E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSIf Congress can't agree on a deal to avert the fiscal cliff, the president said taxes will rise by about $2,000 for the average family. NBC's Kristen Welker reports.
HATFIELD, Pa. -- President Obama today continued his efforts to push Congress to extend the Bush-era tax cuts for income below $250,000 with a visit to a toy factory here in suburban Philadelphia.
"We talked about this a lot... We had debates about it. There were a lot of TV commercials about it," Obama said. “At the end of the day, a clear majority of Americans -- Democrats, Republicans, independents -- they agreed with a balanced approach to deficit reduction and making sure that middle-class taxes don't go up.”
Recommended: White House 'surprised' by GOP 'surprise'
The non-partisan Tax Policy Center says if these tax cuts expire at the end of the year -- as they are set to do -- about 90% of Americans would paid more in taxes and middle-income families would see their taxes rise by about $2,000.
Obama didn’t present any new ideas in his first speech since House Republicans rejected Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner’s proposal that he presented in meetings with congressional leadership yesterday. That proposal included $1.6 trillion in tax increases, $400 billion in cuts to Medicare and other programs, and ending Congress' control of the debt limit.
But Obama did couch his frustration with Congress in humor.
“I've been keeping my own naughty and nice lists for Washington," he said at a Rodon Group plant that makes the popular K'nex brand of toys. "So you should keep your eye on who gets K'NEX this year. There are going to be some members of Congress who get them, and some who don't."
Susan Walsh / AP
President Barack Obama looks over a rollercoaster with K'NEX Inventor Joel Glickman, left, and Rodon Group President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Araten, right, during a tour of the company in Hatfield, Pa. Friday, Nov. 30, 2012.
Even the seriousness of the country’s fiscal health couldn’t keep the president from joking about his affable vice president.
Talking about the colorful toys in the factory, Obama said, “Joe Biden was in Costco. He wanted to buy some of this stuff. But I told him he had too much work to do. I wasn't going to have him building roller coasters all day long.”
Leave a Comment:
Obama needs to get back to DC and work. All this man knows how to do is travel.......Each time he leaves his office he costs the taxpayers. Please Mr. President stay at home to save money for your country.
Have you ever heard of foreign relations? Other leaders come here and we go there. Don't be so naive.
cat that is exactly the point. He should live like a hermit in the whitehouse so as not to further jeopardize our status in the world
Yeah CATTHEPAT Pennsylvania has some foreign leaders that need relating to!?!?
NEWS FLASH
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION SHOWING MORE SIGNS OF BEING CORRUPT.
Costco co founder and CEO, Jim Senegal, a large supporter of Obama even speaking at the Democrat national convention get a special tax break. They were awarded a special dividend to avoid the Mr. Obama’s dividend tax increase
COPY AND PASTE BELOW IN BROWSER (Moderator does not allow links)
online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324705104578147513153831692.html
reuters.com/article/2012/11/28/us-costco-dividend-idUSBRE8AR0Q220121128
news.yahoo.com/costco-pay-7-special-dividend-december-18-145925944--sector.html
foxbusiness.com/on-air/willis-report/blog/2012/11/30/tax-fairness-obama%E2%80%99s-friends-what-about-rest-us
The tax cuts Obama let slide by not signing his name are called the BUSH Era Tax cuts, Republican made this happen...not Democrats. And we want to give the nut who has doubled the deficit, unlimited authority to keep raising the the amount the US can borrow....ARE YOU KIDDING?
Republican Congress caused the first downgrade of America's credit rating EVER, over pure politics. yes, I trust Obama more than a Congress with 9% approval rate.
So Tao, let me get this straight... The down grade was because the House refused to allow tax increases and not that another 1.3 trillion is being borrowed again and there had been absolutely no budget cuts? Sounds illogical to me.
Debt down grades happen because you owe to much, not because you don't make enough.
this is what the teapart wants
you're damn skippy. let's start paying our frickin bills!! How can America let itself be known as the slacker country full of cry babies??? We are supposed to be the greatest country in the world, remember?
To everyone screaming about spending cuts...who is going to feed, clothes and house the people who are ACTUALLY poor? Do you honestly believe that EVERY person receving assistance is a cheat? Are all of you conservatives honestly advocating letting poor children die rather than pay a little more in taxes?
ECF2222
Only in the USA can a family own 2 iphones, HDTV, drive a big SUV buy Loius Vutton Purses and still call themselves poor. Anyone truely poor in the USA gets assitance.
Only in America is poverty associated with food, a roof, a car, a big screen TV, a computer and no job. Kamo beat me to it.
The Fiscal Cliff is theatre. No such thing. USA went over the cliff on the first Tuesday in November.
Well that theater is about to hit your wallet Leonard. I for one, am not looking forward to it.
Any cuts from something we can't afford? Nope. Ok, keep singing Mr. Pres the VIEW likes it when you sing.
Roller coaster toys. God Save the King!
"Talking about the colorful toys in the factory, Obama said, “Joe Biden was in Costco. He wanted to buy some of this stuff. But I told him he had too much work to do. I wasn't going to have him building roller coasters all day long.”
Wow. When I'm VP I hope that my boss doesn't think that my only use is to be a punchline to a corny joke.
Mr. President,
My husband and I are middle class and would rather see our taxes go up BEFORE letting Congress give up control of the debit limit, letting your party cut into the defense budget but not cutting into entitlement programs....besides Mr. President the campaigning part is over and you won the reelection now why don't you do like most of us middle class families do and go sit your behind down behind your desk and work on YOUR financial budget plans for the next 4 years instead of letting others do your work for you after all this is your job responsiblity (that I believe a tiny portion of my taxes are paying you and others as well)and you can't just delegate it to others all the time.
If the only thing that Obama brings to the bargaining table is his tired Christmas analogy-filled stand up comedy routine, then the Republicans just need to walk away.
Screw 'em.
Making speeches in a toy factory? I guess that speaks to the status of "negotiations" and means we're going to have much higher tax rates and might as well be planning for it. I hope any small businesses that are C Corporations and have investors who get dividends will be changing to S Corps (if they can) as the actual federal tax cost of a Dollar of C Corp income delivered to investors who are subject to tax (you know - air breathing mammals) will be about 65% such that the investor nets 35 cents out of every Dollar earned by a C Corporation to the extent that earnings are distributed. And yes, that should place the US at the pinnacle of effective corporate tax rates, so we can say we're Number One in something.
And remember to add state taxes to that 65% so you can really get a true picture of the tax burden of taxable corporations. At least it will make lower income taxpayers feel better to know that somebody else is getting it worse than them.
Welcome to Greece.
Any Obama supporters care to answer this?
If Obama is serious about avoiding the 'fiscal cliff' why is he adding the clause removing congress from approving the debt ceiling?
Sorry not a BO-DUMBO supporter, but what I posted earlier:
He's trying to become that dictator, that the democrats keep denying!
He needs that ceiling removed so that he can SPEND-IT-ALL taxes some more and SPEND-IT-ALL again!
America is too interested in the winner of "Insert your stupid celebrity dance show/ reality TV programming" to care...that is what Obrother and the congress is banking on.
Mr. Obama is so concerned about the fiscal situation he has his Hawaii vacation already planned after coming back from his Trade Mission in Asia. Where is Al Gore now with concerns of green house gas when Obama could have stopped in Hawaii on his way back from Asia? But I guess when you are not the one actually paying the tab it dosnt effect one the same way as those that have to pay the tab...
Obama is all about tax and spend and giving the fruits of his pillaging to the worthless parasites that are his supporters.
Your opinion/attitude is exactly what got Myth RomManys @ss beat in the election. That nearly half of We the People sit around with their hand out was shown to be a pile of malarky! People at Mitts fundraiser paid more, in some cases over twice as much, as the 47% he denegrated make in a year. But they are out their trying their hearts out to provide for themselves and their families.
The truth is, I know you RepubliCONs can't handle the truth, the 1% cost These United States more in political policy favors and tax breaks than the poor EVER will.
stupedaso, why does the Obama plan include removing congress from the debt ceiling process? These are seperate issues. why the pork attachment? I thought he was against that?
Stupidasso, it's not an opinion, it's a fact played out every day by stupidassObama.
SoazDan what I posted earlier twice now to the same question from you and others:
He's trying to become that dictator, that the democrats keep denying!
He needs that ceiling removed so that he can SPEND-IT-ALL taxes some more and SPEND-IT-ALL again!
Slinger, I saw your posts and agree. I'm just trying to get an answer from ANY Obama supporter but none will even take a shot at it. They know it's wrong and dangerous...
Hey Dumbo the campaign is over, I suggest you just stay in Washington and actually get something done.
I wonder how the Hawaii Christmas plans are shaping up? He's got to be itching for some golf.
Hey Obama, clean up your golf clubs and take a four year vacation, I'm tired of listening to the same old BS coming from your mouth!!!!
You'd rather see the President fail than America succeed.
-pathetic
Absolutely, I want to see stupidassObama fail in the looting of America.
I'm from Hatfield, PA. Thank you Mr. President for visiting our town at the K'Nex made in America Toy manufacturer. The people that lost the election spent billions of dollars to protect Chinese jobs and toys. But, our kids can get "Made in USA," dangerous lead paint, lousy workmanship, and dangerous parts not included. The billionaires and the angry white guys who they control haven't figured out they lost the election and there is now a mandate for middle America. Ironically, the other side got the 47 % ! End billionaires' and Corporate welfare. Get the rich off our backs; pass Middle Class tax cuts now ! Preserve our safety nets for seniors, about to be seniors like my wife and I, the poor and disabled.
The wealthy cost this Country more in Tax breaks and Political favors than the poor ever will in welfare.
Where do you think the money goes that's taken from the doers and given to you leftist parasite losers stupidasso.
I agree to going with his plan. I read this entire section and did not find one comment about the 400 billion cut to Medicare and other programs. How is he going to pay for health care when he keeps taking money from it?
Here:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/68055.html
MO - TAXES
Oh darn. There goes grandma over that cliff. Was that Pelosi pushin the wheelchair?
Comrade Borat Sadam Hussein Sotero Osamabamadingdong is a loser and so are all the limpwrists.....
This is a real fair and balanced approach. Kick the can down the road. Tell him to go F himself.
That's right Buff Gorilla, the buck stops nowhere near here.
Let's start paying our frickin bills!!
One of the more arrogant of his stupid proposals is that Obama get's the power to raise the debt limit!
You AHO Repukes, I guess you've never negotiated a car deal before! If you go to the dealer with a price your willing to pay(which is,lets say, $2,000 less then invoice) but the actual cost to the dealer is $7,000 less then invoice, you just screwed yourself! When in fact you should start at dealer cost and then negotiate!!
But you should not start with a dollar bill either.
Can anyone explain t me why Obama seems to have such disregard for married couples?
I am referring t the fact that he continues to use $200,000 as his definition for rich for singles but only $250,000 for married couples.
Why not $400,000 for married couples?
Seems very discriminatory to married , particularly in an era when so many women work.
Again, does anyone have any real insight into his thinking. Why not $200K and $400K or $125K and $250K
Independent, if you listen to some of the things he's said and written in his books you'll notice somethimes he gives the impression he doesn't like women. I think it's got something to do with his mother abandoning him as a child.
Obama made $400K (his net worth is $11.5M) and paid 23% my wife and I made $230K but we paid 33%, still not sure how this works :) The Dems nmade such an stink over Romneys 14% , but it's what the US allows, so what can you do?
"The Dems nmade such an stink over Romneys 14% , but it's what the US allows, so what can you do?"
Change the rules.
I personally think the $250,000 is too low. That is not that much money these days, after taxes. Of course it depends on where you live, 250K in NYC is not much at all......here in SC it is.
Thanks for at least trying to answer my qeustions.
Still can not figure it out.
Also, why don't the Repubicans, who supposedly support marriage, don't call him on it?
Any thoughts on that?
Obama wants us to give him the right to raise the debt limit any time he wants to..ARE YOU KIDDING??????? Isn't $16T Plus enough? Don't Democrats have any understanding of economics???????
But great picture, finally something the President understands.
Amazingly many still don't understand the extension of tax cuts to the 98%. It is to give spending money to the middleclass to create demand for products, hence more jobs. How many cars can Romney keep in his garage ? Certainly not as many as middleclass could buy. This is just more of the Republican talking points of NO. No help for middlleclass.
If the middle class had any patriotism they would be happy to contribute to debt reduction and not just say someone else should do it.
Again. It is not for taxes in themselves. It is to give individuals ability to help create jobs. The rich obviously don't do this or we would have a tremendous economy after the last 35 years of piss down economics.
What middle class? The Republicans and their corporate sponsors have spent decades destroying what was the middle class. There are now the impoverished, the working poor, the weathy, and the elite. Of course the working poor make up most of the consumers in this country - we still need food, gas, housing, clothes. If the Republicans had one single iota of sense they would understand that if you want to build a better a bigger market, a stronger economy, growth....ya don't interfere with the consumer, you encourage them....better education, stable markets through transparency and accurate reporting, ensure that lopsided legislation is corrected so that it doesn't favor individuals or businesses. But these bozos aren't listening. They are more concerned with making sure that those that own corporations have the tax incentives to send jobs overseas so their "growth" numbers are higher but the actual investment remains overseas. They want to cut education so that no one can afford college but those who are "preordained by birth with fortune", so that our children remain as ignorant as they are. It's absolutely ridiculous, a total waste of time. This is not 18th century England - to my knowledge this is a democracy, this notion of ruling class is absurd and so are the people who buy into it.
How many people on welfare employ people?
About the same amount of the 2% who employ Americans.
The more taxing and borrowing from the private sector at any income level so the gov't can continue spending is a drag on the economy.