Our surreal debate over taxing the rich

[TomCADem]

Source: Washington Post

So it’s come to this. Republican opposition to any kind of revenue increase as part of the deficit deal has grown so implacable that Dems will now hold a Senate vote tomorrow on the basic idea that millionaires and billionaires should help contribute to fixing our deficit.

It’s not a vote on any specific proposal to hike taxes or end tax breaks. Rather, it’s a vote that puts each Senator on record on the general question of whether the rich should sacrifice in sevice of deficit reduction.

According to a Dem leadership aide, Senate Democrats have decided, as expected, to proceed with a vote tomorrow on a resolution that would declare that it is the “sense of the senate” that those who make $1 million or more per year should “make a more meaningful contribution to the deficit reduction effort.”

The vote — a cloture motion on the question of whether to proceed to an up-or-down vote on this resolution — is designed to put Repubicans on the spot. The idea is to force GOPers to go on the record choosing between declaring general support for more sacrifice from the wealthy — which in theory could strengthen Dem leverage in the talks — or reveal that they’re ideologically hostile to the notion that the rich should sacrifice anything to fix our fiscal mess. Dem Senators are holding a presser this afternoon to push the issue.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/our-surrreal-debate-over-tax-hikes-on-the-rich/2011/03/03/gIQAvN3i0H_blog.html

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This perfectly illustrates a point that needs to be raised again and again. The corporate media pushes the narrative of Blaming the Democrats and Giving Republicans a Free Pass, and the American people, including liberals, accept this premise. The U.S. Senate is going to hold a vote tommorrow that is designed to highlight just how out of touch Republicans are, and the corporate news media is engaging in a media blackout of the vote. It is hard to find any reference to this vote, because the corporate media is trying to protect Republicans who are, in turn, protecting tax breaks to corporations. Thus, while we complain that Democrats are doing enough to fight to repeal the tax breaks, I think this illustrates how such efforts are often blacked out by the corporate media.

[Proletariatprincess]

1. "sense of the senate"

There is no sense in the senate. It is a dysfunctional institution and should be abolished.
This is an empty gesture. It serves only partisan election politics and will have no effect.

[TomCADem]

2. Jeff Sessions Said The Exact Same Thing!

How dare Harry Reid ask Republicans to go on record. What an empty gesture to try hold Republicans accountable. We must blame the Democrats, which must be the reason why the corporate media ignores this move while highlighting the symbolic votes by House Republicans.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4909592

[bemildred]

3. Political debate always tends to the surreal.

The unpleasant facts of our situation have forced that to become more obvious, but it's not new at all.