Bill Clinton Backs Obama on Tax Deal

[Roy Rolling]

Source: USA Today

President Obama has just added a very big name to the growing list of Democrats backing him on the tax deal he struck with Congress this week: Former president Bill Clinton, a man who Obama said "presided over as good an economy as we've seen in our lifetime."

"This will be a significant net plus for the country," Clinton said of during a surprise joint appearance with Obama in the press briefing room...


Read more: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2010/12/bill-clinton-backs-obama-on-tax-deal/1

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I don't care what Bill says. As much as I admire him, I respectfully disagree. It is time for America to "take its medicine" and make some sacrifices. The rich especially need to suck it up, "man up" and pay their taxes---it's the patriotic thing to do. There is no free lunch and the wealthy have had a better deal than the middle class for a long time. It is their turn to sacrifice. As for the threat of a "worse deal" by Republicans after January 1, Obama still has the strong hand---the veto pen.

[otohara]

1. Oh Brother

Candidate Hillary was against this extension.
Who advised her on that?

[DURHAM D]

3. Bill and Hillary Clinton are two different people -

with two different world and political views.

Gheez - Are you your spouse?

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. So was candidate Obama. Lest we forget. nt

[awoke_in_2003]

16. Expecting the President's actions...

to match the candidate's promises is just unpatriotic. Why do you hate america? :)

[PassingFair]

5. So was candidate Obama.....n/t

[otohara]

7. Yeah I Know, So Was Joe Biden

now they've all done a collective flip-flop!

[SkyDaddy7]

17. flip-flop? LOL!

Yeah, it was just a simple flip flop...From a weak POTUS & a just as weak Speaker of the House & Senate Majority Leader if it passes.

[Very_Boring_Name]

11. Did Hillary change her name to Bill?

Or are you unaware that they are two different people?

[otohara]

22. Ohh....Ouch

Fail

[Very_Boring_Name]

46. Yah you did

apology accepted though =)

[Creative]

29. No one is "for it," it's simply the best than can be had under the present

state of circumstances.

[BadtotheboneBob]

31. state of circumstances.

I agree...

[defendandprotect]

41. More "lesser of evils" ....? I think Obama has run that into a ditch ....

[Creative]

54. Actually, I think some on the other side realize how well Obama did.

There is now talk that they may hold out for a better deal in the next session.

[defendandprotect]

63. Who might that be ... ??

[No Elephants]

47. LOL!

[Creative]

55. If you are laughing now, I can't wait to see your reaction if Obama

is forced to renegotiate during the next session.

[Peregrine Took]

2. Dog bites man isn't news, man bites dog is news. If Clinton didn't back him

now that would merit a headline.

[davidthegnome]

6. Disappointed

I liked Clinton before I realized who he was chumming with (the Bushes). Yet I can hardly blame him I suppose, he is, after all, one of the wealthy who will profit from this disgrace.

[defendandprotect]

44. One of the things I was grateful for was that Henry Kissinger didn't pop out on stage with Obama...!

[No Elephants]

48. I guess you'll love Obama giving Poppy Bush the Medal of Freedom in 2011, then.

Highest civilian honor a U.S. Pres can bestow.

I can barely wait for the rationalizations of THAT.

[Demoiselle]

8. I admire and respect the Big Dog.

But I think he's wrong.

[hay rick]

9. Gramm-Leach-Bliley Bill?

NAFTA Bill? Ending Welfare As We Know It Bill? Of course he's there for his Republican friends.

[Iliyah]

10. Still a supporter

of Pres O but wouldn't it be lovely to see the tax cuts expires!!!!!!!!!!

[Roy Rolling]

14. I hear ya

Yeah, I remember Al Gore casting the deciding Senate vote for NAFTA. I guess this makes sense in that context---sometimes he is SO wrong.

[No Elephants]

49. You forgot DADT and DOMA.

[ibegurpard]

12. what a shock!

not

[Liberalynn]

13. Thanks for helping Obama throw SS, Senior Citizens, and the Disabled under the Bus Bill,

so the wealthy can buy some more solid gold toilets. Any remaining respect I had for you sir is now gone. Used to love you Big Dawg not anymore.

[defendandprotect]

42. Glad someone noticed -- we also need to overturn the trade agreements ....

[awoke_in_2003]

15. Of course he does...

Clinton- the best republican president ever.

[BlueJac]

18. Keep it in your pants Bill.........

you fucking idiot.....I never liked your job selling out ass at any time.

You are one of the worst Dem Presidents in my life time, asshole.

[Hardrada]

19. I loathed this corporatist warmonger long before his term ended.

[Gin]

20. he wasn't going to oppose Obama's decision....he had to say it

was good....imagine the shock if he would have panned it...

I don't agree with him and think this stunt made Obama look silly....then to leave Bill (who said he felt awkward) at the podium to go to a party added insult to injury.

This was to over ride Sanders in the news cycle....IMO his advisers made a mistake.

[Johnny Harpo]

21. The Obscenely Rich Will Continue To Be....

obscenely rich and will continue to become richer...tax deal or no tax deal, but they need to pay their share not skate by.

It's those in the middle and on the bottom who will get screwed...one way or another.

You can take that to the bank...no wait ... maybe the bank isn't such a good idea.

[scarletwoman]

24. Take it to your local community credit union.

:)

[JJW]

23. Isn't it amazing

Amazing how they all now agree with Bush and Cheney on just bout everything. That change you can't believe in. And that little town of Hope is likely foreclosed on by now.

[laughingliberal]

25. No surprise, there. NAFTA, Gramm-Leach-Blilely. Triangulations R Us. nt

[onehandle]

26. All showing outrage. Who invited Bill to do this? Obama did.

Embarrassing desperation calling in the Big Dog.

[Little Star]

40. +1

[LBJDemocrat]

27. Proof that Obama knows he's losing his effectiveness

It's truly pathetic, crawling to the elder of the party to help him out.

"I can't win." Indeed.

[Bluenorthwest]

28. So the President needs back up and admits it.

Bill and Barack should go on the road with a double act, called "Don't Ask and Don't Tell" with songs and patter, that sort of thing.

[2Design]

30. both wrong on this one - see bernie sanders speech at cspan from today

the first one sold us down the river with nafta and now the second one wants to sell us all down the river

[louis-t]

32. Yeah, and Clinton signed NAFTA, too.

And let Glass-Steagall get the axe. Clinton was a good president except for these things.

[No Elephants]

51. If you love DLC. big business, welfare reform, DOMA, DADT,etc, and his unique additions to our

history books, he was a great President.

[t0dd]

33. That's even more reason to oppose it. nt

[harvey007]

34. A sad day for Democratic Party

Only a few in the U.S. Senate truly represent the values of the Democratic Party's rank and file....and one of them is the Independent Senator from Vermont -- Mr. Bernie Sanders.

I no longer trust Obama or Bill Clinton.

[harvey007]

35. A sad day for Democratic Party

Only a few in the U.S. Senate truly represent the values of the Democratic Party's rank and file....and one of them is the Independent Senator from Vermont -- Mr. Bernie Sanders.

I no longer trust Obama or Bill Clinton.

[harvey007]

36. A sad day for Democratic Party

Only a few in the U.S. Senate truly represent the values of the Democratic Party's rank and file....and one of them is the Independent Senator from Vermont -- Mr. Bernie Sanders.

I no longer trust Obama or Bill Clinton.

[Taverner]

37. I don't care if you resurrect Colnel Fucking Sanders...

No deal

[SHRED]

38. Clinton backed NAFTA and...

...the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999.

Both were and are disasterous for the middle/working class.

Screw you Bill you are part of the problem. You and your DLC corporate buddies.

[Historic NY]

39. Really who invited you to the party.

[defendandprotect]

43. Bill also helped found the DLC .. corporate wing when he realized that

unions had been so reduced that they didn't have enough money to

fund the kind of campaign he wanted to run for '92 --

Bill needed that CORPORATE MONEY ....

Thanks Bill and Al Gore --

And, Hillary is still part of DLC leadership!!

[primavera]

59. Thank you!

We all seem to have forgotten the number of times Bill sold out. Remember the Welfare Destruction Act? Bill was by no means above selling out for short term political gain.

[defendandprotect]

61. Exactly, and evidently he checked with Al Gore who gave him the nod on ending

60 years of Welfare Guarantees --

As they say -- "You can only really be betrayed by those closest to you" --

:)

[dflprincess]

45. Another indication of just how bad this compromise is

Not surprising that a DLCer like Clinton would like a bill that puts Social Security at risk while helping all his rich friends.

[No Elephants]

52. Among Bill's very rich friends are Bill, Hillary and Chelsea.

[No Elephants]

50. "Double dose." LOL! They coordinated outfits, too.

Bubba said he'd oppose it, if it weren't for UI.

Please, Louise, don't insult our intelligence anymore. No one really believes this was really about unemployment benefits.






Robert Edward Rubin (born August 29, 1938) served as the 70th United States Secretary of the Treasury during both the first and second Clinton administrations. Before his government service, he spent 26 years at Goldman Sachs eventually serving as a member of the Board, and Co-Chairman from 1990-1992. His most prominent post-government role was as Director and Senior Counselor of Citigroup, where he performed ongoing advisory and representational roles for the firm.<1> From November to December 2007, he served temporarily as Chairman of Citigroup.<2><3> On January 9, 2009, Citigroup announced he was resigning after being criticized for his performance.<4> He received more than $126 million in cash and stock during his eight years at Citigroup.<4>

More http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Rubin



Lawrence Henry Summers (born November 30, 1954) is an American economist and as of 2010, Director of the White House National Economic Council for President Barack Obama.<2> Summers is the Charles W. Eliot University Professor at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. He is the 1993 recipient of the John Bates Clark Medal for his work in several fields of economics and was Secretary of the Treasury from 1999 to 2001, during the Clinton Administration.

<snip>

Summers has also been criticized for the economic policies he advocated as Treasury Secretary and in later writings.<3> In 2009, he was tapped by President Obama to be the director of the White House National Economic Council.<2><4> Since returning to government in the Obama administration, he has come under fire for his numerous financial ties to Wall Street.


More http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Summers

[NikRik]

53. I remember a Clinton remark on tax cutsfor the rich !

Iam not sure which bill this was that Clinton was remarking on however some time ago I remember Pres. Clinton saying how because of his incoome now he should be for the tax breaks for the top earners.Then he continued to say that he was against them and the richest in this country had their tax break long enough and it was their time to pay their fair share. I believe Pres Clinton still believes this and is very smart in the way he gets things done. I will always give Bill Clinton the benifit of the doubt when it comes to his loyalty to his wanting to do the best for this country and for the poor and the middle class.
IMHO NikRik

[defendandprotect]

62. Campaigning for the trade agreements and overturning 60 years of Welfare guarantees?

[conspirator]

56. Of course!! Royalty look after each others backs n/t

[ProudDad]

57. Wow, the triangulator-in-chief likes it...

Well sign me up! :sarcasm:

[ProudDad]

58. Bill Clinton provides "economic" team that contributes to

Obama as a one-term pResident...

Film at 11... :rofl:

[unkachuck]

60. "President Obama has just added a very big name...."

....meaningless, absolutely meaningless....