The 2nd Term - Round 1 - Diving for Dollars

[dxmnkd316]

Re: The 2nd Term - Round 1 - Diving for Dollars

Sounds like Boehner won the role of Speaker.

 

[Rover]

FYP.

No other President in modern times has been less interested in reaching out to members of the opposite party. Reagan even got Rostenkowski involved in rooting out special interest tax breaks! Clinton achieved welfare reform and a balanced budget working with Gingrich, along with NAFTA ratification. They even had agreed on Social Security reform, although the Lewinski distraction scuttled its enactment. Bush recruited Ted Kennedy (!) to get No Child Left Behind enacted.

Whether you agree with the merits of any of these achievements or not, all of the people involved realized that compromise involved a partial "win" for both sides. We see no sign of that at all from Obama. You offer him something, he then asks for more. That's not how negotiations work with most people. Generally, you offer something to me, I offer something to you in return. Don't see that. Biden (!) did all the negotiating this time.

Because no other President in modern times has had to deal with so many idiots in the opposing party. Your argument is like saying no other UK Prime Minister has allowed so many of his fellow citizens to be killed on British soil as Winston Churchill while completely glossing over that they were facing the worst killing machine in world history in the Germans at that time.

Today's GOP is almost all sh !theads. There are very few old school dealmakers left, and none of the newer crop. Can't negotiate with yourself.

 

[unofan]

FYP.

No other President in modern times has been less interested in reaching out to members of the opposite party. Reagan even got Rostenkowski involved in rooting out special interest tax breaks! Clinton achieved welfare reform and a balanced budget working with Gingrich, along with NAFTA ratification. They even had agreed on Social Security reform, although the Lewinski distraction scuttled its enactment. Bush recruited Ted Kennedy (!) to get No Child Left Behind enacted.

Whether you agree with the merits of any of these achievements or not, all of the people involved realized that compromise involved a partial "win" for both sides. We see no sign of that at all from Obama. You offer him something, he then asks for more. That's not how negotiations work with most people. Generally, you offer something to me, I offer something to you in return. Don't see that. Biden (!) did all the negotiating this time.

So the President learns to no longer negotiate with himself, and he's the obstructionist? Christ, McConnell fillibustered his own bill at one point last month. Spin it how you want, but the fact remains a bill with overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate almost got scuttled by house republicans. Had Boehner not broken the Hastert Rule, we would've gone over the cliff.

 

[geezer]

Re: The 2nd Term - Round 1 - Diving for Dollars

So the President learns to no longer negotiate with himself, and he's the obstructionist? Christ, McConnell fillibustered his own bill at one point last month.

It's hard not to laugh, except for how sad it really is. It's like a comedy about a really bad government starring Sacha Baron Cohen.

 

[Twitch Boy]

Re: The 2nd Term - Round 1 - Diving for Dollars

It's hard not to laugh, except for how sad it really is. It's like a comedy about a really bad government starring Sacha Baron Cohen.

Why hasn't Obama figured out that if he wants something passed all he has to do is come out against it and the Republicans will fall all over themselves to get it through?

 

[geezer]

Re: The 2nd Term - Round 1 - Diving for Dollars

Why hasn't Obama figured out that if he wants something passed all he has to do is come out against it and the Republicans will fall all over themselves to get it through?

I suspect there's a better than even chance he could even pass gun control that way.
I can see it now: Obama: "You'll take my AR-15 from my cold, dead, black, Kenyan hands!"
McConnell: "We've got to get these assault weapons away from the people!"

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: The 2nd Term - Round 1 - Diving for Dollars

Had Boehner not broken the Hastert Rule, we would've gone over the cliff.

...and would have been better off. Those reductions should have taken effect immediately.

 

[unofan]

...and would have been better off. Those reductions should have taken effect immediately.

Only if you think a double dip recession is being better off.

 

[geezer]

Re: The 2nd Term - Round 1 - Diving for Dollars

The longer we kick the can, the harder the fall will eventually be. The biggest problem with the so-called cliff was that it wasn't high enough. Like it or not, we'll have to pay our bills some day. Yes, it will hurt. It's now unavoidable.

 

[Priceless]

Re: The 2nd Term - Round 1 - Diving for Dollars

*Obviously, Priceless is still here too but he makes no secret of being an actual employee of the political party, at least in the past. So he's up front about benefiting financially from his politicking, which gives him a sort of excuse.

And yet, even though I have been a Democratic operative in the past, I still have been able to broker a budget deal that almost everyone here can agree with. Others have as well, it's not like I'm the only one, but if an admitted Democratic operative can come up with a compromise that works and that BOTH sides think is fair, that tells you just how broken Washington is. Unfortunately, "compromise" is a dirty word in DC these days and both sides would either like to wait for a deal where they get EVERYTHING they want or have the issue to use in campaigns.

Priceless benefits now. He offers to pay your tax bill with your income if you trade.... His income now IS your taxes

I actually earn more than just Social Security (which is taxed, BTW) since I had the foresight to purchase an insurance policy in case something like this happened. Fortunately, the insurance policy does not pay out quite $380,000 a year so I avoid having my taxes go up. Phew.

 

[unofan]

The longer we kick the can, the harder the fall will eventually be. The biggest problem with the so-called cliff was that it wasn't high enough. Like it or not, we'll have to pay our bills some day. Yes, it will hurt. It's now unavoidable.

Generally speaking though, at a national level its better to spread the hurt out than absorb it all at once. Given present interest rates, there's no reason not to kick the can at least somewhat.

 

[mookie1995]

Only if you think a double dip recession is being better off.

How would that have happened?

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: The 2nd Term - Round 1 - Diving for Dollars

How would that have happened?

Well, when you hike everyone's payroll taxes by 50% and couple that with a big hit on income taxes as well, people will stop spending. That spending is what's keeping this economy going right now.

 

[Craig P.]

Re: The 2nd Term - Round 1 - Diving for Dollars

Well, when you hike everyone's payroll taxes by 50% and couple that with a big hit on income taxes as well, people will stop spending. That spending is what's keeping this economy going right now.

Not to mention the big drop in government contribution to the economy due to sequestration.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: The 2nd Term - Round 1 - Diving for Dollars

Generally speaking though, at a national level its better to spread the hurt out than absorb it all at once. Given present interest rates, there's no reason not to kick the can at least somewhat.

Here's the song that Congress plans to play during their inauguration party:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2XLVpGvUQs0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[mookie1995]

Re: The 2nd Term - Round 1 - Diving for Dollars

Well, when you hike everyone's payroll taxes by 50% and couple that with a big hit on income taxes as well, people will stop spending. That spending is what's keeping this economy going right now.

well golly... is that what we can expect to see now? an immediate 2% contraction and drop in gdp?!?

 

[mookie1995]

Re: The 2nd Term - Round 1 - Diving for Dollars

I actually earn more than just Social Security (which is taxed, BTW) since I had the foresight to purchase an insurance policy in case something like this happened. Fortunately, the insurance policy does not pay out quite $380,000 a year so I avoid having my taxes go up. Phew.

really?

 

[Priceless]

Re: The 2nd Term - Round 1 - Diving for Dollars

really?

Really.

 

[Twitch Boy]

Re: The 2nd Term - Round 1 - Diving for Dollars

Here's the song that Congress plans to play during their inauguration party:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2XLVpGvUQs0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Boehner has to pass MAX 300 on Heavy or he loses the gavel to Cantor.

 

[pirate]

Earn.

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means