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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.”
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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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while congress is trying to get revange for their loss and failures on this president. THE ARE HOLDING HOSTAGE MY PAYCHECK. that is very nasty and unprofessional. JEEZ, we need Lincoln and Washington back again. Why that vampire did not bite LIncoln and made him inmortal.
mora,
The meth seems pretty strong this time around.
that Obama better extend the tax cuts and do it so i can get my taxes do right away instead of waiting for them to play games like last year. OH and he can help all those illegal Mexicans break the Law to. he owes it to them they voted for him. that's in his spare time between fundraising and golfing. and looking at toys.
Everyone of those Republicans in the House promised to take care of the Middle Class during their campaigns. They have enough votes in the Senate and Obama's signature locked up. If they pass it they can continue the Bush tax cuts for 90% of Americans and the middle class wouldn't get hit with a $2,000 tax increase. What about their campaign promise of only a month ago? What about their sacred oath to Grover Norquist? Speaking of which, where the hell is Norquist? Why isn't he lobbying the GOP House members to pass the extension or does his pledge only count for the top 1%?
Main street America doesn't know if they'll be hit with a $2,000 tax increase in April so they're not spending as much this Christmas. This affects Wall Street and the country's whole economy. Just pass it already.
In environmental point of view, tax should be link to consumption.
Another leftist media headline. It should read: "Obama foolishly presses Congress to raise taxes in a recession to support his wealth redistribution agenda". Obama is not fit to be in government.
They would pass this today if obama wasnt holding the middle class hostage for a tax hike - obama has been holding the middle class hostage since 2010. obama wants to raise EVERYONES taxes - you dunces voted this turd in again and your getting EXACTLY what you deserve - sadly - the rest of us get dragged down with you.
Obama and Geithner have staked out an initial position. The only reason the Grand Obstructionist Poopies are howling is because (for once) Obama isn't giving it all away at the start of the discussion!
Boner (FTMC) and McDroopie had best quit the empty bitching and get some real counter proposals on the table.
A lot of entitlement reform could save costs without killing existing benefits, a lot of cost saving in military procurement is clearly doable. The point is that, if we really have to hurt and lose the promises made to us by our Government in Social Security or Federal Pensions or Medicare, then let's make sure the fat cats get a bite too, a serious one!
As usual Grover Norquist has nothing useful to say. The notion of linkage between high bracket marginal tax rates and employment is just a joke; it's an idea totally unsupported by historical data. It's just one of several wholly masturbatory fantasies embraced by the GOP to justify ass-kissing the 1%ers who have bought them!
How do you stop growing the human population with ooodles of free stuff and a dependapotumus demographic that breeds like cockroaches.....the population bomb will make the "third worlding" of Kalifornia a foregone conclusion..,....
The problem will come when these spawntards run out of everybody’s money in Kalifornia....
Yaaasouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu baby
Democrat, Republican, Independent, etc... All I know is that I cannot afford an extra $2K in taxes. That $2K/year means food on my table or my electric bill getting paid. This is ridiculous that the Government cannot get their act together and AT LEAST pass that the tax cut will continue for those Americans making UNDER $250K.
I think well all need to pay extra, for all your hand'outers????
I hardly think the government needs more money, rather, they need a choker chain to back them off the "gimmies"
For years Obama claimed to everyone that the Bush era tax cuts only benefited "the rich."
Now that the lie is about to be exposed, Obama is concerned that middle class taxpayers need those cuts extended.
Was he lying before, or is he lying now? It has to be one or the other.
To all these bloggers out here who think demanding "Corporate Citizens" be forced to pay at the same tax rate as the rest of us real, live, flesh and blood ones is somehow terribly immoral, hey, the only immorality is they were allowed to have the precious rights of a CITIZEN in the first place!*
The problem really begins when the hard right conservatives in our present Court--in 2010, by a split decision--were able to grant these so called "Corporate Citizens" the same right that all us living breathing ones have, which is our right to contribute as much of our "personal income" to any candidate (or slate of candidates) for whom we choose.
Big Corporate Wealth by now being able to couple this specific right of a citizen with it's vast reservoir of unlimited money can now back any candidate it chooses but with what must inevitably become a devastating result for the future of our Nation!
Inevitably this new corporate power will lead to an immensely stronger and more empowered Radical Right, along with an end to Democracy as we know it, then replaced with an oligarchical form of government, one controlled by those few at the very top. To prevent this from happening the whole conundrum surrounding Corporate Citizenship needs to be revisited by the Supreme Court and then done away with!
*This was a status handed Corporations by the Supreme Court back in 1819 at a time when the Industrial Revolution was just getting started and before all the abuses by giant corporations became such a huge part of our history.
**By "Corporate Power" I mean those wealthiest few at the top who actually are in control of corporate wealth and who are actively trying to lead us toward rule by the Corporations.
@ RBTatt
You need to stick to rolling joints at the military industrial complex demonstration rallies
We do not have a democracy/"mob rule" here, Yet... Our form of Gov't is a Representative Republic.
AS set forth by our Constitution & Bill of rights too protect us from democracy in which a oligarchical/dictatorial form of gov't can evolve.
If you would bother to educate yourself, perhaps you would already know the facts. However it is not to late too learn. The United States is still very young comparatively. I say look back on history to bring yourself into an understanding of just what forms of governments have been tried,experimented with. the resulting knowledge will be to your benefit.
There is a reason they call it "right" Because they "ARE Right Now"
There is a reason they are called "left" they have "been left behind"
Socialism always rears it's ugly head, because in thorium it looks good, however in practical application it fails... There is always someone that Just keeps wanting to try it again, maybe with a new spin or or a new name. But really just the same ole fallible weak bovine excrement as before LOL
..................................4ward ho..............................................................."GET USED TOO IT"
People can and will always see through the lies presented to the American People. Without the wealthy, workers (union and non-union), stock holders there would be no corporations this means no jobs. The wealthy would not exist without the workers but then they would not need workers because of no business for employment and they in turn would not be wealthy. It's a vicious circle we all need each other. If you were poor and won the lottery ant then found out that you had to give up a large portion for taxes this in turn would be upsetting. Obama does not want to give up on the 2% even though it is only a pimple when compared to the 98%. He was OK with the 800B before the election and now he wants 1.6B Why.... because he thinks he can get it and Obama is the one not willing to compromise on his wants. Last 4 years he blamed the Bush administration for the national debt. Well every new president has blamed the last administration for the mess they stepped into even though they knew in advance the problems. Now that the country is in deep debt because of his mismanagement he wants to tax the whole country. States will need to be raising taxes in order to pay for Obamacare. The president has lied about this (I will not sign the bill if it means the american citizen has to pay). Now we have a tax according to the Supreme Court. Giving him power to raise taxes or even the limits on the national dept is like handing the Nuke to a Dictator. I would suggest that we just fall off the cliff and let the blame go to the party(s). Everyone in congress is unwilling to compromise all based on a lousy 2%. Remember the tax is immediate and the savings is ..... well something our congress only dream about.
As of 22 minutes ago... Obama said he will not compromise on raising the taxes on the 2% so that means that he will acutally be the cause for us falling off the cliff. The republicains have given him alternatives including passing the portion a bill that keeps the current tax on the middle class tabling the wealth for a vote seperately. Thank you Mr. Obamanation for helping the American people fall off the cliff for a lousy 2%. The country will see through your lies and will be back listening to crap in the next 4 years looking for the blameing game. Is already been reported of companies holding back on hiring and haveing layoffs thanks to Obamacare. Yes you will move forward but the country will move 8 steps back. With out the black and hispanic vote you would have never made it. (Black birds of a feather stick together).
Fellow Americans and Visitors to this country " We welcome the tired and weary to the United Socialist States of America".