What if we just let all tax cuts expire for now and fought this fight again in January

[bluestateguy]

Let's try to think this through.

We let all tax cuts expire, and every taxpayer sees a tax increase. Only about 20% of the people support this option. It would be a high price to pay to ensure that the tax cuts for the rich disappear.

So Republicans take over the House in January and immediately pass a bill retroactively extending all tax cuts permanently. The Senate does not have the votes to do this, but as today showed they also not have the votes to just pass middle class taxcuts, and that was with a 58-42 Democratic majority. It will be 53-47 next month.

Where do things go from here? Do you see this scenario working out better than the way things are unfolding now?

[Poll_Blind]

1. See, the point is you presume to know exactly what the Republicans would do, and that it would...

...work if they did.

That's a Point of View.

PB

[LonePirate]

4. It is foolish to think the Senate Rs would be less adamant about tax cuts for the rich come January

[Andy823]

2. Well if...

Republicans in congress stick to not allowing anything to go through till they get their way with tax cuts for the rich, I think it would really piss of a whole lot of people, republicans included, and they would be having to answer to those who voted for them as to WHY they are doing this!

Democrats on the other hand could keep on putting forward bills for tax cuts for only those making under $250,000 and see how long the republicans try and stop the government from working! If they can get a bill anytime next year they could make it retroactive so when it does come time to pay taxes, the middle class would not have to pay the higher rates, at least this is what I understand they can do.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. The Republican House Will Pass A Tax Cut For Everybody And Dare The Democrats To Vote Against It

Do you think we will win that fight?

[Skink]

5. The democrats could then filibuster.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

9. That's Exactly What The Republicans Want

The only thing those bastards want more than a tax cut for their rich buddies is to put the Democrats in a position where they have to oppose tax cuts for everybody.

[Parker CA]

8. Ding ding ding! They'll brand us as anti-American, anti-tax cut, and bully them through. Then they

will say the same thing about Obama if he dares to bust out the veto pen.

That's why Obama will make some deal in the coming weeks to extend everything, potentially in exchange for some unemployment benefits,, and we'll fight this fight during election season '12. Our one hope is that between now and then the Dems hire some messaging tacticians and we actually forcefully and cohesively fight back against the GOP.

[TwilightGardener]

6. So you're saying it's better to pass a bill for permanent tax cuts for the middle class

and TEMPORARY extensions for the wealthy now, in lame duck, than to wait until January when the House GOPers originate a bill that would make even the wealthy's cuts permanent--plus they would be able to claim that Dems raised your taxes, but they re-lowered them. Hmmm, will have to think about that.

[KharmaTrain]

7. And Then They'd Need 60 Votes...

While I do see a majority of votes, including "democrats" like Nelson and Pryor voting with the rushpublicans, they don't have the votes for a cloture vote...the same problems the Democrats have in getting their bills to the floor. They'd need 8 Democrats to cross over. I don't see it.

Even more important, the Democrats still control the agenda...what bills can or can't be brought up. Reid would be the one who brings this up and I would hope the only version he would let go to the floor would be one like we saw today. Which means these cuts will expire and each side will play it up for their own partisan gains.

The more likely scenario is for the White House to cave on a two year extention and we play this game all over again during the 2012 elections.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

10. The Only Thing They Want More Than Tax Cut For Their Rich Buddies Is The Issue

The new House will pass tax cuts for everybody and dare the Democrats to oppose them.

[KharmaTrain]

11. Another New Football

Look at how long they've milked abortion. They've won elections and raised a boatload of money claiming to be the "family values" party yet when they had the chance to do something legislatively they did nothing, but still kept using it as a money making scam. Same goes for being "fiscally responsible". This falls into that claptrap as they purposely and cynically set these cuts to expire after boooosh was out of office and either a rushpublican president/legislature would extend them or it would become a "tar baby" on Democrats (which it has). Do they want the cuts for their rich buddies to continue? Damn straight. Do they really want them permanent? If so, they would have done that either in 2003 when these things were enacted or in their lame duck days in 2006. Neither happened. What's that tell you?


They know Democrats get weak knees when threatened with being labeled as "tax and spend" and this is the perfect ploy to maintain that meme. Watch for a "great compromise" to appear next week as the clock is winding down...the Democrats will cheer they didn't raise taxes and the GOTB will have this toy to play with again in two years. BOHICA time should be Wednesday so they can all go home by Friday and pretend they actually accomplished something.