What would happen, if...?

[kentuck]

...the President and the Democrats agree to extend the taxcuts for everyone at the present rates for two years, and the Republicans agree to extend unemployment benefits for one more year?

...the Democrats in the Congress rebelled against the leadership and refused to vote to extend the taxcuts for anyone except the middle class?

...the Democrats and Repubs worked out a compromise that would extend the taxcuts for the wealthy but the President vetoed it?

...the Democrats in the Senate vote to let all taxcuts expire?

Which of these do you think is most likely to happen?

[yurbud]

1. you should have posted this as a poll. It's pretty clear the first is what's going to happen

and the second most likely is Obama will extend it in exchange for nothing instead of next to nothing.

[Andy823]

2. Well

If the first one happens, then we will be in the same mess come 2012 just in time for the republicans to once again use this to win an election! It is probably the most likely, but it's also not very smart as far as I am concerned. We don't really need to go through the same BS next election over the tax cuts for the rich VS the middle class. Democrats are to chicken to fight it "before" and election, and with the republicans in charge of the house, it will be another lost cause for democrats!

I don't know how they can do the second one, it would be great if they could come up with enough votes to pass middle class tax cuts only but it won't pass!

Now the third one would do wonders for the presidents popularity here on DU, but I just don't see that happening.

I don't have a problem with the last idea, but I just don't think democrats have enough of what it takes to do that! Now they talk big, but when it comes to actually letting them expire, and then having republicans attack them as "raising taxes" on everyone, I don't they they are up to taking the heat on that one. I actually think it could work out better in the long run, show the public they are standing up for the people and against those who have taken this country to the cleaners since 2001, and I think they could come back later next year and try to pass a middle class ONLY bill that would be retroactive, but I don't think they would even try that, and I may be wrong and it wouldn't work anyway!

No sadly I think it will be option number one. I at least hope they get a whole lot of other stuff in the compromise than just being able to say "hey we got the middle class a tax cut, who cares how we did it"! Time will tell and even though I may not be happy with the results, I still know that we have to make sure we keep a democrat in the WH, president Obama, and do what we can to try and get more democrats elected in 2012, real democrats that is!

[PBS Poll-435]

3. You should have included the (failed) Catfood Commission! to your post

Gridlock, probably, will cause all tax cuts to end for TY2011.

Then, next spring, there will be some kind of compromise.