White House Privately Pushing Data Showing Bush Tax Cut Extension (for the rich) Politically Popular

[onehandle]

Source: Huffington Post

WASHINGTON -- Hoping to build support for the tax-cut deal that the president reached with Congressional Republicans, the White House has begun pressing Hill Democrats with polling data showing that extending the tax rates for the rich is politically popular.

A Senate aide sent over a copy of the email that an administration aide sent to offices on Wednesday morning. In it, the aide touts Gallup polling data showing that "Two-thirds of Americans (66%) favor extending the 2001/2003 tax cuts for all Americans for two years, and an identical number support extending unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed."

That an administration would promote polling data backing its policy preferences is normally not an astounding revelation. But the private push of the Gallup study struck the Senate aide as depressing if not counter-productive. Even as the president was insisting that he thought an extension of rates for the wealthy is poor economics -- "I'm as opposed to the high-end tax cuts today as I've been for years," Obama said on Tuesday -- his aides were privately embracing the idea that extending the Bush tax cuts across the board was politically prudent.

"We are making the argument for them," said the Senate aide, who sent over the email on condition that it could not be reprinted. "The White House now wants us to defend extending the Bush tax cuts."

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/08/white-house-privately-pus_n_793732.html

[aquart]

1. Just. Wow.

Despicable, even.

[saigon68]

3. Disgusting waste

Its like Toilet Humor By Obama and his acolytes

[kath]

24. Yep,, Wow.

what disgusting assholes.

[molly77]

27. That dog won't hunt

[Crazy Dave]

2. I said it before and I'll keep saying it...

The republicans will have two presidential candidates they can count on running in 2012.

Obama and whoever is running against him.

[ladjf]

4. The exact truth. nt

[HughBeaumont]

9. Seems like it.

Republican or Batshit Insane Lunatic. That's our menu in 21st Century America.

And there's not a fucking thing we can do about it.

Well, there is. But it would involve bloodshed, the military and police opening fire on citizens, people by the millions stopping Washington and holding nationwide corporate boardroom dwellers hostage until they start playing some goddamned ball and raising some American wages, worldwide economic upheval, and hope that whoever restarts the crawl back to normalcy aren't as greedy as the ones who destroyed it.

But it would never happen, because even "We the People" aren't on the same page.

[WCGreen]

17. I would join in, but, you know, Survivors on tonight and my tevo isn't

working...

[Ruperto31]

28. Don't despair.

Gramsci said that two things help to undermine capitalist hegemony: (1) exposure, and (2) alternative institutions.

Wikileaks is doing a great job of (1), and the internet as a whole is providing lots of instances of the latter.

I know that this seems slow. But then, as Marx said, there are days when twenty years worth of events happen.

[No Elephants]

31. Colonists in the 1770's were not all on the same page, either..

Tories, Loyalists and rebels.

[tyne]

5. Weird

Considering the fact that he stated yesterday, several times, that the polls were on the side of not extending for he wealthy.

Methinks Obama knows nothing about this.

[earthside]

6. Obama Undercuts Himself.

How in the world is anyone supposed to believe that Obama is, as he said again yesterday, still against the tax bonuses for the rich ... if his people are using a poll as an argument for voting for the 'deal' because that tax cut is "popular"????

[Vincardog]

30. (66%) favor extending the 2001/2003 tax cuts for ALL Americans for two years

NOT EXTRA GRAVY for the RICH.

66% want the tax cut for EVERYONE on the first $250K

The extra cuts for the rich are as popular as bedbugs

[w4rma]

7. Sick. (nt)

[JBoy]

8. Sure, pick a poll with a binary question to support a bad position.

Like posing a poll question of "Should all people have freedom?" and then using the positive response as justification for not locking up criminals.

[pattmarty]

10. Well, all the polls I have seen say just the fucking opposite. That.......

.........is what the trouble with polls has become today, every partisan can make a poll say whatever they want. We all here know it is how they are worded.

[Dr.Phool]

11. It's what he wanted all along.

Hostage my ass.

[Democat]

12. What happened to the guy Democrats elected?

Was he replaced by a Republican clone?

[jorae28]

13. call your rep and say NO DEAL

We have had way to many NO's in our legislation....call -
email - everyone and anyone and say NO

[avaistheone1]

22. I did so.

And not a single one of my reps or senators is for an extension of these tax cuts.

[d_b]

14. llllllllllol

[PSPS]

15. This is what Obama wanted all along. All else was his lying to get elected.

[WCGreen]

16. I am absolutely opposed to these tax cut extension for the wealthy...

Until the republicans say I have to be for them...

[Angry Dragon]

18. He LIES

[droidamus2]

19. Well President Obama

This is what is called making the tough decisions and you suck at it. If this is the wrong decision for the long term economics of our country but good for the short term, and these days it's usually very short term, political benefit then make the tough decision that may hurt you politically and reject the extension of tax cuts for the wealthy. Start riding the Republicans train and insist that the deficits are what is bringing down the economy, everybody must do their part. Tell the Republicans that you want separate votes (I know he already has but he needs to really mean it) on the above and below $250000 cuts. Call the Republicans bluff. If letting the wealth enhancing tax cuts expire is the right long term thing to do then let it happen. I didn't agree with everything Bill Clinton did when he was in office but he made the hard decision to balance the budget and did what was necessary to bring it about. President Obama it is not your job to make the Republicans happy it is your job to lead and make the right decisions for all Americans.

[Capitalocracy]

20. The message is clear

We all need to start supporting the tax cuts for the rich! Come on, everybody! It creates jobs, haven't you heard? Next time you get a call from a pollster, be sure to tell them you love Obama and you love tax cuts for the rich!

Man, tax cuts for the rich are great! Why can't we cut 'em to zero?

[zogofzorkon]

21. Sounds more like he's using than pushing n/t

[Donnachaidh]

23. where was the poll taken -- Wall Street?

Seriously, I would love to know the guts of these polls -- WHO has been polled, what numbers were polled, WHEN they were polled.

It's real easy to pull figures you WANT when you poll the right people. So who is the pollster for the WH?

[lamp_shade]

25. This thread is absolutely hysterical. Absolutely hysterical. Where the hell am I?

[Ruperto31]

29. You are among former Obama supporters. nt

[Smashcut]

26. Certain "representatives" here have already been flogging these numbers n/t

[No Elephants]

Bloomberg Publicly Publishing Poll Showing Obama's "Compromise" Unpopular

Obama's Compromise on Extending Highest-Income Tax Cuts Unpopular in Poll
By John McCormick and Julianna Goldman - Dec 8, 2010 11:29 AM ET

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-08/obama-s-compromise-on-extending-highest-income-tax-cuts-unpopular-in-poll.html

[No Elephants]

32. Self delete-dupe

Obama's Compromise on Extending Highest-Income Tax Cuts Unpopular in Poll