Obama, GOP in quiet talks to extend tax cuts

[Poll_Blind]

Just published about a little over an hour ago (from time of this posting). Thursday, December 2, 2010; 10:50 PM

From Washington Post:

The White House and congressional Republicans have begun working behind the scenes toward a broad deal that would prevent taxes from going up for virtually every U.S. family and authorize billions of dollars in fresh spending to bolster the economy.

Negotiations have accelerated in recent days as Congress has confronted deadlines for extending a series of tax cuts that expire at the end of the month, renewing emergency jobless benefits and keeping the government funded into next year.

--snip--

The private discussions, which parallel a more public set of talks, have left many Democrats grousing that President Obama is being too quick to accommodate his adversaries, who are still a month away from taking control of the House and expanding their presence in the Senate.

Republicans are demanding that Democrats extend Bush-era tax cuts at all income levels at least temporarily, not just those that primarily benefit the middle class. They are also pressing Democrats to approve a measure to keep the government funded through September, a move aimed at avoiding a fight with the White House over spending that could provoke a government shutdown.

In return, Obama is seeking Republican support for as much as $150 billion in new spending on the economy, including an additional 13 months of emergency jobless benefits and another year of his signature "Making Work Pay" tax cut for working families.

MUCH more at the link. Man, is he going to cut some asinine deal he doesn't need to cut in the first place? I have a feeling Obama's not got the guts to let the tax cuts expire and then shove it in the Republican's face in the new year. No, I have a feeling he's just going to secretly cut deals with the Republicans and give them what they want.

By the way, why does he do things like this? Does the rest of the Democratic party qualify as the "Professional Left" now?

PB

[old mark]

1. K&R...

[Imajika]

2. Yup, they will strike some kind of deal...

It is a good bet all the Bush tax cuts will be extended for 2-3 years. The Republicans will agree to a UI extension, and the GOP will happily go along with continuing Obama's "making work pay" tax cuts.

Everyone in the know understands a deal will be cut, all the rest is just theater.

[Poll_Blind]

5. The unspoken narrative of this article is just that. At least that's how I read it.

Everything neatly clicking into place- except it's a sellout. He can let these cuts expire then jam middle class tax cuts in the Republicans' face in the new year. What the fuck?

PB

[Imajika]

9. What is most irritating is...

...this fight should have happened BEFORE the election.

The public is completely on our side on this issue. It's a slam dunk, and yet we refused to tackle it leading up to the November elections.

Waiting till the lame duck session was a terrible idea.

And yes, your description of it is almost certainly correct. Behind the scenes, everything is clicking into place and a deal will be struck. Obama will get the UI extension and the "making work pay" tax cuts - two items the Republicans would have gone along with anyway, and the GOP will get an extension of all Bush tax cuts for 2-3 years.

Everything else really is political positioning and theater.

[OZark Dem]

3. Like the 80 billion secret deal with Pharma before the health

bill got started. Besides, good ole Axle already spilled the beans weeks ago. I don't know why I am so upset over something I already knew was going to happen.
Reid having a caucus tonight to explain the cave in to the Democrats. Scheeze.

[DJ13]

4. Why does this remind me of the closed door sellout to insurers in the HCR?

[Clio the Leo]

6. talks have apparently collpased...

Senate tax cut votes collapsing because one GOP senator who can't yet be identified doesn't want those votes. Impeach Obama, I guess.
http://twitter.com/#!/daveweigel/status/10553620915290112


Why does he NOT need to cut a deal in the first place? Did we get three more Dems in the Senate when I wasn't looking?

[DisgustipatedinCA]

8. He needs to NOT cut a deal in order to not look like a goddamned coward

...among other reasons.

Don't act like you don't understand the psychology of this, because I know you do. The Republicans will get what they want, they'll claim victory, and they'll become twice as recalcitrant about negotiating, because really, why would they when it's been proven over and over that they don't need to? And just wait until they actually have the majority in the House.

The other glaringly obvious answer to your question is that, by law, he doesn't have to do anything. The tax cuts are sunsetting. They'll expire. Make the Republicans vote to kill tax cuts for the middle class. They're not that significant, and besides, Democrats could just keep bringing it up for a vote, one way or another, at least in the Senate. Make them vote against it every time.

Instead, Obama is sending the worthless POS Geithner to cut a deal with the Republicans, and Obama is being played for a fool (and that's one of the more charitable explanations).

What on earth would ever actually convince you that Obama is capable of doing wrong? You've got it worse than my sister did for Shaun Cassidy in 1977.

[msongs]

7. let em expire n create a new tax cut bill for middle class/;ow income only. oh well nt

[Poll_Blind]

11. He's off in Afghanistan now, who knows he'll get done (or not) after that. n/t

PB

[LaPera]

10. Republicans say "temporarily" they know they plan to make them permanent when the take power.....

By being obstructionist republicans believe they will defeat Obama and they will absolutely make the tax cuts for the richest 2% permanent - republicans want "temporarily" to mean to extend the deficit raising tax cuts three to five years for the wealthiest, until the republicans take power! - Obama will cave once again to his republicans friends and give the richest years of tax cuts for just 13 weeks of unemployment benefits and Obama will claim victory is this pathetic or what?

[TBF]

12. Is there a way to get the unemployment extended without some kind of deal?

Can he do that by executive order? He's going to try to get unemployment extended somehow, even if it means deals, so he doesn't have millions without even that right before the holidays.

[me b zola]

13. Yep, and I'm betting that cuts to SS & Medicare will be part of the deal

I think that the deal is already done, and that is why Boner called the congressional Dems "chicken crap"(chicken shit). To call someone or something chicken shit is to call them or their action cowardly. I believe that the deal has already been struck and Boner was calling congressional Dems chicken shit for putting on a dog & pony show for us rather than admit their collaboration with republicans. I can't think of any other reason for Boner to use that term in that circumstance.