So the GOP caved on the payroll tax cut

[Cali_Democrat]

Yep. They caved.

See what happens when you stand firm and don't give an inch? The Republicans end up caving because they know how stupid they'll look if they oppose extending the payroll tax cut.

Amazing how that works.

I wish the same approach was used during the Bush tax cut extension debate and the debt ceiling debate.

At the end of the day, you just have to call their bluff and hold firm.

Pretty simple, actually.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/02/why-the-gops-payroll-tax-cut-cave-is-a-bigger-deal-than-you-think.php?ref=fpa

[Ptah]

1. The second sentence confuses me.

"Republicans caved, the payroll tax will almost certainly be renewed,
and the economy won’t take a tough hit just as the recovery’s beginning to accelerate."

[Yupster]

2. Am I reading it right that the extension

will not be paid for and will just be plopped on top of the deficit?

And this will be a victory?

[Cali_Democrat]

4. From the article:

Fast forward to the end of 2011, Republicans used the looming expiration of the payroll tax cut to demand further cuts to government services.

“There’s no debate about whether these extensions ought to be paid for,” House Speaker John Boehner said in November. But of course Republicans ruled out financing the payroll cut with a small tax on millionaires, and demanded they be paid for with spending cuts elsewhere in the budget.

When Democrats resisted, that strategy blew up in his face, the payroll tax cut nearly lapsed, and Republicans took a beating with the public.

[Yupster]

5. So is it going to be paid for?

Both sides agreed it should be. Dems said with tax increases, Reps said with spending cuts.

Is it now that we're just going to say, What the hell, just add it to the debt?

Heck, I'm old. It won't be my problem. You young guys worry about the budget. After all, 15 trillion really isn't that much and we're only proposing adding 11 trillion more in the next 10 years. That's really not that much I guess.

[customerserviceguy]

3. It ain't over till it's over

I predict that this is not the end of it, the tea partiers will not vote for something that's not paid for in full, no matter what Boner wants to do. I expect a few more turns and twists along the way.

[madokie]

9. Teapartiers, what teapartiers

Have you noticed that since the koch's and other big business quit shipping the few asses around here to there you don't see much more of them on the teevee anymore. Teaparty is dead, stick a fork in it, kaplut. Graveyard dead as Jerry Clower would put it, graveyard fucking dead.

[customerserviceguy]

15. They resent how they got punk'd two months ago

You can bet they've discussed their strategy on how to deal with Boner the next time. Like I said, it ain't over...

[Atman]

6. They didn't "cave" on anything. They have their own agenda.

They're just trying (not really) to get elected. I say "not really" because they don't really be want to be in office when the European economy falls, they'd rather blame it on that negro kid who fucked it all up. It doesn't really matter what happens here in the U.S. right now...it's what happens in Europe after Obama gets re-elected. Which is a done deal, IMHO. The GOP wants no fingerprints, even though they masterminded it.

They WANT these loony GOP candidates out front. They WANT the low-hanging fruit to be their standard bearers. And when I say "they," I mean the proverbial Powers That Be. The REAL Republicans. The Cheneys and Bushes. The New World Order-ers. They set it all up with GW (filling in for his dad), taking down the economy with endless fake wars and absurd tax cuts. Now they're just sitting back, counting their tax breaks and war profits, waiting to blame everything on the evil Democrats. It's just an added bargain that the Evil Democrat In Chief is a black guy.

No sarcasm icon. I'm deadly serious. They are winning.

.

[1ProudAtheist]

7. But

they are still holding the "doc fix" and the unemployment benefit extension hostage. Their proposal "uncouples" the tax cuts from the other two. I hope that this proposal is killed and they are forced to negotiate in public again.

[Yupster]

8. So should they pass them without paying for them either?

Was Dick Cheney right? Deficits don't matter.

[1ProudAtheist]

10. My Preference

would be to pay for all 3 items together with a surtax on millionaires. But in the meantime, some more right-wing lunacy being played out on primetime airwaves would be just more fun for me. Watching Boner and KKKantor wiggle and squirm should be mandantory TV for everyone.

[madokie]

12. Not a thing that the dick did was a good thing for us

At the moment the only way to get out of this hole we're in is to grow out of it and to grow out of it it will take capital. Borrowed capital if you will but capital never the less. We can't just starve and kill off citizens by not providing at least a modicum of health care to get there as the pukes would want to do. How shallow of a victory it would be to get out of the hole we're in on the backs of the poor and downtrodden.

Jobs are coming back so I see a light at the end of the bush/cheney tunnel we've been in for 11 years running now.

[Skraxx]

11. Tactic worked this time, dont mean it will work everytime

Every situation is different and needs to be evaluated on its own terms.

[opihimoimoi]

13. Yup...Caved they did,,,KnR

[hfojvt]

14. Wow, they caved and passed tax cuts for the rich

Here's what Citizen's for tax justice said in December 2010

"A Tale of Two Payroll Tax Breaks
Obama’s Original “Making Work Pay” Payroll Tax Cut Plan vs.
the GOP 2% Payroll Tax Rate Cut that the President Has Now Endorsed"


Note the payroll tax cut is called the GOP's idea.

http://www.ctj.org/pdf/taxcompromise2010.pdf


So Obama got them to "cave" and pass their own plan.

What a victory for progressives.

Next I suppose he will get them to cave and extend 80% of the Bush tax cuts.