you make are linked together, you know. The reason the Republicans don't like these tax cuts is *because* they are targetted at middle-to-low class people. Republicans only get excited over tax cuts for the *rich*.
Silly because you seem to think that the voters remember things like "voted for" or "voted against" in detail. Furthermore, the Republicans will simply say that *every body knows that Republicans are for lower taxes but these weren't really lower taxes* or, alternatively, that these "lower taxes" were going to happen anyway but are horrendously offset with the higher deficit spending. There's no single, linear, narrative that the Republicans have to hew to on this one. And, as has been amply demonstrated over the last eight years, the high brand definition of the Republican party generally allows them to skate right past little inconsistencies. This is the same thing that allows them to claim George Bush as a conservative when it seems good to them (and vote for his deficit spending) and then disavow him as "n ot really a conservative" when deficits become a rhetorical and political problem for them.
PERMALINK George W Bush's tax cuts were long-term income-tax rate cuts, which amounted to a generous break for those at the top, since the wealthy pay most income taxes. Obama's tax cuts, meanwhile, are short-term refunds paid directly to working and middle class families (some of which Republicans have denounced as "welfare"). Everything I've read says short-term refunds are just used to pay down debt, not inject money into the economy, and are therefore poor stimulus. Obama should have split the difference and offered long term rate cuts to working and middle class.
PERMALINK Voters will forget, but they can be reminded again by negative campaign ads when the time comes. "Out of one side of his mouth Senator Scheisskopf SAYS he's for cutting your taxes.
PERMALINK So, Republicans are opposing the largest tax cut in history, which happens to go much more to middle class families than any of Bush's tax cuts ever did. If they're not, as many claim, the party of tax cuts for the wealthy, then why did they oppose the largest tax cuts in history that happened to go mostly to the middle class?
PERMALINK Republicans tend to only vote for tax cuts for the very wealthy because that is consistent with the "trickle-down" economic policy that is fundamental to their party. Of course, it has never worked, but they keep hoping it will.
PERMALINK What makes you think anyone will remember or believe that Republicans opposed this tax cut? Posted by: withay Gosh---I don't know---maybe because Dems will beat the GOPer constituency over the head with it for the next 21 months? They can ram the message home on the Sunday talk-shows, too. They can beat up Bill Orifice and Hand-job-itty over at FauxNoise, too. It is so-ooo time to make the GOPer tribe bleed on this one; to force them to fall on their own swords, and to politically devour each other in the scramble to climb into the rigging, as the good ship Reaganomics founders and sinks in its own vacuous excrement....
PERMALINK Mitch McConnell is poo-pooing the bill because "middle-class workers will end up getting less than $8 a week in tax relief." Or approximately the size of the tax relief Dear Leader Bush provided.
Where is the recognition that any economy fundamentally dependent on cheap, abundant oil and ever-rising debt, tax revenues and consumer spending is mortally wounded?
PERMALINK You progressive pinheads again miss the point! Everyone knows that the rich create the jobs in our country. Everyone knows that the only problem with our economy is that the rich do not have enough money. Everyone knows that the real reason that our economy is not in good shape is that the Obama administration has caused a downturn in the economy - just like FDR caused the Great Depression. The problem with our economy is not the past 30 years of cutting taxes for the wealthy and trickle down economics; the real problem is that we did not cut taxes enough on the wealthy. All good Americans understand that the solution is to cut corporate & top tax rates & raise payroll taxes!
PERMALINK Well, I guess this tax cut isn't going to help *me* any, since I'm just above the income level cut-off point. On the other hand, I know many people that will be getting a benefit from it, and I'm glad that it'll help some of my friends. Nevertheless, I wish I could use my money to help them directly, rather than be forced to do so by the government. In my opinion, that's really the key point: people should control where their money goes, not some bureaucrat.
PERMALINK I'm reminded of when I worked for a restaurant with a large European clientele. To keep the waitstaff from getting inadvertently stiffed, the tip was added to the bill. Some would come up to my hostess station, huffing and puffing, claiming they usually tipped much larger than that, but because we went ahead and put it on the bill, they weren't going to tip at all! The same notice, in large letters, that explained the tip also explained they could simply request a bill without the tip.
PERMALINK >>What makes you think anyone will remember or believe that Republicans opposed this tax cut? Except for three electred representatives, EVERY MEMBER of the GOP voted against the largest middle class tax cut in American history.
PERMALINK I live in a rusting t...
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