Robert Gibbs warns democrats in House that their constituents will be angry

[sufrommich]

"when their taxes go up hundreds of thousands of dollars". Clearly Obama and Gibbs don't really understand who their "constituents" are.

UPDATE, 2:01 p.m.: In today's White House briefing, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs addressed the Democratic resolution and Pelosi not bringing the deal to a floor for a vote as its currently written: "This is a long and winding process, but I think that at the end of the day, members are not going to want to be in their districts...when their constituents find out on the first of January that their taxes have gone up by several hundred thousands of dollars. ... It was a voice vote...and my guess is if a lot of voices yell one thing, you may not yell the other."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/09/pelosi-defazio-obama-republican-tax-deal-vote_n_794460.html

[Poboy]

1. Fuck off Gibbs!

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. That moran. The average wage for a family of 4

isn't even half that amount. What the hell are they smoking in the WHite House? I want me some.

[katnapped]

93. Well at least we now know...

Who the WH is REALLY working for.

And it ain't us...

[Mortos]

113. That quote is wrong!!!

http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2010/12/09/press-briefing

9:18 into the video. The actual quote:

MR. GIBBS: I think that this is a long and winding process. But I think at the end of the day, members are not going to want to be in their districts, senators are not going to want to be in their districts when their constituents find out on the 1st of January that their taxes have gone up by several thousand dollars.

Now I wonder why someone would take that and change it to "...hundreds of thousands of dollars?"

Don't let the truth change your narrative though.

[CountAllVotes]

18. damn!

You beat me to it! :mad: :grr: :argh: :puke:

:kick:

[ChairmanAgnostic]

38. I just don't get them. What is wrong with them?

[Better Believe It]

59. They mainly hang out with rich people whose taxes will go up hundreds of thousands of dollars.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

39. I just don't get them. What is wrong with them?

[emilyg]

97. Birds of a feather......

[mod mom]

45. + 1. He has already made public his opinion of progressives.

[1badjedi]

85. + eleventy billion

[Blue_In_AK]

2. I think Robert Gibbs is confused about who is the base.

[sufrommich]

13. Apparently, "the base" is rich enough to pay hundreds of

thousands in taxes. Who knew?

[Lorien]

109. No kidding. You'd have to be in the top 1% wage bracket

to have a tax bill of "hundreds of thousands" of dollars. Freudian slip?

[SteveM]

47. He's not confused. The "base" is corporate power...

both here and abroad. The GOP is the institutionalized arm of corporate power; the Democrats want to get in on the action.

The questions are these:

(1) How long will it take before a new political movement or consciousness takes form; and
(2) Will that movement be within the Democratic Party or from without.

[Supersedeas]

66. the tuxedo base -- those who handle the purse strings connected to campaign coffers

[BuelahWitch]

90. Maybe he thinks it's the haves and the have mores?

:shrug:

[Tansy_Gold]

3. Tansy Gold warns Robert Gibbs he's losing touch with reality. n/t

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

5. Several hundred thousand dollars? I can't afford that!

It's an outrage! I refuse to pay it!

[bowens43]

6. ROFLMAO!!!!!!!

these guys are delusional

[Warren Stupidity]

7. Yes they do.

Obama and Gibbs understand who exactly who their "constituents" are: people who's tax bill will go up by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

[DefenseLawyer]

8. If there is one thing this White House knows absolutely nothing about...

It's what makes Democratic voters angry.

[DearAbby]

9. Threats and more threats....

What is next Gibbs, the terrorist threat? Bin Laden tape gonna surface

"You filthy American capitalist pigs, if you don't allow tax cuts for the wealthy we will attack!!!!"..::shakes fist::: "Oh yeah, Death do america!!!"

[T Wolf]

61. DearAbby, you are correct in your typo - "Death DO america!!!" Only we kill ourselves as well

as innocents in other countries.

[DearAbby]

63. Didn't notice the typo

Damn it is fitting tho.

[polichick]

10. Jim McDermott (D - WA) was just on Ed's show and he said House members...

...really are not happy with the way the WH went around them with this deal, or the way it's been presented as something they have to pass "as is." He said elected Dems in Congress don't like being treated that way by the WH.

[MaeScott]

11. Let the cuts expire and go to hell Gibbs. nt

[ChairmanAgnostic]

15. welcome, and damned straight, Mae!

what you said.

[mmonk]

14. They have been flooded by calls telling them to say no.

They're the Democrats, not the Republicans Gibbs.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

earlier today, Obama claimed that the WH received

thousands of calls supporting his deal with the GOP.

Somehow I do not believe that.

[CountAllVotes]

22. Yeah right ....

He'd like to think this is true but WE KNOW IT IS NOT TRUE.

DAMN LIAR!

:dem:

[sufrommich]

23. I believe it, I'm sure the teabaggers are calling in like crazy.

No Democrat is making a phone call like that.

[BrklynLiberal]

31. He didn't mention the hundreds of thousand they received against it...

[Hell Hath No Fury]

51. Let him know how you feel -

Comments: 202-456-1111

The lines have been busy every time I have called.

[sufrommich]

52. It's become impossible to get through. I might try late tonight. nt

[Hell Hath No Fury]

70. Finally resorted to a fax --

May try the line again tonight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am FIRMLY opposed to your extension of the Bush tax cuts proposal. I believe ALL the Bush tax cuts should expire, and I say this as someone who is a member of the working poor and who benefits from the cut. We need the revenue. Period.

Congress can and will pass an extension for the unemployed, like they always do - even GOPers aren't stupid enough to hang them out to dry right now.

Go big or go home, Obama. It is long past time for a serious jobs creation program -- and I'm not talking about bullshit tax cuts that have been proven to NOT WORK at creating jobs since Ronnie first tried it. If you were willing to go into that much debt to payoff the GOPers, then damn it, do it for the jobs Americans need.

And please pass on a word to Mr. Gibbs: I just called my three representatives and told them flat out I would be SERIOUSLY unhappy with them if they voted for this nonsense.

Lastly, get yourself some new economic advisors -- the current crop you have suck and the one that might have done you some real good appears to have left your Council.

Hell Hath No Fury
Obama Donor, Voter, and Campaigner

[ChairmanAgnostic]

79. Nice words. I like that last bit the most.

Hell hath no fury, and all.

[dgibby]

53. That's probably true.

The problem is he didn't say the calls were from republiCONS.

[tekisui]

58. I nothing else has become obvious the past two weeks,

our government cannot be trusted.

[bluesbassman]

80. Oh, they probably did...

it's just that they were all repubs!

[mmonk]

88. I don't either.

I know of two progressive organizations organized call ins to the Congress to reject it.

[Celtic Raven]

89. Failed to mention they were all Republicans?

Kinda hard to miss the champagne corks popping in the background. :party:




:grr:

[ibegurpard]

92. I sure believe it

all the repukes except the idiotic freepers LUV this deal.

[katnapped]

94. I do

Probably calls from Republicans!

[donheld]

96. The only calls he knows about came from the rich.

At least that's the only ones he listened to.

[Amonester]

108. Of course, the 1% (3,000,000 mofos) who want to keep their prize.

That's the only ones he Reads...

[peace13]

16. Like he gives a crap if the constituents are angry.

That is totally rich! Most people never changed their withholdings and many didn't even know that they received a tax cut. Gibbs, you need to look at what an average American lives on and...get real!

[jtown1123]

49. Obama pretty much ruined all Democrats reputations...we lost so many good ones

[eleny]

17. One thing I'm sure of is that my taxes won't "go up hundreds of thousands of dollars"

:rofl:

[Autumn]

19. Gibbs is full of shit. I called Udall again today

and left a message telling him how much I appreciate him and the others with spine to go against this crap.

[notadmblnd]

20. for the average person, taxes will not go up hundreds of thousands of dollars

maybe 10-20 a pay period. So for most of us (those not making enough money to have to pay taxes) it will be nothing. For those of us making 60K per year, it will be between 500 - 1000 per year.

But yes, I imagine the rich will be angry. They're the only ones that stand to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars.

[Autumn]

34. Well I can deal with the fucking rich low life

politicians and trust fund babies and CEO's crying their little fucking hearts out for the loss of their tax breaks. Their wailing will sooth my soul. I can do without unnecessary shit.

[Spike from MN]

46. Wow, I really need to read the bill (once they get it written).

Apparently they included a clause in there to give us all HUGE raises. If my salary is going to go up enough to make my taxes go up by hundreds of thousands of dollars, hell, then I'm all for it. I'll gladly pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes to be in that kind of a tax bracket.

Oh, and Gibbs, go fuck yourself.

[Lint Head]

21. I am a constituent and I'm angry Obama caved!

[DJ13]

24. Our taxes are going UP in the devil's compromise

Families below $40k actually end up with higher taxes in this deal.

Real nice that those billionaires get to keep all their tax breaks though.

[TwilightGardener]

35. I don't think that's true, compared to no deal at all.

[kctim]

25. "several hundred thousands of dollars?"

Shoot, if my pay is cut even by a hundred dollars, McCaskill loses my vote.

[Ichingcarpenter]

26. their taxes have gone up by several hundred thousands of dollars

I wish I made that much that I had to pay that much.

Is he Kidding?

[sufrommich]

28. Unfortunately no ,he's not kidding. nt

[BrklynLiberal]

27. And all along I thought Gibbs was a Democrat. He talks just like repuke!!!

[sufrommich]

30. Gibbs speaks for the President. nt

[DJ13]

37. I think thats what the poster meant

:rofl:

[BrklynLiberal]

60. Thanks. I did.

[ljm2002]

29. I'm sure the House Democrats know their own constituents...

...a bit better than Gibbs and the White House do.

Also, "hundreds of thousands of dollars"????? I guess that shows which constituents matter to Gibbs and the White House.

Pffft.

[jillan]

Maybe, but they will stop yelling when they realize that stopping this bill will help save their SS.

[laughingliberal]

107. +1000 nt

[brewens]

32. Bring it the f%#k on! You have to give me a few million dollar raise first.

Then I will be delighted to fork over my hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes.

[inna]

33. revealing as to who he thinks their real constituents are.

[Swamp Rat]

36. Good point. eom

[Kablooie]

40. Wow. They obviously consider the GOP patrons to be their's as well.

No wonder he approved the deal.
They are drinking from the same trough.

And what about the other 99% of Americans?

[bobbolink]

41. That's our cue to call in protest of the Tax Cuts For The Rich! Toll -free numbers:

Toll-free Capitol Hill Numbers:
1-800-828-0498 1-866-388-1015 1-866-220-0044 1-877-851-6437

When you call, I would appreciate you mentioning that cuts to poor folk are NOT acceptable!

[QC]

42. Obama's constituents are Goldman Sachs and the rest of the robber barons.

Perhaps he thinks the same is true of our members of congress as well.

[Nordmadr]

43. Sounds to me like he knows exactly who their constituents are.

We flatter ourselves to think otherwise.

[quinnox]

44. LOL, slip of the tongue there GIBBS?

Yea, the top 2% will see hundreds of thousands of dollars in raised taxes if no deal is done. And that is wrong because?

Gibbs seems awfully worried about those super rich top 2%!

[myrna minx]

48. LOL - Wow. I'm sooooo glad to see their true colors once and for all.

:puke:

[robinlynne]

50. Let's tell Gibbs what his constituents really thin k!

[asdjrocky]

54. Hey Gibbs! This WPOD quit listing to you a long time ago.

You should go fuck yourself.

[me b zola]

55. I want a Gibbs dart board

That way I'll have something to do while I listen to him blather on.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

56. Is the White House that desperate to ram this "deal" (aka - sellout) through?

[SteveM]

57. At this point, the issue is a GOP-frame of little consequence...

Certainly, the tax cuts for the wealthy should expire. Certainly, UI benefits should be extended. But Obama and the Democrats have been hopelessly weakened and cannot effect much of a compromise with an outfit which has shown neither the disposition nor the need to compromise. To show valor in the face of defeat is one thing, but don't expect it to mean much when the political structure and cultural presence of Democratic "liberalism" is in shambles; the GOP knows this better than we.

In the long run, Democrats must ponder:

(1) What is the new "left," or the new "progressive," or the new "liberal";
(2) Decide on an ideology/philosophy to express the above; and
(3) Choose between re-shaping the Democratic Party on the one hand, or forming a 3rd party on the other.

But don't make that "run" too long: the Far Right is politically and culturally in an utterly commanding position, and will brook no opposition.

[BrklynLiberal]

62. +1000.

The repukes were soundly defeated in 2008. Thanks to the Obama administration's policies they have risen from their ashes like the Phoenix..stronger than they were.

[SteveM]

67. Thanks. I'm trying to come up with a pain-in-the-ass post...

which will start a constructive discussion on the topic: "Where do we go from here?"

[amborin]

103. good post

[Toucano]

64. There's someone I'd like to see join the unemployed.

I dislike him more and more.

[Bluenorthwest]

65. Hundreds of thousands of dollars?!?!

Gibbs is a stooge. He personally takes $167,000 a year plus huge perks and benefits from the people to insult our intelligence.

[shireen]

68. Gibbs, their constituents are not stupid.

There are very few good choices left. We have to pick the one that does the least amount of long-term damage. The Dems get it.

[City Lights]

69. Blah, blah, blah.

:eyes:

[BlueCheese]

71. I'm going to assume he misspoke.

He probably meant "hundreds OR thousands of dollars". Having said that, he's now blaming the Democrats and not the Republicans for the impasse? The Democrats are the ones who already passed the middle class tax cut extension in the House, while the GOP is the party that is blocking everything under the sun until they feed the millionaires. And it's the Democrats' fault??? What is wrong with this administration?

[Matariki]

72. "hundreds of thousands of dollars"?

I wish.

[Nite Owl]

73. Wow, what a bubble

they live in, unreal.

[Individualist]

74. Governments that use fear as a tactic to ensure compliance are despicable.

[donco6]

75. WE'RE NOT HIS CONSTITUENTS.

OK, OK, we heard him the other day when he called us "purists." Sheesh.

[saracat]

76. Obama and his GD WH are completely arrogant and in severe denial.

And now we KNOW the words in Gibby's mouth come from Obama. Like the House Dems should take political advice from them when it was they who cost many of them their seats. This is beyond belief.

[democracy1st]

101. In case u missed it check this out when u get time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKJVHjZVD60

[mochajava666]

77. Fuck you, Gibbs

[GOTV]

78. "Will be angry"? I'm angry now. And Gibbs' childish antics don't help.

[Occam Bandage]

81. It's sad when Dems give the Republican talking points for them.

[cottonseed]

82. If I had the kind of money for my taxes to go up "hundreds of thousands of dollars"

I'd be in a pretty good mood.

[Hannah Bell]

83. there you have it. The constituency of the Party = people whose taxes

are going to go up hundreds of thousands of dollars. Go up that amount, mind you. Meaning they already pay more than that.

IOW, billionaires.

75% of US families make less than $100K a year.

$85% of American men make less than $100K a year.

[Dawson Leery]

84. "hundreds of thousands of dollars" Rob?

Only the top .5% will see their taxes increase by that much.

[Liberalynn]

86. Sorry Gibbs

If I lived in a district of someone who supported the block of this fiasco, I give them a big kiss right now.

I freaking love them. Its you and the guy you work with I am not so happy with right now.

[Tatiana]

87. What a horrible, condescending, untalented press secretary Gibbs is.

He even makes me long for Stephanopoulos.

[saracat]

99. He says what he is told to say. He speaks for Obama.

[ibegurpard]

91. guess he missed the election

and sometimes lame ducks who don't have to worry about re-elections do the right thing.
screw Gibbs and his boss.

[Ruby the Liberal]

95. I would *LOVE* for my taxes to go that high

that would mean that I am making at least 3x that amount.

So, is Gibbs suggesting raising the minimum wage?

:toast:

[2Design]

98. I sent them all twitter messages and speakerpelosi too saying NO

TAX CUTS mine only goes up 2% while the amount that can be used to lower the deficit and pay for good programs is worth no giving them and the other crap he gave away

[eridani]

100. My taxes will go up by $60, and I'm not angry about that at all n/t

[Pisces]

102. And they will when they can't pay their bills or feed their kids. Keep gambling

with unemployment benefits, I'm sure those people will blame the Republicans.

[Ramulux]

104. He is literally...

making the argument against us that we should be making against them. If we put the republicans in this situation instead of Obama putting us in this situation, they would be the ones who would have to explain to their constituents why taxes are going up. I have now decided that Obama is actively attempting to weaken the democrats and is purposefully using political tactics against his own party.

[The Second Stone]

105. This is pretty deliberate on the Administration's part

and I am more and more furious. This is not naivete, this is a program to fuck the base.

[laughingliberal]

106. +1000 nt

[Mortos]

110. The quote on the whitehouse.gov is different

MR. GIBBS: I think that this is a long and winding process. But I think at the end of the day, members are not going to want to be in their districts, senators are not going to want to be in their districts when their constituents find out on the 1st of January that their taxes have gone up by several thousand dollars.

Someone either got it wrong or intentionally misquoted him to make him look out of touch. Has anyone got a link to the video of the presser to verify which version is accurate?

[tom_paine]

111. Clearly Obama and Gibbs DO understand who their "constituents" are.

Wealthy Oligarchs and the Bush Family, maybe not in that order.

It really is as simple as that.

[old mark]

112. Mr. Gibbs, the "constituants are already angry - at you and your boss...nt