Sen. Graham: Republicans Should Accept Tax Revenue Increase

[kpete]

Source: ABC

Sen. Graham: Republicans Should Accept Tax Revenue Increase


ABC News' Jonathan Karl and Gregory Simmons report:

As Congress and the president try to strike a deal to cut spending and raise the debt ceiling, one Republican Senator tells ABC News that prospects look bleak.

“Right now I’m very worried,” Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told ABC News “Subway Series.” “If I were a betting man, I’d bet no deal.”

.....................

The obvious solution, Graham said, is for Republicans to give some ground on taxes and for Democrats to give some ground on entitlements. But he doubts negotiators will get there before August 2nd.

“How to get there from here?” Graham said. “President says he’s not going to do a short term extension. (Republicans) are saying we aren’t going to generate any new revenue. (Democrats) are saying they aren’t going to do it without revenue. Well, somebody’s got to blink.”

Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/07/republican-senator-warns-of-a-disaster-if-congress-cant-find-middle-ground-on-debt-ceiling-.html

[brooklynite]

1. Can you say "Tea Party Primary opponent"?

I KNEW you could...

[Raven]

2. I wonder if the Republicans can deliver the votes for anything. If

they can't then negotiating with them is pretty useless, isn't it?

[BeyondGeography]

3. He's gutsy, right up to the moment when he has to have some guts

In the classic, senatorial manner.

[No Elephants]

13. Bingo. He makes a stab at seeming sane every now and again, but

usually folds like a cheap suit.

He does vote to confirm qualified judges, though. "Elections have consequences," sez he. However, that is about all one can rely on him for when it's time to stop acting sane and start voting sanely.

[FreakinDJ]

4. I think the TeaParty is about to be "Minimalized"

as the RATpubliCONs weight the political fallout from their hardline positions on "No New Taxes" vs: "The Majority of Americans who want no Benefit Cuts and Tax Loopholes Closed" the Teaparty stands to lose any political clout they thought they had

[No Elephants]

14. I think I may have just heard David Koch say, "Marginalize this."

[rocktivity]

5. That headline is a prettier sight than Angelina Jolie!

:rofl:
rocktivity

[daa]

6. ITS EASY TO FIGURE OUT revenue was over 18% when Ronnie

left office and because of the depression tax collections are 14% now.. Spending isn't the problem (ok the stupid wars) revenue is the problem.

[beac]

7. Amazing how they won't admit that St. Ronnie taxed the rich

(and almost everyone else) more than their hated Obama. :crazy:

[No Elephants]

15. And St. Ike--you know, the one everyone liked-- made them all look lame.

[KamaAina]

8. That Lindsey. He has an aggravating habit of actually thinking for himself once in a while.

And yet when he is "on message", he's one of the smarmiest and most odious of all repukebots. Go figure. :eyes:

[No Elephants]

16. In fairness, he usually stops thinking for himself in time to vote with his caucus.

People follow things he says on TV more than they follow his votes, so he gets to have it both ways. Talk rationally and vote like the rest of the nutters.

[KamaAina]

17. That's what's so aggravating about it!

:banghead: :argh:

[No Elephants]

19. LOL!

[Cereal Kyller]

9. Nice knowin' ya, Lindsey!

[robinlynne]

10. Is there any way Obama could legally un-sign the Bush tax cuts he signed into law in December?

I'm sure the answer is no, but if there were a way, that would solve the "problem". (I don't think debt is a problem at all, given our economy, just a Republican mantra that the Democrats seem to believe in. The Gov needs to up spending, not cut it, but on the correct social programs, not by giving the money to banks and Halliburton.)

[No Elephants]

18. There is no way Obama signed Bush tax cuts into law.

Bush tax cuts expired under their own terms on December 31, 2010. By then, President Bush had been out of office a few weeks short of two solid years.

At the end of last year, President Obama signed the Obama tax cuts into law.

I don't see what we have to gain by calling them anything other than what they are. We sure aren't going to be able to get Bush to unsign them and, even if he did, it wouldn't matter.

But, to answer your question, no. Obama negotiated a deal with the Republicans, the asked Democrats to pass it; and they complied. (He could have vetoed anything else.) So, Congress would also have to revoke the Obama tax cuts.

[robinlynne]

21. point taken.

[thereismore]

11. That's why they (repigs) call him a RINO and they hate him. nt

[cstanleytech]

12. But Obama has claimed he is willing already Sen. Graham

so why is your party digging its heels in deeper and shrilling crying like a 3 year old?


Edit: BTW anyone else think that a picture of the republicans blocking the passing of a budget in editorial cartoon as big babies in diapers with big rattles would be funny?

[No Elephants]

20. Only if Senator Vitter figures prominently in the cartoon.

Oh, dear, that wasn't very nice, was it?

If you look again at what Graham said, he came very close to saying that what Obama was willing to do is the only sane approach. He (Graham) stopped short of using those words, though.

As for me, I am glad the "Grand Deal" as some have called it, is dead in the water. Obama has other ways to go besides touching Social Security or Medicare.

[cstanleytech]

22. Oh sure there are other places they could trim more like closing more of the overseas bases

as well as getting our troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan and cutting our defense spending down so its under 300 billion a year.

[JNelson6563]

23. Prepare to be teabagged Lindsey.