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House Speaker John Boehner expressed a degree of regret on Wednesday over the way a payroll tax fight played out at the end of 2011.
Boehner said at his first press availability since Congress reconvened this week that, while he felt Republicans were in the right to insist upon the extension of an expiring payroll tax cut for a full year (rather than just two months), they might have erred in having that battle right before the Dec. 31 deadline.
"We were picking the right fight, but I would argue we probably picked it at the wrong time," he said at an availability on Capitol Hill.
The fight was politically bruising for Republicans; Democrats and President Obama pummeled the House GOP for reneging on an apparent agreement and forcing a showdown on the tax cut. The House GOP ultimately relented and voted to extend the payroll tax cut for two months in exchange for crafting a formal conference committee to haggle over the details in legislation to extend that tax cut for the rest of the calendar year.
"We didn't think the senate should leave. But it was pretty clear that the Senate wasn't coming back," Boehner said of the Democratic-controlled upper chamber's stance in the debate.
But the speaker's admission comes amid new poll numbers published today which suggest that the public holds Republicans in Congress more accountable than Obama for dysfunction in Washington.
A New York Times/CBS News poll found that 60 percent of U.S. adults believe the president is trying to work with Republicans to accomplish an agenda; just 27 percent of Americans said they believe Republicans in Congress are working with Obama to try and accomplish something. Nearly half of Republicans included in that sample, according to the NYT's account, even said they didn't think their party's leaders in Congress were working in earnest to get work done.
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Aww!
Those poll numbers should give poor Boehner something to cry about! lol
That & he didn't get the remaining 2% he was waiting for!
Exactly when is the RIGHT time to have a fight about raising taxes on the working classes, while leaving the rich untouched?
Well, when you stink at being Speaker it seems anytime is the right time. Being a shill for Corporate America is hard work.
Imagine, he actually agreed to picking a payroll tax fight that would have benefited the middle class.
I pray GOP elects Romney. The story line is sure shaping itself up......
GOP fights relentlessly for the rich
Romney is WS on the attack.
Hopefully, the Speaker will be replaced. His job performance has been poor.
Mr. Speaker---how is it the right fight to increase taxes on the middle and lower earning Americans without asking for a similar increase from the 1%? Tone deaf much?
Anna Molly,
Congrats on the one million plus signatures...
...tick tock, Scottie...tick tock!
Job1, unless we elect a Democratic House majority the next Speaker will most likely be Eric Cantor. I would suggest that would be even more damaging to the country than keeping Boehner as Speaker.
Thanks, Mickey. What scares me now is what Walker will try to do when the end is near.
They are not getting the Keystone Pipeline either. THIS JUST IN. " FILM AT 11" .
The reason they shouldn't approve it, is it will destroy the water table in every state it passes through . In years past, no one cared about the water or the people who drank it . People were poisoned by the drinking water . It also goes into the soil and what you grow is also bad for you .
The people who push this only care about the profit in this. Not the people who live in the areas .
InPS - is that the case with every pipeline that is run through this country? Are all the water tables being destroyed? Considering the thousands of miles of pipeline in this country, maybe we should declare the entire country a disaster zone.
Tell me InPS - Overland piping disasters... how many have we had over the years? Maybe you should tell the maintenance people that work on those pipelines they aren't doing a good job in protecting the environment. I'm sure many of them are Union Workers...
Brianb,
Still not getting it, are you...
Tar sands oil is much dirtier than light crude. Where were you when the oil pipeline broke at the bottom of the Yellowstone River in Montana? Yes, water tables are getting polluted. The thing about the Ogallala Aquifer is that it is underground and once oil gets in there, there is no way to clean it up.
I think I understand his reasoning. If you're going to screw the American people timing is everything.
Well buddy, you better get used to it, 2012 will be the year for a lot of whimpering by the GOP.
Obama/Biden 2012
Breaking News:
The Obama administration will announce today that it cannot approve the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.
Thank You!
But McConnell says the pipeline is shovel-ready. Did he mean his bullsh!t is shovel-ready?
Sounds like it's shovel ready alright, for the first graveyard on the right.
Don't know why that's breaking news, everyone knew that the Obama administration was not going to approve it. It's all politics, Obama was afraid that he could see the environmental vote staying home while he knows the union vote will stay with him no matter what.
More evidence of Obama's idiocy. Why on earth should we get jobs, and oil from a friendly nation, when we can just cut the level of civilian participation in the workforce, (thus artificially lowering the unemployment rate), let China have the Canadian oil, and ship in oil from the Middle East?
What's that you say? Iran is threatening to shut down the shipping lanes oil tankers pass through? Oh, don't worry- Obama has a plan for that - he sent the Iranians a letter.
Yup. That'll show them. In the letter, he told them in no uncertain terms that he was really, really unhappy about their threats. In fact, he was downright irate about it. He suggested a compromise- they stop threatening to shut down the Strait, and he would honor them by having an Actual face-to-face meeting with them!
Imagine- he's offering them a real meeting with his greatness! Golly gee, how can they turn that down! If only he'd offered that when he asked them, pretty please, to return our drone without peeking, maybe they would have complied!
I guess second prize is two meetings with him.
This is what you get when an ego maniac is in charge.
NoJo ... our (Canada"s) oil will be sold on the open market ... the pipeline will take it Texas where it can be shipped to anyone who buys it.
As to our being a friendly country ... to a point
readersupportednews.org/opinion2/276-74/5123-fox-news-lies-keep-them-out-of-canada
I believe the union vote is both sides of this issue. Anyone seen any details yet?
This issue has been difficult to follow. To a certain measure not that it isn't true of all things, but there certainly seems like some information is not quite as evident as others.
Believe me....living here, Nebraska is as Red as it can be and I'm not talking about the Huskers. The Gov. is no less red. There is no issue with Union and Environmental 'votes' here, yet HE called our legislature back into session to ask the Administration to access this deal and not go with the plan that was on the table before the stopage.
There is more here and I'd like to know what it is. The Gov. gave no 'simple solution' is his address by saying if we do 'this' instead everything will be o.k., although I expect all too many on this board to act as though there is one.
@ no joe --
Does it ever occur to you that there's a reason none of your dire predictions ever come to pass?
Maybe it's because you're being fed kool-aid by your corporatist overlords to scare the living bejeebers out of you so that you will do their bidding and they can raise their prices sky-high.
Because, otherwise, for the life of me, if you're really worried about the things you say you are, I can't figure out why you're not FOR alternative energy.
Thoughts?
@ Allen -- Maybe everyone from Nebraska ought to go up and take a long look-see at the oil-polluted Yellowstone River, to see firsthand what a little de-regulation and oil company carelessness will do.
You can find other supplies of energy, but resources like the Yellowstone River can't be replaced.
The reason they shouldn't approve it is it will destroy the water table in every state it passes through . In years past, no one cared about the water or the people who drank it . People were poisoned by the drinking water . It also goes into the soil and what you grow is also bad for you .
The people who push this only care about the profit in this. Not the people who live in the areas .
The US imports 58% of its oil. 11% comes from Canada another 11% from Mexico and 8% from Venezuela. Over half of the imports come from this side of the world. The pipeline will add only 2% to the total that comes from this side of the globe. Oil that we get from the far East is only 27% of our oil needs.
Why do you still cling to the misguided belief that any oil sent through the pipeline would magically become ours by default?
Thanks for sharing the facts about the imports, Dennis. Since the Republican Nebraska governor (among others) expressed serious doubts about the pipeline and the aquifer, I think the Obama administration should be commended for listening to him and taking a second look at the project.
You know, this is such a simple concept even liberals should be able to understand it.
If the oil is shipped through the pipelin to Texas, it will be cheaper to refine it there.
As to the actual price of crude- increasing the global supply decreases the price. Therefore, it does not matter, (for the sake of price only), where that oil is shipped, so long as the supply increases.
Question for the class- if Middle Eastern oil is choked up due to a shipping embargo, what happens to the price of oil?
To AM- I am not interested in enough electricity or oil to power my electric can opener. I like my lifestyle the way it is; therefore, I am not interested in throwing MY money down the rathole of rainbow factories. You, I understand, took your own personal funds out of the market; by all means,aink them into whatever harebrained alternative energy start-up you choose. Just don't ask me to fund your retirement.
Dennis, 11+11+8=30. Not fifty eight. /p>
11 +11 + 8 = 30 !! Which is HALF (actually over 50%) of all of imported oil (58%).
You mean the slam dunk over your Gators on November 15th at Value City Arena? And now you have dropped all the way to 17th in the AP with 4 big losses.
At some point will "No Joe" understand that price has been disconnected from "Supply vs. Demand" for years now?
No joe -- I think you can count on that.
But now WE have Urban Meyers.
It’s time to say bye since you are about to be banned for
having multiple accounts … probably a re-reg also.
Boehner has got to be the one of the worst Speakers in history. Let's face it the GOTP is not following his lead, it's more like the other way round.
Christie says Romney should release tax returns now
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, one of Mitt Romney's highest-profile allies, says the GOP front-runner shouldn't wait to release his tax returns.
"You should put them out sooner rather than later because it's always better in my view to have complete disclosure, especially when you're the front-runner," Christie said on NBC's Today show.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2012/01/mitt-romney-taxes-chris-christie-/1
What do you do when your most prominent and most vocal supporter echoes your opponents?...
dangerfield, I saw Morning Joe and thought Gov. Christie gave him some very sound advice.
dangerfield,
I do believe the pressure is now on Mitt Romney. His off the cuff remark about 15% hurt him more than he realized. I would not be surprised if Christie saw some internal polling on the matter.
And, maybe, just maybe, Christie is off the short list for potential VP candidates.
Gov. Christie wouldn't be making this statement without contact and APPROVAL from the Romney campaign. It's a clear indication that he may be caving in to the pressure, accelerated by his own statements, to release his taxes.
We shall see...
Oh yes, he needs to release at least the last six years.
Cryin' Johnny is supposed to be the leader. Leaders are supposed to be in control. Did cryin' Johnny lose control or did he ever really have any control? Sympathy for him is less than zero.
And that 60% will be 75% by election day.
Ouch! Now if that does feel like backlash...
Finally, the 'sane' Republicans are acknowledging the epic failure of the extreme right freak show that has taken over the party.
Oh and by the way John: "WHERE ARE THE JOBS?"
Torpedo You Thats a good question. I'll bet not a righty could give that a honest answer. If I remember extending junior bush"s tax cuts would create jobs. if I remember the republican/tea bag leader in the senate said just that. So let me also ask: "WHERE ARE THE JOBS"? The "job creators" got there end of the deal. Where did the American People get there deal? In there back end.
I'm sorry--I'm still agog over Sarah Palin's endorsement of Gingrich. Goodness, she has the political instincts of a cow caribou and the timeliness of a glacier. I still fault John McCain for inflicting her on us.
Fancy,
I bet the Alaskans are happier now, though.
My question for the Speaker would be, "When would the good time to pick this fight have been?"
Excellent question, Da Noid.
Not so much the GOP, but more so Gingrich. Gingrich hasn’t cared about timing. He’s been like a freakn radioactive attack monster the past 2 weeks. He's been in the news every day with something new for Romney to dodge. Today, he basically told the other candidates to drop out while I continue to open this can of....well you know. This is probably why he scares the heck out of the GOP.
Look America! The GOP/Tea Beggers are back in their "House For Hoodlum's." The "Bonehead Boehner Bunch," and "Crazy Cantor's Cronies" in their "House Of Horrors" are ready to start their "Super Spewing!" The spoiled tea is already brewing in the chambers of "Crazy Cantor." There messages of "Madness and Information" are starting up quickly. So what issue/policy will the GOP/Tea Beggers lie about first?? Make your own list America because, the GOP Clowns have given America alot of material.
If you think about it, the Republicans have been pushing this "get regulations off the backs of the Job Creators" and "more tax breaks and incentives for Job Creators" trickle down crap since Bush was appointed president back in 2001. So, where's the beef? WHERE are all these jobs? It continues under Obama. but what we really need is revenue to be generated. Lowering taxes on the wealthy and deregulation has done nothing for job creation, yet that is the Republican mantra, their pat answer to everything. I think people are beginning to see through this if Romney is the example of "do as I say, not as I do". Let's get some revenue going and tax the hell out of rich until they scream.