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Subscribe to RSSPresident Barack Obama’s first formal meeting with Republican and Democratic top dogs since the midterm elections yielded mutual praise from both sides, cautiousness about the politically charged debates to come, and no major breakthroughs on key policy negotiations.
Which is pretty much what was expected.
Dubbed the “Slurpee Summit” after Obama's often-used campaign line accusing Republicans of lazily sipping on the tasty frozen treats while Democrats toiled to fix the economy, the discussion was praised by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell as "useful and frank." The president called it a “productive” conversation that could signal “the beginning of a new dialogue” between the two parties.
But, while the compliments flowed freely, both the president and GOP leaders warned that it may be difficult to overcome stark ideological differences between the two sides.
“We have two parties for a reason. There are real philosophical differences, deeply held principles to which each party holds,” Obama said. “Although the atmosphere in today’s meeting was extremely civil, there’s no doubt that those differences are going to remain no matter how many meetings we have. And the truth is there is always going to be a political incentive against working together, particularly in the current hyperpartisan climate.”
"We had a very nice meeting today. Of course, we have had a lot of very nice meetings," said House Speaker-in-waiting John Boehner. "The question is can we find the common ground the American people expect us to find."
The two parties have not yet reached agreement on the key issue of a looming logjam over the extension of Bush-era tax cuts for the middle class and for high earners. “There’s still differences about how to get there,” Obama said of a solution. He and Republican leaders have named negotiators to continue attempts to hammer out an agreement.
Other agenda items for today’s meeting included the extension of emergency unemployment insurance benefits, which expire at the end of the month, as well as the passage of spending bills that fund almost all government operations and the ratification of the new START treaty.
The "summit" attracted rapt attention and media coverage because it was the first such face-to-face meeting of Republican leaders at the White House since the November "shellacking" delivered to the president’s party.
But, while it was the first occasion since the ascendant GOP majority was made official at the ballot box, Boehner and McConnell are no strangers to the White House.
In 2010 alone, Obama hosted meetings at his residence with Republican leaders to address job creation, financial reform, health care legislation, foreign policy, and energy proposals.
But such summits have previously resulted in minimal agreement between the two parties.
When the president and House Republicans engaged in a 90-minute televised question-and-answer-session during a GOP retreat in February, many hailed the candid “question time” as a new benchmark for bipartisan public debate. But some Republicans were less enthusiastic about the glare of the cameras, which allowed a fairly flattering performance by a defiant president. GOP aides told NBC at the time that allowing cameras to capture the long exchange was “a mistake.”
A subsequent highly publicized summit to address health care overhaul with members of both parties. A top Republican called the event ‘pointless’ before it even took place; McConnell said he was “discouraged” by the event’s outcome as soon as it was over.
Shortly before that meeting in February, as the second of two epic D.C. snowstorms loomed, Obama quipped that a bipartisan tete-a-tete with congressional leaders went so well that McConnell and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid were “out doing snow angels together on the South Lawn.”
But the giggles soon gave way to a slightly more frosty assessment by the president. “'Bipartisan' can’t be that I agree to all the things that they believe in or want and they agree to none of the things that I want,” Obama told reporters.
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Let the reading of the tea leaves begin...
Thanks for pointing out to the righties in denial that President Obama had previously reached out to them in the past!
History is not a strong subject with them... unless of course they're re-writing it!
THEN they're ALL over it! LOL
BTW... I don't care what he says... Young Gun Eric Cantor is NO Emilio Estevez... ;0)
Feisty. That was the very first taught that I had. The media keeps saying the President has not reached out to the republicans, and yet here is a list if the times he has invited them to work with him on solutions to the nations problems. So is is not only conservatives who have short memories.
"Reach out"
___________________________________________________________________________________
Problem is Obama and the leftists "reach out" to GRAB the money, rights and "junk" of hard working citizens
Reaching out is a long way from compromising though. See I just reached out to you...lets see if you can compromise and tell me I am always right. Something kinda like that.
Leftists reach out to grab the money? You SURE you want to go there, Maddie??
Madison...you are SO right!!!
They call it being "progressive", code word for socialism!
The only reason Obama is now "reaching out" is that the Democrats no longer control both house of Congress. This means they can no longer do things like they did with the health care reform and go behind closed doors to write legislation without any input from the Republicansand then force it through. Obama is now forced to work with the Republicans or he will not be able to get anything done. That is unless he tries further unconstitutional tricks like using administrative rules to institute de factoamnesty by granting blanket exceptions and waivers where they were intended to be used sparingly on a case by case basis. Thankfully, the public outcry stopped that little move in it's tracks, but who knows what other underhanded moves Obama will try now that the Democrats no longer control Congress and he can not get his way on everything. I think we are going to be facing two years of a log jam until we can get rid of Obama in 2012.
Feisty You do keep me laughing! Are you referring to the compromise on health care reform?
Don't trust them President Obama and don't rely on them either...they want to be failures let them
Hi Feisty!
Hiya keepertrout!
Agreed... I wouldn't trust ANY of them as far I could toss em! lol
Good to see you! I trust you had a wonderful Turkey Day! ;0)
You bad boy knowitalls, you fake conservatives want to get bad and give someone a fat lip. Here, I will give you my address and WE can talk. Just ask and you will receive an opportunity.
From the responses of the repubs I'd title the article: "First read: Obama wins! Republicans still haven't the balls to do what they ran on!" Their approach should have been: "The American people spoke loud and clear, the direction Obama and the Democrats have been taking us is off a cliff. We will propose drastic cuts in spending, lower taxes for everyone, repeal of Obamacare, and we welcome the administration's willingness to work with us. We will listen to any additional cuts they wish to make, additional tax reductions they wish to make, and additional ways to correct the health care system, in addition to preventing states for preventing insurance companies from competing in all states to lower costs!"
I got a compromise for ya! How about profile Muslims at airports........If we were so damn worried about security, we would have shored up our borders before they started inspecting our crotches. Our government is transparently stupid as hell.
The Republicans suck, the Democrats blow and the people are f*cked. The little guy (you and I) have no influence in Washington because the giant corporations have bought and paid for the Congress. When are people going to realize that neither party is the answer.
"Each party is worse than the other. The one that's out always looks the best." Will Rogers
Feisty Redhead. I think your red hair is the rust seeping into it from your brain. I can't recall any original, intelligent thoughts that you have presented although you seem to have the time to post hundreds.Then again, Roselle is not known as the Mecca of careful, truthful ideas worthy of merit. Your comments do however give me great pleasure to read when I'm in a comical mood. Beats the funny papers.
1.9 deleted, Carl D.-580212 trolling the author. Don't. You're suspended for a week for violating #1 of the Code of Honor.
obviously, the American people 'acted stupidly' on 11/2/10
Yes they did, Richard Blumenthal was elected..........despite having proved that he's a liar. Other than that, the American people did a pretty good job in showing Obama's lemmings THE DOOR !!!!!!!!!!
jim, i was being facetious
Jim, it seems the voters preserved some sanity in the Senate, even though they turned over the House to the freak show that is the lastest manifestation of Republican Conservativism. Little less quick to vote for a 6 year loony than a 2 year loony. That Republican "mandate" left the Democrats in control of the Senate, with the same leadership on both sides of the aisle. The House is apparently keeping its leadership as well, with the Republican and Democrats switched. Emphasis on "same leadership". So, where is the big tidal wave of change we were "promised"? Should we be looking under the couch cushions, like looking for spare change?
mag, its a start. this govt has been so corrupt for so long, will be difficult to sweep and restore the Republic. but fortunatly, a group of rich white guys put the means in place over 200 years ago for us to do so...and do so we will.
Mitch, what needs to be "restored"? The part where only wealthy white males who own land get to vote? The part where only wealthy white males are "created equal"? I am not stupid, honestly, but I do not understand what the outcry about "taking the country back" is all about. Take it back from WHAT exactly? I vote, my vote counts, sometimes my prefered candidate wins, sometimes he/she loses. I don't like something, I call or write my representatives. I excercise my right to speak up, appropriately, with civility, and as clearly as I am able. This nation is not socialist, it is not communist, the president is not a Nazi, none of those scary buzzwords have any basis in reality. Yes, we have social programs, because that is what humanitarian people do, support those who are in need. I am not saying the social programs are not in need of reform, because they are.
How is the "tea party" or the current cast of neo-conservative Republicans going to change Washington? How are they going to combat corruption, when their campaigns were financed by the corrupt? Of course the insurance companies and pharmecuticals companies financed the anti health care reform propaganda and bought all the candidates "sworn" to repealing it!
Spare us, mitch. The only way to "restore the Republic" is to throw out the bums whose campaigns were financed by big money interests. Never happen - apparently YOU voted for them......
And the Unions poor as they are didnt spend millions supporting your side? Talk about calling a kettle black. Thats the message the tea party is sending is that both sides are wrong and the American voters should be on the minds of those elected not the party's agenda's. Whats good for east coast people may not be whats needed in Oklahoma, we all are differant, but then the same. How you live is not my buisness unless it endangers those that I love or changes how this country was founded, then its in question.
I question the lefts motives....and that includes Mr. Obama.
Mag, hmm. The problem with "humanitarian" social programs is they are not truly "humanitarian". True humanitarians do not TAKE from one to give to another. There is a BIG difference in being taxed to help another and giving freely. Our presidents goal is to "equalize" the economy by FORCE through taxes and expanding government. THAT is the difference that makes our president a Nazi and he's taking our country toward communism. (Note that I can put GWB in the same category, but Obama accelerated the process dramatically).
Jim and Mitch - I'm not being facetious, Americans really blew it on 11/2/2010. But, by 11/2/2012 we'll see again how horrible things can be when Republicans try to run everything - in the ground!
W. Goin -
Then I guess the liberal democrats are going to have to behave more conservatively aren't they? They still control the Senate, albeit not by as large a margin; and the Presidency.
The only 'party of no' I see right now are the democrats crying "No! Tell me it isn't so! Tell me they didn't vote me out of my cushy job!"
Well W. Goin.... at least you're right about the fact that Obama won't be running things in 2012. Though I've not great hopes that they can actually change much except undo the expen$ive redistribution of wealth via Health Care Reform.
I wish I could believe that these people (Obamites) had their heart in the right place on all this, but it appears to be a move to capture votes of non-taxpayers and (in my opinion) Mexicans that can vote (illegals will most likely be covered in some way) so as to empower themselves.
did anyone say 'we won'? thats always so helpful
'Bout as helpful as hollering "NO", huh, mitch?
your party won the house, not the senate or the pres. so i guess you could say that you also lost. you sound like a little kid "we won" neener neener neener.
drive by, its just the first time Barry heard the word no, and will take him a while to comprehend it.
Dhola-we won was barry's words, not mine. btw, it was not my party that took the house, as I am a patriot and a registered Dem. instead, it was a group that included a new group of soldiers. their numbers will expand greatly in 2 years.
ok, i missing inturprited your statements, but how many times have i heard the repubs say they have won by a tsunami, or landslide, or whatever major disaster you can come up with for winning by alot.
they say "tsunami" they say "landslide"....what they have trouble saying is "We're Still In the Minority"!
duggir
I think you underestimate the capabilites of your republicans.....give them some time - they'll prove you wrong!
Amen, b dune..... If memory serves me correctly, it was the repubs in pwr when the collapse came. And the repubs didn't put any safeguards in the legislation for the money given to the Wall St rich while the middle class investors took it in the shorts. Fed should have jumped in and taken over assets, sold debt to other viable banks, auction/sell all the furniture etc., and use all the profits/assets to reimburse the FDIC bailout of its investors and then left the company to fail. Put the ones out of business that were greedy and caused the problem. But that isn't the repub, er.... big business way? Instead, its a horrendous handout of money to 'right the ship' (housing and mortgage industry) which is still capsized 2 years later. But the Wall St weenies got their big fat bonuses despite their unethical tactics and greed that created the whole thing.
Other agenda items for today’s meeting included the extension of emergency unemployment insurance benefits, which expire at the end of the month...
It couldn't be more end of the month than it is now. What became of the extension?
“The two parties have not yet reached agreement on the key issue of a looming logjam over the extension of Bush-era tax cuts for the middle class and for high earners.There’s still differences about how to get there,” Obama said of a solution. He and Republican leaders have named negotiators to continue attempts to hammer out an agreement.
We'll have to wait I guess.
"We have two parties for a reason. There are real philosophical differences, deeply held principles to which each party holds,” Obama said. “Although the atmosphere in today’s meeting was extremely civil, there’s no doubt that those differences are going to remain no matter how many meetings we have. And the truth is there is always going to be a political incentive against working together, particularly in the current hyperpartisan climate.”
Sometimes you have to give and take. But NOT when it hurts vulnerable American people, who need the United States Government on their side. Especially now. It's why they're there as legislators. So on this, there can be no compromise. No to tax cuts for the wealthy. Yes to unemployment extensions for the out of work.
Children are at risk. And if we can't take care of our children, we're no damn good. Do we want to be that kind of America?
We have elected a Democrat for a reason to be our President. It was to stop the GOP from only caring about the rich. They are blatant about it. It has to stop.
lol, Pat, you dont have to go into a long written statement, your name "MA" says it all!
Pat ,..what makes it an emergency? How will it be paid for? Thats all anyone wants to get it paid for and not added to the deficit,before they vote on it. Anyway the Democarts can pass it with out the Republicans,but they are running scared,you need to call your favorite Democrats if you want it passed.
stormerF: I did.
Pat - and what about the children that will be burdened with our debt for decades? Is it fair to them that they pay higher taxes so we can get everything we want today? Basically everybody is for extending unemployment insurance - the difference is whether we should pay for it now or later.
Concerning the tax rates for people making > $250,000, keep in mind that both parties have the same goal - which is for America to succeed. Republicans believe keeping the current tax rates will help grow the economy - which will help rich and poor alike. Democrats believe going back to the old tax rates for people making > $250,000 will not hurt the economy and will help reduce the deficit. There are very smart economists on both sides of the argument. I think it's well worth debating, but everyone needs to keep in mind the goals of both approaches are the same (i.e.; don't demonize someone for having a different opinion).
but wait, unemployment benefits is the best way to stimulate the economy, right? by that logic, perhaps all of us should quit our jobs, go on the dole, and we will be out of the recession quickly!
You know what?
Forget about it.
Money. Money. Money.
That's all you care about.
Let people go without. Food. Job. Heat. Health.
While the rich keep getting richer.
Who cares. These things COST MONEY.
Despicable people in this country. Truly despicable.
Pat - what comments are you referring to?
Ron-1861300
Pat - and what about the children that will be burdened with our debt for decades? Is it fair to them that they pay higher taxes so we can get everything we want today?
Then you DO agree, Ron. Tax breaks for the already wealthy DO need to expire, when you consider- they haven't helped create jobs for nearly 10 years now. Thanks for your support.
Drive by - I think ALL of the tax cuts should expire...it's time we start paying our own bills and quit passing them on to our children's children.
So, Stormer and Ron, you are going to let people starve while you worry about how to pay for feeding them?
I have to agree with Pat, it's despicable.
Fielden - I never said I'd let anyone starve. The decision to pay for unemployment via unspent TARP money can be made in a few minutes. If you're saying paying for it now is completely unacceptable, then I'll have to turn the starvation comment back to you...would you let the people starve now because you won't use money you have to pay for their food?
@stormer, how are we going to pay for the tax cuts? At least the poor appreciate and spend that money the rich just save them and laugh all the way to the bank. Ron have the tax cuts saved the economy in the last 10 years? @Mitch, so you let the tax cuts expire, and all that money stops flowing into the economy. Will the economy get better for it? @RON by some of the children you speak of paying for our debt may be dead or resort to a life of crime or die because repubs dont want a healthcare overhaul, so i guess there may be less children to pay for the debt. So yeah dont extend unemployment, screw healthcare reform let the rich save a few bucks and f the rest of the country. I was givin a debt to live with by people before me and im not whining about it. At least the children will have a country to have the burden of our debt.
dhola - I never said unemployment shouldn't be extended and I never said I was for any of the Bush tax cuts (for the record, I was against them when they were passed and I'm still against them).
Just because someone doesn't agree with how you want to solve a problem, doesn't mean they don't want to solve the problem. As an example, most people are for healthcare reform, but there are significant differences of opinion on how to revamp the system. That doesn't mean people with other opinions don't care about healthcare, it just means they have other ideas on how to fix the problem.
If you want to have a reasoned debate - great! But, this attitude of "either you're with me or your the enemy" is counter productive.
dhola: I'm so glad that you said what you did about children inheriting debts. That old ignorant line about burdening our future generations with debt is ridiculous!!! Our forebearers left debt for us, so what's the big deal? Little catch phrases like "What about the children"? is just an excuse for not addressing the problem. It seems to work on the fox and limbaugh crowd though.
mitch j
"but wait, unemployment benefits is the best way to stimulate the economy, right? by that logic, perhaps all of us should quit our jobs, go on the dole, and we will be out of the recession quickly!"
Do you have any idea how stupid that is? Unemployment is for people that have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. If youi QUIT your job, you don't get unemployment. I know you think your comment is cute, but it does not reflect any reality at all. Typical dishonest drivel from a right-winger.
Chris - If I want something, what's wrong with me paying for it? How is paying for what we want today without borrowing money avoiding the problem? What problem am I avoiding by paying for what I want?
Also, just because prior generations left me with debt doesn't justify me doing the same thing to future generations - what kind of logic is that?
drive by, i was quoting a theory of your queen. its ok, soon we will sack the monarchy, and reinstate the republic.
Can anyone please tell me why the unspent TARP money can't be used for the extended unemployment benefits? As I understand it, that is the only thing standing in the way of extending the benefits. The republicans want to use unspent TARP money and the democrats don't want to, they want to borrow the money. Please tell me the problem with using TARP money.
Ron - #4.4 - The Republicans do not now, nor have they ever, had the best interests of the country and ordinary people in any way part of their agenda, not since A. Lincoln. The current Republican respresentatives are so single minded in their mission to make Obama fail that they do not care in the least about what is best for the country. There is no argument that can reasonably be made that they are in any way concerned with the "American people" they claim to represent. The one or two sincere Republicans who are trying to bring sense to the party are being chided and ridiculed for daring to voice any support of anything supported by the current Administration. Sen. Luger, who may know and understand foreign policies and treaties better than any other person currently in Washington, is being shushed for saying START needs to be ratified and here are the very real reasons why. Republicans clearly want all Republicans to fall in line and say "NO" to everything, regardless of the consequences.
So, when do the Republicans start giving a steaming pile about what is really in the best interests of the "American people"?
Magnificent50 - I'm not a fan of either party - I think both parties are more concerned with the party than the country. So, please don't take my comments as defending Republicans. Sometimes I agree with the Democratic party position and sometime with the Republican position. I try very hard not to look at who's making the suggestion...I try to stay focused on the merits of the suggestion.
drive by observer -
Ref 4.16 -
Pelosi originally made the comment about unemployment 'stimulating' the economy, so if you don't agree with it take it up with her.
drive by,
Au contraire. Too often UC is paid to former employees who are fired for cause and who quit. The employer must contest the case with the state, but often the benefits are paid prior to the hearing.
The current 99 weeks of unemployment benefits are actually incenting people to not bother to seek employment. It is so much easier to sit on their can, do nothing and get paid. I think those receiving unemployment benefits must be required to do at least 20 hours of community service per week and also be drug tested.
dhola
You don't pay for tax cuts. The taxpayer saves money when he receives a tax cut. Is your question really, "How can we continue to spend ourselves into oblivion without raising taxes?"
Would love to see you prove that one! Experience 'hath shewn' that those living off the backs of the taxpayers don't appreciate what they haven't earned. Start with publicly provided high school education. How many living on the dole have dropped out of their taxpayer provided education that helps teach them the skills necessary to succeed? How many of the poor receive Earned Income Credit, above and beyond what they pay in taxes and use that money to buy imported goods, illegal drugs, namebrand clothing, etc.?
Can't prove nor disprove this...next.
How does this money that isn't being paid to the government going to stop flowing into the economy? Huh? If the tax cuts expire, the money leaves the private economy and interests and is spent by the 536 in Washington. I'd rather the money stay with the people.
People resort to a life of crime because they don't get government funded healthcare? That's funny.
Let the rich save a few bucks and f the rest of the country? Doesn't your comment say, "f them (the rich), cuz their money belongs to me?" If someone has more money than you, most likely they EARNED IT, they WORKED FOR IT, and most of all, IT'S THEIRS! You are not entitled to it! If it was earned through fraud or criminal acts, punish them and then take back what was stolen.
You want equality, tax everyone at 39.6% at the federal level...10%, your choice. But equality should be equality.
AtlasWillShrug,
I think your dissection of dhola's comments is brilliant, but I'm afraid it'll have little impact on dhola's cancerous perspective. The entitlement attitude and its associated culture is a tumor that is slowly killing our society, usually quite oblivious to logical treatment.
Rob,
Well said...sad as it may be.
was anyone not paying attention to, or not looking at the President when he spoke? that was so helpful when the President did that during the heath care meeting.
Well yeah, cuz it was HIS infomercial, right?
could anyone stand to watch when Mitch OConell or Cantor speak?
Since when does Obama have any respect for "real philosophical differences"? LOL He's only having to live by his divisive words "I won" and "Elections have consequences". #BifurcateFTW
Divisive words... Let's see, how many times have the Republicans referred to the outcome of the November elections?
it was conservatism that took gains, not just republicans. no matter how often its touted, it will be ignored and dismissed. these new soldiers are a beginning, we will add to their numbers in two years, and take back the country.
whats the most pressing matter the repubs are faced with today and will stop at nothing to accomplish. Jobs, unemplyment, debt, immigration, saftey of the country, middle class and small bizz. Nope, its making Obama a one term pres. Tell me how this isnt messed up when they actually come out and say this crap and their followers eat it up.
how dare you even compair politictians to soldiers. Take back this country from what, the poor and middle class, and give even more to themselves and the wealthy. Weak statement by you mitch. True conservitives would not let the tax cut be extended without paying for them. Keep on dreaming about 2012. Please tell me who from the conservitives will be your republican pres. canidate and how they plan to make this country better by saying one thing and doing the exact opposite. I mean extend a failed tax cut but reduce the debt is true hypocricy at its finest. Save the economy by making the rich more wealthy and the middle class more of a lowwer class. More hypocricy!!
lol, you will trully be lost when self responcibility is re-established, when individual freedoms are wrestled from the fed and restored to the citizenry. it will take a while after so many decades of government intrusion, but we will learn once again to rely on ourselves.
but, in the meantime, plug in your govt subsidized volt, sip your chardonney, and enjoy your free baked brie. soon the party will be over, and well send libs back to the darkness where they belong
November #6
you mean kind of like when Bush won in 2004 and said "I won and I have a Mandate"....
@b dune - Exactly.
President Obama, Please get them on the unemployment extention now!!! I am lucky to have employment, but I don't make much money. Last time they fooled around about unemployment extentions, I found myself feeding seven more children and three adults (along with my own three kids) because I knew people who were depending on their checks that were suddenly cut off! Some had to stay at my house because their electricity had been cut off for more than a week.Yes, they paid me back... in child care, new recipes, some house-keeping, and pot luck dinners...but I can't keep having to make up for the congresses inability to provide these people with the help they deserve! I'm barely making it financially as it is!
Born - everyone agrees on extending unemployment insurance...the question is do we pay for it now (using already unspent TARP money) or do we add it to the deficit for future generations to pay? Personally, I'd rather pay for it now - I don't like making future generations pay for my poor financial management.
b dune - I am not a Republican or a Democrat - I vote for whoever I think will do the best job. From 2001 to 2007, I strongly disagreed with a number of things the Republicans did. After 2001 I voted 90% Democrat because I was so disgusted with that crop of Republicans. If it were up to me I would have stopped the Bush tax cuts (all of them), the Iraq war, the Patriot Act and the prescription drug bill.
To give you an idea of where I stand overall...I would legalized gay marriage, do away with DADT, implement the immigration reform Bush wanted (one of the few things I agreed with on) and legalized most drugs (but added significant government oversight for the harder drugs).
obama will cave on the tax cuts to the wealthy. he will not push for unemployment extension, he will not abolish the commission on deficit reduction's ideas of saving money by cutting social security, medicare, and medicaid. so... with all the money at the top, wall street, banks, the fed and multinational corps, we are again coming to the cash strapped, tax burdened middle class to carry the load for the mega rich. we will not touch their money, or the lack of taxes they pay. we will take the mortgage write off from the middle class. if the banks can't repo your home they will at least make it have no tax advantage for you. the wealthy? lets get rid of the dividend tax, the inheritance tax. lower the corp. tax. we can pay for all this with social security cuts, raising the age to collect, and cutting medicare payment to doctors by 23%. obama is a sell-out. a liar. a cheat. a thief. a weak kneed spineless coward. for him to reach out to the republicans more could only be done if this were a XXX movie.
All of a sudden Obama wants to be bipartisan? What happen to the" I won "Comment? Obama has had meetings before but refused to listen to any imput,guess he'll have no chice now?
stormerF,
I can tell from all your comments that you're interested in being "Fair and Balanced" (sarcasm intended in case you didn't catch it) you should replay some of the accounts of the cherry-picked "I won" statement. From the best I've been able to find on the Internet, the statement was made during what was described at a meeting where President Obama "listened to Republican gripes about his stimulus package during a meeting with congressional leaders was as follows:
“We just have a difference here, and I’m president,” Mr. Obama said to Mr. Cantor, according to Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, who was at the meeting. Mr. Emanuel said that Mr. Obama was being lighthearted and that lawmakers of both parties had laughed. Mr. Cantor, in an interview later, had a similar recollection. He said the president had told him, “You’re correct, there’s a philosophical difference, but I won, so we’re going to prevail on that.” “He was very straightforward,” Cantor added. “There was no disrespect, but it was very matter-of-fact.”
It was the president's stimulus package to introduce. He met with the congressional leaders, heard their concerns with the package, and as even Cantor mentioned, agreed to respectfully disagree. So let's not keep trotting out Fux Noise Divisive Point #33 "yeah, but he said he won!", okay?
Agree to disagree, reach a compromise, whatever, but this hyperpartisan atmosphere has to stop. And it's not just the politicians to blame, it's the voters. The tea baggers got everyone whipped into such a frenzy in the midterm elections that being a moderate, Republican means you're probably wondering what unemployment benefits are available to former members of Congress (no, I don't think ANY of them had to go on unemployment, I'm just saying that being 'moderate' and being 'Republican' is a sure way to lose your election). And to have any party whose leadership publicly states that their first priority is to see the President of the United States FAIL is absolutely unacceptable. And quite frankly, on the matter of compromise, both parties look like the village idiot that's standing in front of a burned out fireplace and telling it "when you give me heat, I'll give you wood". Somebody has to make the first move and I think it's our jobs as voters to demand that both parties get in a room, hash it out, come up with solutions or they better start checking into those dwindling unemployment benefits.
Oh, and here's the link if you're so inclined.
http://themoderatevoice.com/25920/obamas-i-won-comment/
The "I won" comment got lost in all the "NO" noise.
Almost all of the leaders in both parties have made lots of destructive partisan comments (Obama included). Hopefully things will change, but I'm not holding my breath.
He saw the writing on the wall.
Too bad he's burned almost all of his bridges, countrygirl.
Why a 'summit' at all? This was a meeting between congress critters and the prez. Why can't it just be that simple? It used to be that simple.
I guess it's just our need to label everything these days.
lets cut the crap dems or repubs these are american workers who are unemployed for any length of time please have the decency to extend the benefits to those who cannot get hired because of age or too much experience flipping burgers isnt the answer either you cant even get an interview when they realize you are over a certain age
were the participants that disagreed with the President his "enemy"?
Yes they were/are!!!
Way to get cooperation by calling the summit a Slurpee summit "after Obama's often-used campaign line accusing Republicans of lazily sipping on the tasty frozen treats while Democrats toiled to fix the economy."
No there's no bias in the media. Way to go Barak, another typical way to "reach across the aisle." What's next? Calling them enemies? How about insulting their children and their mothers? That'll show them that you are willing to work with them.
Bobo,
Quit clowining around, your second paragraph describes what goes on, on a daily basis on this blog and others, only it's the so-called right, ridiculing the First Lady and the First Family. I guess there are no mirrors in you house, huh?
skip, perhaps if letterman made a joke about one of the children having relations with a professional sports player? would that be better/more appropriate in your eyes?
then later, perhaps he could apologize in a backhanded way, basically repeating the joke.
Skip, BoBo and MitchJ seem to be really enjoying themselves. Let them continue to since they seem to have nothing of substance to offer.
Maybe their moms left the side rails to their beds down and they climbed out, got to the computer and started hitting random keys on the keyboard.
Wow, when did I walk into a WWE cage match. First Bobo makes a clown of himself/herself then Mitchj jumps to his defense and K Mac comes out swinging at all of us. What a smack down.
What was the original topic of discussion?
Oh yes, civility and a sincere attempt to communicate and compromise.
Whoops.
Better luck next time guys.
Hey, anybody for a pickup basketball game?
duggjr, any comment or observation or thought of any value, or do you make it a habit of trying to post meaningless not-funny one-liners?
Sorry you felt that way Skip. I was agreeing with you. BoBo and Mitchj were the ones that I thought were acting somewhat childish. I didn't mean to hurt either of you, just stating my opinion.
For me it does not make difference. Both parties are without solution and knowledge of how to revive economy. Tax cut or more spending has not always worked in the past. It has been like a bird sat on a branch and branch cracked and bird gets the credit. No politicians or economists are willing to say this is sure fire way to restoring our economy.
How do one compete with low cost country that can make fast decisions and aggressively export their goods? How do you deal with people more innovative, more focussed, more educated, driven bu hope and confidence and knowing full well theyhave hundreds of millions of people who will revolt if they do not succeed. We talk more about terrorism and which country is evil while they are devoted to prosperity. How do you compete with countries that want to save 30 % of their income to fuel their capital need?
We do not have leaders that can mobilize Americans and make dramatic change to restoration. We have more iliterate immigrants walk in while qulified well educated people are prevented form coming. This later group can help better than nannies and busboys.
Our system is so set for big companies that are not talented. Their advantage of bigness and theoir method is to outsource all work and hold AMerican people hostage and charge whatever they want from cable TV to Government fees. Big domain hosting companies blackmail small guys and ask for ransom to move their domain. Our emails even of national security imporatance, thanks to these big enitties travel through the gates of current competetors and may be future adversary. No leader has capacity to fix this. We are robbed by our own corporations from bank , communications, wall street.
We have lots of entrepeuners but they are hamstrung for lack of capital and rules and regulations fromrm various level of Governments. Even Chicago is more likely to hassle small biz in simple zoning for ransom payment from startups. TO start small compnies on low capital we need lots of live/work zoned spaces. Unfortuantely they are few and far between. Just tax cuts is no solution. The leaders who feel sorry for the travails of 250000+ a year icnome people becuase most of them are there then undertstanding how 20000 to 25000 family do it? Middle class is not in leadership and no sooner they go in leadership as some do, they get rich and feel they have arrived and forget where they came from.
raj@chicagoman.com
Why Raj it sounds as if you'd like the united states to become a sweat shop cesspool without breathable air and drinkable water like one of the third world countries big business exploits. Somehow I'd always imagined we'd lift those people up, not become them.
mj
I am for small biz and would like to have system that makes it easier for those who want to start biz
easier to start it with less regulation and favorable policies that does not hamstrung them. May be we do not seem to understand each other. Most big biz started small.
raj
did he have them break up into groups, then come back and share their ideas with the class?
I can't believe our GOP leadership is meeting or talking with this excuse for a President. Don't meet with him, don't talk to him, just DEFEAT him and his Liberal policies.
hes still got @40%approval rating=coincidentally, thats about how many people are employed by the government and/or on the dole!
Thanks Don for demonstrating so adroitly the reason the right can never be allowed to have exclusive power again.
Don't meet with him? Don't talk to him? Just defeat him?
That's not the way democracy is supposed work. We have a two party political system for a very good reason.
Politics is the art of compromise, you are supposed to TALK and NEGOTIATE and if both parties are sincerely working for a solution they will meet somewhere in the middle. They counter-balance each other and create a balanced decision.
Your MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY approach is what got us into this mess and trust me, it's not going to get us out.
Rather than demonstrating your intellectual inadequacies on this board, why don't you read a book on this great nation and what we stand for. And I don't mean something written by Limbaugh or Beck. What they know about this country and the constitution would not fill a thimble.
Read something by David Eisenhower or Bruce Catton or any number of modern historians and learn something before you come on this board and voice your unconstitutional opinions.
I applaud the President's attempt to communicate with the GOP and to try to come to some kind of bipartisan working arrangement. That's the way the two-party system is supposed to work.
I fear, Mr. President, that you have been led down the garden path. Pretty words and empty promises.
Senator McConnel is already on record with his single purpose over the next two years. To do whatever it takes to defeat YOU.
What kind of compromise do you think is possible with a man like that?
Senator Barton has declared war on YOU personally.
What kind of compromise is possible with the likes of "I'm Sorry" Barton?
We're behind you Mr. President and we know you'll do what's right. Stand up for us Mr. President and we'll stand with you.
Yes, Louisiana Don, that is the grown up way of solving our problems. Just another example of conservatives wanting to win elections so they don't have to actually think and come up with real solutions. Keep focusing on 2012 and your going to miss what really matters. Here's hoping you don't need help or lose your job before your supposed Republican victory in 2012 because the party of "No" will not be there for you either.
I've come to the conclusion that the only way for this country to survive is for the North and the South to split into separate Unions. People from the south of the mason dixon line are the most convoluted thinkers I have ever seen. You want to make everyone fend for themselves, you'd don't like our president, you have the most poor, the most uneducated, the most incidents of unwanted births, you won't let a pregnancy be terminated but you don't mind a wit if that same child is mistreated and grows up to be a murderer or rapist before you execute them, you take the most money from the federal government for your social issues, yet you rail like a bunch of banshees that is has to stop. So go be your own country. Leave the North alone. I assure you, we won't miss you a bit. In fact we'll probably have more of everything to go around...
You're talking about the president's campaign speeches aren't you?
No MJ, that's not the solution although I hear the frustration in your words and I share it.
We fought a war to maintain this Union and like it or not we are stuck with what we have created.
If we could turn off Fox and Limbaugh and Beck and tone down the rhetoric we might still make something of ourselves.
But shouting rhetoric at each other and name-calling just isn't going to solve the problems that ail this country.
lol, leave it to Barry to get the libs to start talking another civil war. hes such a great President, so able to bring us all together!
surely even you see what he is accomplishing.
No, no, don't leave me down here south of the Mason-Dixon line! Seriously, I love where I live, and not all liberals live in the north, just so you know.
And Obama's approval rating is at 47% with disapproval rates at 45%, higher than Reagan's at this time in his presidency. http://www.gallup.com/poll/113980/gallup-daily-obama-job-approval.aspx
Ummm, no. Gallup is the oldest and most reliable polling agency in the US.
Hello America, what I would like to focus on today, is the wikileaks, now the only reason Barrack Obama would call a summit, (you only call summits when you hope to do some diplomatic talks with your Enemies) as I was saying the only reason Barrack Obama feels the need to call a summit, is because of the fear that he has of gridlock, now you will carefully note that no efforts were made on March 22, 2010 to have talks with the conservative members of Congress, Nooooooooooooo, it was simply push through Obamacare regardless of what the American people want, now this is nothing New to most of you, but sometimes a gentle reminder is all that is needed to recall those desperate days, for most Americans, when Nooooooo compromise or discussion was to be undertaken, think back when Arm in Arm Nancy Pelosi and Charlie Rangel made their way across the Washington Mall, to the Whitehouse, against the dismay of all conservative Americans, chanting "We shall overcome"" well as I was saying we have seen the results of their Leadersgip in the House and Senate, so, Sooooooooooooo, I would encourage all Independents and Republican House and Senate members to simply say Nooooooooooo, there is nothing to be accomplished with having a summit with this President,, lets not pretend that slipping slurpees is going to make everything Ok, ""We won't get fooled again!"" so learn to just say "No" until in 2012 we can elect a New President and Senate, patience is a virtue, as for allowing certain groups of society to have special rights to Federal Funding for farming is not only Racist but Communist, the Indians already own half of North dakota and Montanna, they are even allowed to do whaling on the few last sperm whales in the world, I say no more., were in this country do you find White French Americans or Yellow Asians being alloted such large tracks of Land for farming? no where, and the same reasoning applies to Black Farmers no one citizen any longer should get special treatment over another group of citizens, its simply racist, I would encourage the congress to do away with such legislation, this is a simple throw back to the Kennedy Era, its all apart of the lasting Kennedy Legacy for America, you can see what being Toooooooooooooooooo nice to Somali Muslim refugees can do to a nation, just look at Portland Oregon, Americans need to learn to be just a whole lot less Nice, sincerely Fezzy Bear
"A lot less nice"?
Where were you all when the GOP were running up the deficits. Beginning with Ronald Reagan. It's not like you don't have the data proving the GOP are not fiscally responsible.
What a joke the Republicans are. Echo Chamber: Where are we going to get the money to pay for .....???
Question: Where have you all been since 2000?
It is always the working people who have to pay the price for the greedy irresponsible in this country. So now you have Boehner as Speaker.
Boehner. And you guys are looking for responsible leaders?
Boehner and McConnell?
Let the unemployment extensions lapse. Why not. It's Kennedy's fault.
I guess. Because it sure isn't the Republicans' fault.
It never is with Republican supporters. The biggest hypocrites on this planet.
Paranoid Fuzzy?
I agree that every group/race of people should be treated equally. But the reality is that they are not, and never have been in this country. You mentioned the American Indians. Reality is that our forefathers saw fit to label them as "threats to national security and economic growth" and proceeded to systematically imprison or kill them. How else do you think we got Reservations and the lands west of the Mississippi?
Okay, you dislike Kennedy. We get it, but you would be less than honest if you fail to admit that what we have today is a result of the human condition called GREED. After all, the Great Depression didn't just happen because. It was driven by the same thing which caused the most recent Recession; unchecked and unregulated financial markets where pyramid and ponzi type schemes (ARM's, non-conventional or conforming mortgages, derivative financial instruments, swaps, etc.) packaged and repackaged then floated as solid commodities by Hedge Funds, Investment Banks, and other Wall Street traders.
You believe that the same Conservatives (Republicans) who voted for de-regulation of the markets, relaxing of the banking standards, and oh yeah TARP are now going to come back and save the day? They had a chance to work with the Progressives (Democrats), and some did. They proposed ideas which were included in the bills presented by the party in charge, Democrats, and then turned around and voted NO on the same bill that they had just helped write. Yet you place the blame soley on Democrats giving the Republicans a complete pass?
Conservatives and Independents like to claim that the last election was a referendum on the President. Fine, its your opinion and we all know that opinions are like butt holes. Everybody has one, and some stink worse than others. But I fail to understand how voting NO in lockstep has been good for our Democracy. I fail to understand how forcing just one party to carry on the business of "We The People" is good for our Democracy. I really fail to understand how being in total opposition to a party that was ELECTED into a majority to govern this country, gets rewarded with a return to office.
Am I 100% happy with everything the Democrats have passed? NO. But I am very disappointed in the behavior of the Republicans. In any other job in America they would have been fired for sitting on their hands and doing nothing in an attempt to undermine the leader of the company.
But, hey this is just my opinion and you know how I feel about opinions already ;)
Fezzy, I only read to the word "Obamacare" and then glanced at something about the American people don't want it. You are quite mistaken. The vast majority of Americans agree there needs to be health care reform. The issues are with what reform should look like. The majority of us are very tired of our personal and family health depending upon the whims of big insurance companies - "yeah, we'll pay for this, but oh, you are really sick, too bad, not paying for that". If you think that is fair health care coverage and you want the insurance company to dictate your life or death, have at it. The Republicans, and through them the insurance companies, desperately want Health Care Reform repealed, not because of it's cost in taxes or whatever other utter nonsense, but because the Insurance companies do not want to be regulated.
Is that why Barack Obama cut the "DEALS" with the big insurance companies ? Is that why he made it mandatory that EVERYONE MUST BUY HEALTH INSURANCE (except those who will be "subsidized" by the Federal Government) or be subject to fines ?? So you think it is better to have our amazingly inefficient and bureaucratic Federal Government to handle health care administration ???
Face it, Obamacare did nothing to REDUCE costs.....all it did was shift more costs to those already paying for their families ! Now they get to pay for those who will be "SUBSIDIZED" a.k.a. WELFARE !!
Fezzy -
I think you have your facts wrong about the Native Americans. This land belonged to the indigenous peoples until the Europeans came to this continent. Invariably, whenever a treaty was signed by the US government, it was promptly violated by the US government until the Native Americans were left with the least arable and most hostile lands available. Then, when some sort of commodity was found on Indian land, the tribe would be moved so that the resource could be exploited. This continued to happen into the 1970s, contrary to popular belief. Not a penny of what was taken from the earth ever made it into tribal coffers thanks to the failed Bureau of Indian Affairs.
You mention the Dakotas - Do you realize that Mt. Rushmore was carved on holy ground? The Black Hills have always been sacred to the tribes in the area. The carvings defaced the holy ground! How would you feel if your church was defiled in such a manner?
Another example - The Trail of Tears - This happened because gold was found on Cherokee lands and those of European descent wanted the gold.
Please learn the true history before you post more of your inaccuracies. There is much that has been left out of the liberal school system.
Fezzy-
You can continue to state that healthcare reform was "shoved down" your throat, but the truth is that at least half of the US wants it, and a number of us voted for Obama because that was one of his campaign promises. And he delivered. Is it perfect? No, but it's a start. Half of us still approve of the healthcare law or wish it went further.
And your o key is stuck, just so you know.
Can anyone tell me the reasons that 111 corporations, primarily the insurance industry, received waivers and will not have to conform to the HCR bill? I have seen the list but I didn't see the reasoning behind it??????
DrDr -
Most people want reform, meaning true reform. Not mandated insurance, not tying student loans to the bill, not the behind locked door deals (aka -bribery and extortion), and other things.
They want doctor shortages addressed. They want the cost of pharmaceuticals addressed. They want the actual cost of medical care addressed. None of this was addressed. In fact, the pharmaceutical industry got a really sweet deal, as did the unions, as did the indigent, and certain religious groups - all at the expense of the average taxpayer.
This is why we want it repealed.
Why treat the symptoms? Wouldn't it be better to have addressed the real problems instead of legislating a panacaea that will do nothing but lead this country toward bankruptcy?
@jim
What deals with insurance companies? Where are you getting this from? My healthcare costs are decreasing already and 2011 my expenses will be down by 40% because of the HCR Bill.
@Ellie Mae
Best to cite a source
Tammy- You personally may want HCR repealed, but at least half of the US wants to keep it. The Republicans had 8 years to address the problem and did not do so, so somebody had to.
It's not true that the unions got a sweetheart deal. See here http://www.factcheck.org/2010/03/a-final-weekend-of-whoppers/ for more information. Some of the issues of pharmaceutical costs have been addressed. The CBO put out a report about it not too long ago. Some of the doctor shortage issues were also addressed, particularly those in rural areas will now receive the same reimbursement that their urban colleagues do. The religious groups that were exempted are mostly Amish or related sects, a very small number. And yes, the folks who benefit the most are the indigent, or at least the working poor with the Medicaid expansion. Middle class folks should benefit by being able to insure their kids with pre-existing conditions, not having a lifetime cap, not being denied themselves (eventually) for pre-existing conditions, etc.
You sound like you are saying you don't have as many problems with what is in the law as you do with what else needs to be fixed, and I would agree much more needs to be done, but this is a start.
mitchj,
Facetious is easy to "read" when you are face to face......you can hear the speaker's tone.
A one-liner on an Internet blog gives few clues.
especially with public lands and moneys, spend your own money if you want to be nice, not mine, spend all of the Kennedy's money if you like just don't waste my public funds I need those for my family and friends.
So what if the President invited Repubs to some meetings. The Dems had total control of the house and senate and did literally whatever they wanted making is hyper partisan all the way. Now that they have had a shellacking each side needs to extend the good ol olive branch and make some compromises and soon. There will be some kind of revised tax cuts for the next couple of years and Obama will re name it from Bush tax cuts to Obama tax cuts leaving yet another legacy for the next president to deal with. And I dont see this being completed before Jan 1st either and hopefully when they do pass something it will be set retroactively.
It's not a compromise if one side has to give in totally. Republicans and their ideas were included in the last round of legislation that passed the Congress. Just because the Republicans then turned around and voted NO on the bills they helped write doesn't make it a partisan bill.
Compromise is finding middle ground. It is about doing what is best for the WHOLE COUNTRY not just your particular political party or special interest group.
Just saying NO to everything that is not totally 100% your idea is not the definition of a compromise.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2010
SIMPLE COMPROMISE TO CUT THE DEFICIT 11 %
The current big debate is the Bush tax cuts. I love how the left said the tax cuts were for the rich and now that they are due to expire, it is a big tax increase for the middle class. Most feel that this is a bad time to allow the cuts to expire and I agree to a point. The big debate is what to do about the top income bracket.
The left argues that extending the cuts for the rich is at the risk of extending unemployment payments.The left wants the rates to go up for those making over $200000. The right says no tax increases, but cut deficits.
Here is a novel compromise that will appeal to both left and right and maybe even help the economy. Let the cuts for the rich expire This will increase revenue about 70 billion a year.But instead of spending the extra revenue , match it dollar for dollar with spending cuts. This will send a powerful message that we are serious about our deficit spending. The combined result would be a decrease in deficit spending of 140 billion which is about 11 % of the deficit and a damn good first step.
see killarneytim.blogspot.com for more common sense
I notice how you just skipped over the solution to extending unemployment benefits. What do you care if another 2 million people starve today so that the next generation can have it better than we do now, right?
You deficit hawks really just crack me up. Where were you all during the 2000-2008 time frame? Where was your outcry when the Bush Era Tax Cuts were being proposed and the CBO informed us that it would add to the deficit, and that was 10 YEARS AGO? Where were you when Medicare Part D was passed, also unpaid for by the way? I sure didn't hear your slash, cut and burn strategy then.
But hey, lets cut off the unemployed because tomorrows children deserve to have it better than we do. Did it ever occur to you that today's children should be worried about more than tomorrows? After all, if the child of today doesn't grow into an adult where will the children of tomorrow come from?
Sounds a lot like the abortion argument, preserve the sanctity of life of the unborn and tell them to fend for themselves once they leave the womb. Classless, simply classless.
Tim,
I'm afraid the last two words of your post is why we will never see anything like this happen.
COMMON SENSE is something that Washington seems to have lost sight of!
Hey Carrie Dann.......... where is the in depth story about "starve the beast" ?? That explains the GOP's position quite nicely! Particularly since it is true!
It still sounds like the Repub. "common ground" means, my way or the highway. Two more years of nothing done and BS. It's time to quit playing games and get to the people's work, now, our country is depending on it.
michelle -
Considering that we have already had 2 years of 'my way or the highway' from the democrats, I think you are a little behind the times.
Obama has denigrated the republicans, the Supreme Court, and the taxpayers who don't agree with his and the progressives' views from the day he got in office.
Personally, I think he and the democrats have burned their bridges behind themselves. It's going to be up to them to rebuild them.
duggjr:
Nice untruth! The POTUS took office in Jan 2009 and this is Nov 2010! Not only are you busy spreading nonsense and one line BS you can't add or subtract!
Democrats have never played the "my way or the highway" game. If they did with Health Care reform the why are there still private insurance companies?
Republicans call Obama a socialists and then also say that he shoved his healthcare plan down your throat. As far as I can tell Health Care is still not government run. Call me crazy, but doctors are not paid by the feds. So either Obama compromised on health care reform or he is not a socialist. There can't be any other option.
duggir---- this GOP economic disaster lost 8M jobs in just over 18 months!! From the very beginning, economists said that high unemployment may be with us for a decade! THAT is how severe the damage was!! In fact, it wouldnt shock me to see it take almost a decade before this economy is back to normal....IF it can ever return to the noirmal we had!!
It's the gop that either wants to raise taxes by allowing the bush tax cuts expire thru obstruction .. OR they want to add $700B to the debt if they succeed in getting them made permanent! You cant have it both ways!! Not only that, over $11T in debt was run up under JUST the last 3 GOP presidents---- http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt.htm !!! DELIBERATELY!!! http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10054/1037783-109.stm
We're being gamed by the GOP and Fox News! If you value our country and our way of life, you'll do a LOT of independent reading. The GOP is NOT a friend to average Americans becuz they're married to big business and the monied elite! And you KNOW that!
cynic -
They couldn't get 'single payer' past their own party, and yet you still blame the republicans.
It was democrats who were bribed and extorted behind locked doors, not republicans, to get the debacle passed.
Just a dog and pony show. As long as the personalities and egos of Boehner/McConnel and Pelosi/Reid are in place, my bet is on gridlock. No matter what the Democrats say about the Republicans, Pelosi and Reid have done more damage to Obama's administration than all the Republicans put together. Witness mid term elections.
liberty----- see above!
You and Fox News have given Pelosi/Reid super powers, don't you think?
heres what i bring to the table: 2 year freeze on fed worker raises, but, cap and tax a go, obamacare as is, fenra as is, expand fda by 17k workers. all programs and hires that have expanded the deficit to over a trillion dollars stays, no comprimise. I may be open to taxing people that are succesful, and redistributing their wealth though.
now work with that, and good luck
Other than the earned income tax credit, what tax cuts from the Bush dynasty don't high income earners take advantage of? It seems as though the rich get all the lower bracket tax advantages and then get to top it off with another 700 billion just because they are rich. Doesn't make sense to me.
c'mon James - their conservatives and they are "entitled".
and if the conservatives don't get these credits who else is going to continue to hire the illegals to do their yard work?
"from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs"
next lets collectivize the farms, load all "enemies" on trains, seize their property and send them to the gulag.
James, you are correct. ABout 80% of the financial benefit of the Bush tax cuts went to those earning more than $250K/yr. THAT'S OBSCENE!
Tom -
That is a flat-out lie.Only about 20% of the cuts went to those earning $250,000 or more, the other 80% went to those making less.
Additionally, because of the cuts, about 47% of the population end up paying no income tax at all and instead get refunds on 'unearned income'.
James, the rich pay a "lower" tax bracket- as you say, because many of them don't receive a taxable sallary (or just a minimal one)- they use their accrued wealth to invest in companies and get capital gains from their investments. Capital gains are taxed differently than income.
Ok, back to reality- the "rich" $250k+ers pay upwards of 93% of taxes collected currently. They actually pay for the government to run today (mind you into debt because our government can't understand fiscal responsibility). So all of those social programs, national defense, infrastructure, earmarks, etc. come from their taxes. It's a joke when I hear people moaning about the taxes they pay. Most of these people have a zero/negative tax balance at the end of the year, so they actually get the benefits of the government without paying in to it. Yes, they pay local sales tax but that's not the federal income tax that runs this place. Big difference.
Feel free to hate those whom are willing to start up businesses and create jobs. Feel free to hate those whom have their entire life savings invested in their businesses and have the most to loose if things go south on them. Feel free to hate those whom are willing, note willing/interested, in working 60, 80, and even 100 hours a week to make their businesses survive and grow, while many people are perfectly happy with showing up for their alotted time and take home a paycheck without giving anything more than they have to. Feel free to hate business owners whom don't take vacations because there is never a good time to do so, while all of the workers make sure that they do regardless of the timing. I can keep going on.....
Lastly, I think it speaks volumes that the "summit" was called the slurpie summit. It's obvious that partisanship is so far over the top that, and that the President has no interest in real dialog (recall the "I won" comments, the "sit in the back seat" comments, and the "slurpie" comments). He can't help but use the rhetoric. He's no unifier.