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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.”
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Even the liberal press is exposing Obama's disingenuousness. The LA times said on Thursday that "Obama hasn't said anything publicly about his targets for entitlement savings or cuts in discretionary spending."
Actually he offered it TODAY! Can't read?
commonsense4u I want you and the rest of your liberal idiot friends to apologize for the way your dems treat women,minorities,and animals(TED KENNEDY,CHRIS DODD,BARNEY FRANK,ROBERT KKK BYRD)..and you...
You're a moron.
You know.
We all know it.
You should apologize to other morons for making them look bad.
Dodd and Frank should apologize for creating the housing bubble then letting it collapse under their watch.
Two weeks before Fannie announces bankruptcy, Barnie Frank says they are doing just fine. What a moron.
You've definitely got that backwards! Republicans are the developers of the wild. You'll develop you're own backyard for a dimes profit.
while everyone is fighting over the money a real issues are being neglected and will cost us at the end an ultimate price www.youtube.com/watch?v=Njd0RugGjAg
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eilDbdLAyFs&feature=related
there is a bill in congress now which is as bad as anything there is in terms of what is going to happen to us FY 2013 Agricultural Appropriations Bill if passed, would grant the biotech engineering giant immunity from Federal law. and that is money call your congressman ; send him a note
It's very clear that Obummer and Sen. Harry Reid are trying to "wreck" the Republican Party politically by trying to destroy their credibility as an enemy of high taxation, which has NOT worked anywhere it has been tried.
The GOP parties credibility was wrecked in the last election.
Do you not pay attention to reality?
Or are you just a fox news lap dancer that can't think for himself?
ahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahhahaha
I think we know the answer to that question.
No Romancaesar, the republicans are scewing up there own party. We are just sitting back and enjoying the show.
Meanwhile...the theatre you are sitting in is burning down around you and you haven't got a clue what to do next. But you don't care...that's what the government is for...to come in and save you...because you are too incompetent or lazy to save yourself.
What credibility?
Every member of congress should be forced to take economics 101. They are all idiots. A fiscal crisis is not caused by lack of revenue. It is caused by either sending beyond your means, or loss of a job. They either need to cut spending, or end job killing policies. Energy, food and housing costs are the big problems americans face. Tell the tree huggers to get bent. Roll back the liberal poilices that have caused these prices to spike, then americans will have the disposable income to pull us out of this economic funk.
Hey Laker Steve from yur comment I can see you are a typical republican, you hear what you want to hear. We democrates do not think the tax cuts for the !% should be in place. You are part of the 98%, dont be stupid.
Hey Bugmeto, What do you mean his economics did not work the past 4 years have you been in a cave. The past 4 year the republican made damn sure he got nothing changed from what old W did to devistate this country. Please get your facts straight before you open you pie hole. I am so sick of the republicans being so stupid did the election not tell you anything, we the people are sick of you.
Norine
Since those nasty Republicans stopped everything that Obama wanted to "change what old W did to devastate this country". It must have been those Bush Tax Cuts for the nasty rich job creators that created those 5 million jobs in the last 35 months or so. It couldn't possibly be Obama's doing. Right??
If the President were actually serious about the fiscal cliff, he would be in DC actually working on it rather than leaving it to underlings. He is showing that, while he is a great campaigner, he is no leader.
The Republicans HAVE put forth an effort to work this out, but the President is unable to or unwilling to compromise on any point. His mouth piece, the snide little boy who does to the talking for him in the Press Room, has said over and over again that the President will NOT compromise, yet the mouth breathers who drool at his every word will not hear it. Instead, they will repeat his mantra that the Republicans are bad because they will not bend to his will. Reid in the Senate will not even allow the Republicans to put forth ideas, changing Senate rules to fit his needs. (Remember when the Dems in the Senate howled when the GOP changed any rule when they were in power?) Where is the DEMOCRATIC leadership in these negotiations? Why, it's in Philly. Or good old Joe is shopping at the new COSTCO in DC. (was on the news last night)
This is a serious problem that needs LEADERS to solve, not campaigners. He need to get on the Government owned plane and get his government paid for butt back to DC and get to work. The election is over, the campaign is over, now he needs to LEAD, something he has failed to do for 4 years. And now that he has had the reins for these 4 years, anything that goes awry is on HIS WATCH, so blaming Bush is out for the next 4 years. (He'll be forced to blame the House until he looses the Senate)
Dont mess with his Hawaii vacation. He is exhausted from his Asia "Trade Mission."
Idiot man, the president works where ever he goes. Telecommunications are wonderful. It's the latest thing in technology. Ever heard of the phone?
hsart, I'm an idiot? When Bush went to Camp David or his ranch during the war, many times to meet with his staff away from the prying eyes of the DC media, he was accused of vacationing when he should have been at work. Folks, lemming all, like you were right there to attack him for it. Now, someone DARES to question the "work ethic" of this President and they are classified as an "idiot"? What a hypocrite you are.
What I was saying, and what most RATIONAL people could understand, is that he needs to be face to face during the negotiations. He needs to be the LEADER for his side, not leaving it to a minion. HE NEEDS TO ACTUALLY BE THE PRESIDENT. I realize that I am preaching to a closed, and completely uninformed and unintelligent mind, but this needs to be said. HE wanted the job, now HE needs to actually do it. Can you really understand this, or can you have a Conservative co-worker or neighbor explain it to you? (I realize that you could not possibly have a rational, conservative friend)
Taxes going up won't help when you have a government that spends more than it takes in. Government needs to scale down and cut spending!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Economics 101: Cut spending while simultaneously generating revenue! Tax increase!
DUH!!
hsart - Your Econ lesson would work IF SPENDING WERE CUT! Barry's idea of "cutting spending" is to take $500B from Defense NOW and another $500B from other spending over the next 10 years (in reality, that second $500B will NEVER HAPPEN) He wants to take 50% of the mandatory reduction from Department that represents 18% of the budget, then leave the other 82% of the budget alone and never take the other 50% of the reduction. He is engaging the same ridiculous math that the Occupy fools are using, and absolute idiots are buying it (and if that offends you, you must stand with Occupy)
i seem to remember the president saying that the BUSH tax cuts only helped the rich,,,,,then how extending them would they help the middle class?
It's the middle class portion of the Bush tax cuts. I know it's complicated.
You're doing that selective listening again!
Herr Obama and Sen. "Peeping Tom" Harry Reid are playing with the future of Amerika.
They are playing games while Rome burns....
Their little "tactics" of trying to get the Republican fingerprints on a "bipartisan measure" to avoid the fiscal cliff with 1.6 TRILLION IN TAX HIKES is really for the midterm elections in 2014, and not designed "for the good of the country" as the "true Obozo believers" would have you and me.........believe.
I knew "Slick Willie".............and you sir Obama.....you are no Slick Willie!
The American people see right through Obozo. The Obozo voters were left in the dust, holding no money and no future, only clutching "hope and change"............they are the true believers...........LMFAO AT THEM!
S.T.F.U.! We all know it's those moron obstructionists, AGAIN! Four more years of childish games from the House of Representatives.
I have worked on budgets for 20 years and every accountant can tell you when budgets don't balance, you cut first before the more difficult raising revenue. Raising taxes will just force more higher income Americans to reduce spending, cut charitable donations and give a grossly inefficient government more money to waste. Closing loopholes may help, but all these tax increases will not stop government's spending problem. Time to take Obama's credit card away.
So why cant this Harvard grad figure this out.. Is he really this dumb or just so full of himself.. and why is America so stupid.. Blacks and hispanics are now gonna pay for their racism and stupidity..
twoann:
Don't forget the "young unmarried females" voting block.
PFFFT!
American girl, are you kidding me.. Obama is not working, he has everyone else doing his dirty work as usual.. He is not in washington.. This man has too big of an ego.. He is a child.. He needs to grow up.. we cant keep spending.. We cant just keep giving money away.. He is stupid on the economy.. really dumb.. but you voted for him so pay the price.. The Reps. are doing what is best for this country.. making you see that you cant live beyond your means and get things for free... SORRY honey, time to grow up...
waaah! waaah! waaah!
What is wrong with you people? It takes two to negotiate, but it is the Presidents responsibility to "sell" his proposal to Congress. If he can't generate the needed support then he is a crappy "leader" - my guess is he will continue to blame everone else for his failure to reach across the aisle and make a deal. Maybe Bush again? What a weakling........
Yawn! You don't squat about American government!
hsart - And judging by this and many of your other posts, you know nothing of constructive adult discourse.
It's high time that the President's BAD FAITH on this budget deal is EXPOSED for what it is....
He is flippant at best and not very serious at all............sort of like his first debate last "Presidential Election". There is nothing "fair and balanced" to quote Barack about not being serious...........hitting the "top 1% or 2% of wage earners" may be cathartic to some, revenge for others, and yada yada...............but it only generates little more than an extra 50 Billion per year out of the 4 TRILLION needed over the decade to tackle the debt.
In essence, we "don't have that many rich people to go around" to pay off all the country's bills! Sorry to burst your bubble on that one..........!
We DO NOT HAVE a "revenue problem" as the democraps say...........we have a "spending problem" and Congress and Barack the boy wonder know it.
Well stated. It has been shown that if you tax all the top earners, every person or family who make $250,000 per year, at 100% for a year, you would get enough funding to run the country, at Obama 2011 levels, for 141 DAYS. This class attack on "the rich" will fund the country, at Obama 2011 levels, for about 7 days. All this is is the Obama divide and conquer method of "governing". But, what more could have been expected based on his known, and mostly ignored, history and associates?
So Obama wants $50 billion stimulus dollars that he says will go to infrastructure improvement-translation $50 billion for green energy startups to pay back his bundlers. What doesn't go to them will go to unions for their campaign contributions.
Obama the liar in chief and his parasitic brood of leftist snakes have blasted the Bush tax cuts for four years now but they claim they love those same cuts these days. They lie.
I see the stupid rethug haters are out in force, again. I cannot fathom the levels of their collective stupidity? You people need an exorcism from Rush Limpballs ass. Save the church time and money, and just pull your heads out of his ass. YOU LOST! NOW GET OVER IT!!!!!!!
By only two and one half people out of every hundred that voted.
That doesn't exactly give Democrats a license to do whatever the heck they please.
And it certainly doesn't give Obama the "mandate" that he claims.
So you people have the power, but not a whole lot to squauck about.
Now that was a well thought out dissertation on the Republican Party and it's members,from a Progressive PARROT drunk on the Obama KOOL-AID!
Speaking of drunk, your avatar is perfect for you and your posts.
hahhahahahahahahahhahahaha
Just a coonicidence?
ahhahahahhahahahahahhaha
Nope, slodan is a drunk old fat guy and he'll prove it further.
Just wait....
Dfrom Spencer.
A. You are wrong.
B. You spelled Rush's name incorrectly.
C. You overvalue Rush's significance,and his following.
D. Wining an election does not give one a mandate, or a right for the masses to try to stick 1% of the population with the bill from Obama's last 4 years.
Get a clue, or buy a vowel.
T-Rex--the fact is, making the so called 'middle class tax cuts' permanent is meaningless as long as the government continues to spend 4 times that amount over and above what they would take in by ELIMINATING the tax cut for the so called WEALTHY.
The middle class is DEFINITELY the one which will at some point be stuck with the bill on that CONTINUAL running up of the deficit. And I, unlike the die hards on either side, blame BOTH parties.
However, NOW the Dems are at the controls, and it is not an excuse to say "they did it too!"
All you middle class folks--if you have a car loan for $20K, and the bank lets you pay 1/3 less on it while making the rich guy pay back the full $20K on HIS loan, does it make you feel ANY better that the bank is adding to the PRINCIPLE you owe exponentially?
Wake up, people. The budget deficit, and the debt ceiling, are the MAJOR problem, and neither can be fixed by raising even MORE money in taxes and then SPENDING that increased 'revenue' on MORE deficit spending.
I'd be PERFECTLY happy to have MY taxes go up, with TWO caveats--1) that ALL increased revenue that comes in be ADDED to all current money levels being spent to service/pay down the debt,(In other words, the feds would NOT be allowed to use so called "new tax revenue" to pay interest charges on current debt and 'bookkeep' what is NOW being spent on that to being spent on NEW entitlements.) and 2) that we amend our tax code so that EVERY PERSON pays SOMETHING in income taxes, even if it is only $10 per year, and that NO one be able to 'get money back' that they never paid in in the first place, and should NEVER be 'rewarded' for having kids they cannot afford. You have ONE kid while on any entitlement, and you are entitled to a 'one time mistake'. Have another, and you have PROVEN yourself to be an unfit parent, and should have ALL kids taken away, along with all government 'bennies' until you get OFF the dole.
And I would also require drug testing for ALL government checks other than SS. If you have drugs in your system, you evidently have disposable income, and do not deserve tax funded money.
Commercials on it? Oh, OK...well since there was a commercial we just better let Obama raise taxes and increase spending. We can't ignore a commercial. Bollix!
SS is underfunded. How does it make sense to have taxpayers to continue to pay less into SS given it will run negative in 20-30 years?
We have huge debt. It is not even Jan 1, 2013..and Obama wants to raise the debt ceiling so we can run further into debt...while simultaneously asking for $50 billion in additional stimulus funding.
Our government massively overspent. Let everyone but 1% of the country keep their tax cuts...while the high earners all ready socked with a 3.8% tax Obamacare tax...get their income taxes raised? As if 1% can make a dent in our deficit...while he spends more.
This is what got the government, banks and homeowners in trouble. Leveraging up their borrowing.
Right wing states are the lowest in education and highest in welfare....
By far.
Not even close.
10 of the top 10 poorest states?
Red.
10 of the top 10 states that get more fed $$ than they pay out?
Red.
If we cut off Red states we could balance the US Fed budget in 2 years.
Who wants that approach?
Common:
Then why won't you let them secede?
It's not up to me.
The welfare sucking red states are here and we have to pay for their incompetence
COMMON SENSE- 4U, please don't post when you are so obviously drunk!
Common:
Quite a number are currently suing to secede.
Write your congressman, and tell him to let my people go.
It will give you what you want, and give them what they want. That's called Win-Win.
Letting all the red states that want to secede do it would solve all of the country's problems but we know they would be shooting rockets into the United States before long.
Common Sense--absolutely. And if you dig just a TAD bit 'below' the surface of your stereotyping, you will ALSO find that most of those 'RED states' ALSO have one more thing in common--a much larger percentage (than average) of MINORITY population. WHO, I might add, MOSTLY vote DEM. Sadly, they tend to congregate in clumps of similar ethnic populations, and so far have not been able to muster enough community activism to totally take over the state. And you DO know what the result of that would be?
Democracy FAILS when those who work for a living are OUTNUMBERED by those who VOTE for their living.
My advise to the Republicans would be to just back out and let the Democrats have everything they want. That's what the people voted for, and it's preordained that whatever goes wrong will be blamed on the Republicans. Let the Democrats have their tax increase on the wealthy, more stimulus, whatever they think will fix this economy. Without the Republicans to blame for everything that goes wrong, the Democrats will have to answer for what happens. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised, but then again maybe not.
Sad--
Unfortunately by the time they realize their mistake,it will be to late to save this country. It maybe to late now. I don't see how we can cut the Trillion Dollar deficits back to the 2008 level. There are to many people depending on Uncle Sam for their existence,47 million on Food Stamps alone! No matter how many jobs there are they wont give up their free food,low cost housing,free medical or low cost(?) cell phones!
The deficit for 2008 was 1.4 trillion.
JimS--absolutely, the deficit for 2009 was 1.4 trillion.
And the DEMS had been in control of Congress for TWO years.
Now, I know you are going to say "unfunded wars!!!". See the problem with that is that the DEMS had the power to enact a one time, special WAR funding tax increase (and gee--what a PERFECT group to tag with it--the military industrial complex!) and they PUNTED. The DEMS ALSO had the opportunity to push for such a tax the WHOLE time we were involved in the war on terror, and PASSED.
And I know--so did the pubs. But the fact is, 2/3 of the deaths in Afghanistan have occurred SINCE Obama was sworn in, and nearly 1/2 of the 'in country' time of the war in Iraq occurred on his watch.
The Dems ABSOLUTELY had a mandate in 2008 to get us OUT of those wars IMMEDIATELY, and/or to PAY for those wars with special taxes.
And BTW--I NEVER voted for SHRUB, and I DID vote for Obama in 2008.
The Republicans vs. the Democrats. Israel vs. Palestine. These two groups of people sure know how to destroy a geographic region on the planet. Some prefer to kill instantly. Others prefer to kill slowly. The end result is the same.
Common sense whore-u is so high on the liberal kool-aid he can't be reasoned with...the people will tire of liberals such as you soon and then we'll get some people in politics that will get the job done. As for clinton...I liked some of the things he did..working with both sides...but I also remember Panetta on national t.v. saying that Bush inherited a recession.....but then facts don't matter to liberals...oh..and commensense..quit trying to judge everyone..you are no expert and you sure as hell don't have any answers...
oh mcbeef
You "remeber" someone saying Bush inherited a recession?
hhahahahahahhahahahhahha
What a joke.
Bush inherited a budget surplus, took the US budget from $2 trillion and left $3.5 trillion for Obama.
The US and world banking system needed a bailout when Bush was leaving.
Try to get educated and not just "remeber" someone saying something about the real world.
it makes you look clueless.
Telling a republican to get educated? Now that's funny. They are doing everything they can to cut funding for education because they know that dumbing down American is the only way they can get back in power.
Common,
We entered a recession in March 2001 that lasted 8 months. You can just Google it and find the information. Remember that the Dot.Com bubble that burst, that is what caused it.
Jerry--common sense (sic) ALSO forgets that any supposed 'budget surplus' Bush might have inheritted came at the hands of a PUB dominated (6 full years!) CONGRESS. Clinton was smart enough to go along.
But most of the experts admit that even THAT so called 'surplus' was only 'achieved' by creative accounting that counted revenue but delayed expenses until after the beginning of Bush's term. And trying to blame BUSH for the housing crash is LUDICROUS since one of the ONLY things I ever agreed with him on was his constant warnings about the impending debt crisis/lack of regulation on banks, etc.
And I never voted for the man.
Jim--you don't get to criticize PUBS for cutting funds (on the federal level, which I have NEVER seen improve education!) for education as long as the DEMS and the NEA won't allow the Pubs to institute PERFORMANCE guidelines for school systems/ teachers.
MORE money does not improve schools. Better TEACHERs, community/parental involvement, and tougher STANDARDS is the only way to do that. NONE of which have the DEMS done much to promote.
Some of the BEST Schools I have ever seen are small CATHOLIC schools--they do it on a shoestring, their community is 'motivated' to be invovled, and they can KICK OUT any kid who does not try. And they do a MUCH better job of getting families involved with the school AND the kids' performance. And in MY town, they are NON union, and their kids run RINGS around the public school kids, on tests, competitions, etc.
And PS--I am NOT Catholic, and my kids all went to the public schools. Doesn't mean I can't recognize a winning program. And it AIN'T throwing money at a system.
Go look on any public ed site and you will find out that while the ELITE well funded schools with big budgets do well, the schools that SPEND the most through government subsidies do NOT necessarily do that well.
the dems and the repubs can't vote on the budget yet they haven't finished all the important stuff they have been tackling like barry bonds and roger clemens and how baseball will deal with performance enhancing drugs wait a minute is it illegal for congress to take performance enhancing drugs???? maybe they should try a little bit of it so they can do their jobs instead of running for office!!!!!! maybe deal with reality like how do you fit 10 pounds of drugs in a 5 pound bag?????or maybe how do you pay back 16 trillion when you can't afford to spend 1/2 a trillion because you don't bring that much in!!!!!
Sounds like the toy factory might be a place that needs him.