My head hurts. Conservative Republicans might be the ones to kill this tax deal.

[WilliamPitt]

Two key obstacles emerged Tuesday night to the passage of President Obama's tax cut compromise with the GOP. This time they come from the right: The influential anti-tax group Club for Growth and conservative kingmaker Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) both came out in opposition to the agreement, threatening the breadth of Republican support for the plan.

(snip)

Here's why this matters: Both the Club and DeMint are hugely influential among Republicans, particularly conservatives. And it's quickly becoming clear that this plan is going to have to pass with very significant Republican support. If Republican support for this plan bleeds down too far, the whole plan would be scuttled, and it would be back to the drawing board, with the Bush tax cuts scheduled to expire in just over three weeks.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/12/two-major-conservative-obstacles-emerge-to-tax-cut-compromise.php?ref=fpa

===

Obama and the Democrats in Congress couldn't get this done right. Now it's the right-wingers who might force a total do-over.

Gad zooks.

[Skittles]

1. just gets better and better, doesn't it?

how many years do we have left of this shit? gawd

[Life Long Dem]

21. How many years left of congress?

:shrug: I don't follow you.

[Skittles]

39. that tells me everything I need to know

[reformist2]

41. OMG, they want to eliminate the estate tax!!?

Some of these Republicans are insane.

I think it really is time to draw a line in the sand, and say the only tax cuts that will be approved will be on sub $250 K incomes. All other tax rates - including the estate tax - go back to where they were before Bush.

[kenny blankenship]

2. When they find Obama so easy to roll over, naturally they think, "We could get even more!"

Can you blame them? They'll have him jumping through hoops by the end of 2011.

[struggle4progress]

7. Maybe they're just determined never to cooperate with him in any fashion at all

[Edweird]

14. Is that news to you?

Democrats want different things, for different reasons, than republicans. This is not something recent.

[struggle4progress]

27. My point is rather different than "Ds want different things from Rs" --

it is that even if President O offers Rs want they want, and what they say they want, their electoral strategy requires them to obstruct him in every possible way and hence to throw shizzfits to avoid any appearance of working together

[spanone]

16. they have already expressed that sentiment

[struggle4progress]

29. Yes. That, however, is different from thinking "He rolled on this, so we can probably get even more"

It means that no matter how much he offers to "compromise," they will kick and scream

[demodonkey]

24. Duh! nt

[wtmusic]

3. Kill the whole fucking thing and start over.

I knew this would happen - Republicans come in with ridiculous demands and we come in with reasonable ones. We work out a "deal", then the Republicans use that as the new base to start re-negotiating.

If Reid and Obama can't figure that out we're sunk.

[KoKo]

37. Someone is going to pop up and say: Three Dimensional Chess, Brilliant!

But, I somehow don't think we are going to look good as Democrats over this..no matter how it turns out. But, if the Progressive Democrats can make a stink...it might mean that there is some kind of alliance between enemies that might prove helpful later. But, then...that's just my foolish hope.

[bushisanidiot]

4. This is what I was saying yesterday. The repukes don't want to give the President a victory.

passing this tax cut bill to extend AWOL Bush's irresponsible tax cuts, TAKES THE BAT OUT OF REPUBLICANS' HANDS. Taxes are THE major issue that they fight with democrats about and it's what they run on in their campaigns. President Obama is taking that argument away from them. And as the economy continues to improve, there's nothing left for the repukes to complain about regarding the country going "in the wrong direction". They will lose in 2012 if this passes. Their base wants blood, which means NO VICTORIES for Obama.. even if it's a victory that is good for their pocket books. 2012 is all they want.. taxes or not.. gay marriage or not.. immigration reform or not.. health care reform or not..

[andym]

35. They win either way

but probably win even more if they let the tax cuts expire and then blame Obama and the Democrats.

[reformist2]

40. If they don't get their tax cuts for the rich, the Republicans lose.

That's all they want. So don't give it to them. They'll go crazy!

[MadHound]

5. Well, that wouldn't be the worse thing that can happen

The worst thing that happens is if this deal goes through.

[lukasahero]

6. Anyone who expected otherwise is a fool

including our President.

It's the EXACT SAME THING as the health care bill - give in to all their demands, create a bill that sucks and get blamed for it all the same.

[NV Whino]

8. I don't care who kills it

as long as it's killed.

[Pacifist Patriot]

11. I agree.

[harun]

30. Me too.

[Luciferous]

31. Yep.

[hfojvt]

38. well there are two ways that could play out

The good way would be if Obama suddenly figures out that he can and should fight. He can a) blame the Republicans for the tax increase and b) veto any worse bills as unacceptable

The bad way would be if Obama decided to abase himself even more. In the immortal words of John Paul Jones "I have not yet begun to cave"

[seabeyond]

9. no. it has never been abuot obama and dems getting done "right". it has always been repugs FUCKING

the nation and the people and not willing to allow rich to pay and support the rest of the nation.

[seabeyond]

10. actually this might all be a perfect storm so to dems advantage in a number of ways.

will be interesting to watch play out

the plan is against teabaggers
the repugs want for rich friends, dont care about poor or teabaggers
obama made a deal for middle class and those hurting.
dems want to fight and willing to take obama on

it can all do nicely for the dem party and people as a whole really hurting repugs

[wtmusic]

17. Agree.

But Dems must learn how to run the show.

[bluestate10]

43. I agree. But somehow Obama will fumble this advantage. Oh, am I disappointed in Obama. nt

[Davis_X_Machina]

12. I'm looking forward to Bernie Sanders and Jim DeMint

...standing shoulder to shoulder in the well of the Senate to defend the working class against the expropriators.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

18. Maybe Jim DeMint Can Repeat His Opposition To Gay Teachers While He's Standing Up There

I wouldn't even ride in the same elevation with that homophobic piece lof shit.

[Davis_X_Machina]

19. I presume you'll gladly take DeMint's 'no' vote when...

...the tax plan comes up for cloture, homophobic piece of shit or no.

[kentuck]

13. Democrats do not want to vote against their President...

..and they might not have to. Some Republicans are like loose cannons.

[spanone]

15. gad zooks is right

[TwilightGardener]

20. That's all right. Obama is on record as trying to reach middle ground--

if it fails, then they start over. Only people who are hurt are the unemployed.

[Bandit]

25. We all know how the "record" can be and often is distorted.

It will be sold as the Democrats raised everyone's taxes. Taxes went up under Democratic control. That is how it will be played day in and day out 24/7 on Fox News and probably all the other News shows as well.. Bartlett was absolutely correct when he said it was the perfect trap for Democrats.

[TwilightGardener]

32. I know that--but everyone else seems to think that it's hunky dory here.

They say "I don't mind paying extra taxes", but what could be more damaging to Democratic chances in a weak economy and high unemployment than to have taxes go up under a Dem President and Congress?

[Bandit]

33. Well when those taxes first were put in place (by Clinton) the economy was in severe recession

and Every single Republican said just what you are saying. That in a poor economy it would be the death blow for Democrats to raise anyone's taxes. It was billed as the largest tax increase in History at that time. It was passed through the reconcilliation process and Al Gore had to cast the tie breaking vote. America went on to experience the "Greatest Economic Expansion in History" The tax cuts were also passed through reconcilliation. If it were not for Ben Nelson we would not be having this discussion today. He sided with Republicans to give them the fifty votes they needed and allowed Dick Cheney to cast the tie breaking vote giving us this dilemma. America went on to expwerience the "Greatest Economic Turnaround in History" and led to recession. also almost no jobs were created during the Bush* Administration and over twenty two million jobs created under Clinton. So what do Democrats do now? They certainly don't seem to be looking at History as a guide.

[TwilightGardener]

34. It's really a shame that the middle class only cuts couldn't be passed

with 51. I don't know how we overcome that. But I know how any tax increase for the middle class now will be hammered home. Fox wasn't big in the early 90's.

[thecrow]

22. Demint is terrible

He proposed that UI be subject to
"modifications such as turning it into a loan at some point"

I have paid into UI for 37 years, in case of losing my job.
It was INSURANCE payments.... like life insurance... if my job died I would get
that insurance until I was able to find a job.

Well, there are no jobs in my profession. I'm too old to "retrain" on another career path.
Heck, I'd be 65 by the time my re-education was finished.

And Demented Demint wants my insurance to be turned into a loan???
Oh, yeah! That's the ticket?
:sarcasm:

[Davis_X_Machina]

23. You'll need his vote to kill the bill.

Practice nose-holding.

[Ganja Ninja]

26. So what's new?

The Democrats let the GOP write a bill. Then the GOP stands by while the Democrats pass it. Then they blame the Democrats for the disastrous results.

[lumberjack_jeff]

28. Yay Obama. Hostages get shot anyway, but now we're holding the gun. n/t

[KoKo]

36. According to Rachel Maddow...It adds 700 Billion to the Debt..Repugs ran on

Deficit Reduction. Sherrod Brown also said on Rachel's show that the Repugs would have voted for the extension of unemployment at the last minute even if the vote came on Christmas Eve. He said it didn't need to be held hostage in the "extend Bush Tax Cuts" omnibus.

This could get interesting. Hard to know what to think about how it will turn out.

[Norrin Radd]

42. Weird

[McCamy Taylor]

44. No way. The GOP will never turn down free monye for their donors.

[Scruffy1]

45. It isn't always your friends that get you out of trouble

the God awful first Cheney was scuttled by the Republicans after dems like Durbin sold out on the ethanol deal. It was actually McCain who led in scuttling by calling it "no lobbyist left behind". I think that a lot of blue dogs will oppose it because it piles on the national debt as will many Repukes. After all most of the Republican voters are not rich and it will be hard to explain to them why it was so important to keep taxes low for the wealthy, too.
Sound like Obama is buying the crap Bill Clinton bought into after the 1994 loss.

[mike_c]

46. government in this country is broken....

eom