Looks like Obama has compromised with the Republicans and has agreed to extend tax cuts for the rich

[Cali_Democrat]

This according to Keith Olbermann's show:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9660045#9660100

Obama will likely compromise with the Republicans and settle for a 2-3 year extension of tax cuts for the wealthy.
Republicans seemed pretty pleased with the talks they had with Obama.

[BlueJazz]

1. I hope that is not the case. I've stood by and stood up for Obama for...

...a long time.
If he caves on Taxes for the Rich, He's lost me...

[spartan61]

30. I worked so hard on the Obama campaign

and was so happy and thrilled when he was elected. I hate to say this, but he is losing me. When is he going to finally realize that compromise with the repukes "ain't" gonna happen? I agree with you, BlueJazz, if he caves on the tax issue for the rich, I'm gone.

[BlueJazz]

37. For me...I suppose it is the one issue that is nonnegotiable. If there is one thing...

...that can be called a "Fact" it's the thought that the Rich have done well in this society

[Autumn]

2. If he does, it will be a very interesting time,

especially in 2012.

[bluestateguy]

3. I don't really do leaks

So I'll wait for the official statement from the White House.

[polichick]

6. The official spin? nt

[pscot]

41. This doesn't sound like a leak

Howard Fineman said it was table talk around DC; something everyone knows. In spite of all the disappointments, I was sure Obama would hold the line on tax cuts. I wrote to my Rep and both Senators urging them to hold fast on the tax cuts. I feel like we've been sold out, lock, stock and barrel

[bluestateguy]

50. table talk around DC

You'll forgive me if I don't find that very convincing.

And from Howard Fineman, Georgetown Cocktail Party regular.

[msongs]

4. we will see if barack obama is a democrat or republican. nt

[polichick]

8. Haven't we already seen? nt

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

5. If this is the case. I wouldn't expect anyone to be surprised. nt

[budkin]

7. What else is new?

[Skittles]

9. was there ever any real doubt?

please

[liberalmuse]

10. I'll wait and see...

'cause this is where this die-hard Obama supporter will walk away. Gotta be sure, you know?

[leftynyc]

55. Same here

Like the woman who stated before the 2010 elections that she was tired of defending him, I'm freeking exhausted. If he caves on tax cuts for the rich, that's it. I expected someone who would fight for me, not a coward who caves at the first sign of trouble. He's simply not tough enough to be President.

[ProSense]

11. Based on a comment there, this is

about a statement by Howard Fineman that five to six Democrats will vote to extend all the tax cuts. Even if true, that's not new speculation. It still leaves a 52 to 53 Democratic majority voting against an overall extension.

[arcane1]

13. I saw that too, I'm not sure why the attention on Obama

is it because he presumably won't veto it? :shrug:

[Pale Blue Dot]

16. So, again, care to go on record as saying that you're confident

that there WON'T be this compromise?

[ProSense]

46. Who said there will not be a compromise?

Do you know what the compromise is? Are you 100 percent sure there will be one?

Do you think I can read Senators' minds?

[villager]

12. And the surprise here would be...?

:shrug:

[polichick]

14. That we all keep thinking maybe this time it'll be different?

[impik]

15. Who's the source? KO's dog?

[FrenchieCat]

17. Doesn't matter who the source is.......

as long as it allows folks to declare they will be walking away from Obama,
and have the ability to say it again and again and again,
when the real truth is that many here never walked with him to begin with,
some of them in this thread.

[Pale Blue Dot]

20. How about you? Care to state, unequivocally, that Obama will not make this compromise?

I'll state unequivocally that I think he will.

[impik]

22. The difference between you and me

is that you know what's going to happen and i don't. Therefore, i can't compete with you.

[Pale Blue Dot]

29. Do you think Obama should make this compromise? Yes or no?

Can we get you on record?

[FrenchieCat]

27. I'm not into speculation......because I'm not privy to what is truly going on....

So we shall see super soon anyways, and those who never walked with him (but rather walked behind him, so they could give a good swift kick in the ass everytime they disliked something/anything),
will have plenty of time to walk away then.....as opposed to announcing it in advance based on
speculations.....because for them, if it ain't this, it will be the next "big" thing that they don't like....cause at the end of the day, any reason can be made to be valid, if one really wants it to be.....cause at this point, everything that happens, if someone doesn't like it, is about nothing but Obama and what he didn't do, should have done, and ought to do.

[Pale Blue Dot]

28. But what do you think he should do now?

Will you go on record with your opinion about that?

[KansasVoter]

33. And some will defend EVERYTHING Obama caves on. So what??

[FrenchieCat]

42. Who would that be?

The OP is speculative. There ain't nothing real here to defend at this time.
But keep saying that.....I'm sure you'll hit eureka some day.

[Pale Blue Dot]

43. You're being transparent. What is YOUR opinion?

Should he compromise or shouldn't he?

[FrenchieCat]

44. Let's see.......

Should I want Obama to be "firm" and not "Cave" and choose to allow for the expiration of all tax cuts rather than to consider any extensions as a compromise?

As an accountant and tax preparer I say.....when the middle class taxes go up, if the Bush tax cut are allowed to expire, I don't think anything Obama does or says at that point will help the hurt that folks who all of the sudden will be owing the government a whole lot of money, especially in these tough times......will think and feel.....

and besides that, also gifting the GOP the talking points that Obama failed to deliver on his promise not to allow tax increase on those making 250K and less, is not a pleasant thought.

So in taking into consideration the not-so-distant view politically and economically, I'd would choose that he compromise rather than to superficially look strong to appease the 15% on the extreme left for a hot minute (and who don't support him anyways)....that 15% who foolishly decided to believe (against all evidence) that the United States government is somehow really set up to allow for presidential dictatorial rule, at least while a Democratic President is at the helm....no matter the signs that with a corporate media (which clearly supports Republicans much more than Democrats) working against our best interest, there will be no Democratic President who will be allowed to achieve those things that progressives hold dear exactly how they decided it should go down.

The way the Republicans see it and are acting, while they get cover from our corporate media, is obvious that they know that they have nothing to lose and everything to gain no matter what happens.....pretty much...while the Democratic White House is not on such a footing at all.

So if you are asking me if I think that looking strong, and gambling that even if this "strength" most likely will not end up helping the many who may be affected by the actual policy, in the long run telegraphs certain "values"? I'd say that yes, it does......as long as one understands the intended and unintended consequences that this perceived minute of strength may just bring with it, since we all already know that things never happen as we envision that they should; never.

Would it be worth it for Obama to put "principle" over literal policies that affect millions?
For some yes...until they find the next excuse to deride him some more.....
as I find that those who didn't like Obama a month into his Presidency (and there are many like that on this board) won't like him no matter what he does......because they will always find something; anything.

As for me, I don't agree with some of his approaches, but I don't diss the man because he ain't perfect.....and if those many who deride him every single day about every single thing would stop for a minute,I might be able to voice some of my opposition to some of his approaches....but till then, I'm not interested in piling-on simply because I can. That's not gonna help any cause that I have in a long run.

[alcibiades_mystery]

47. Word 'em up

:thumbsup:

[impik]

21. Yea, ridiculous board

[rufus dog]

24. I will wait for something more solid

And I have never threatened to walk away from Obama, but this is a HUGE test for me, extending the tax cuts does nothing except legitimizing trickle down economics. In reality it is a farce and any extension would be a farce.

I have very few "lines in the sand," this is one.

[impik]

25. Most people here wasn't behind him until they had no choice

Most of them still dream of prince Edwards, you know, that immoral man who promised them to make this country a progressive haven in 80 days. This is why i couldn't care less of their threats to "not vote for Obama". They never really wanted him there to begin with.

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

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

[Name removed]

45. Deleted message

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

[donco6]

36. Ah, the old "casting asparagus" (sic) tactic. Lovely.

(It's not working anymore Frenchie - you really need another strategy.)

[jenmito]

26. Howard Fineman said it. He didn't name names. Remember-he also wrote

an article for the Huffington Post that claimed Joe Scarborough and Michael Bloomberg were seriously considering running for Pres. and VP in '12 and Scarborough said that was TOTALLY false.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

18. If President Obama does this I will NOT vote for him again...I will leave the ballot blank

[alcibiades_mystery]

48. "again"

:rofl:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

57. oh pray tell, why do you find this so amusing?

[NorthCarolina]

19. Lets get real here. Is it "compromise" or is it "complicity"?

I think it is the latter.

[jenmito]

23. You linked to a post saying Howard Fineman says

"Five to six Senate Democrats will only vote for extending all tax cuts. Obama will be left, therefore, with signing a two to three year extension bill ... Repuglicans taking credit for compromising with a 'temporary' extension." Looks like the "five to six Senate Democrats" are the ones to blame. Didn't Fineman say Obama will have no choice but to sign them?

[leftynyc]

56. Nancy needs to put ONLY the middle

class tax cuts up for a vote. If those 5 or 6 dems want to vote against it, let them. At least it will be on the record who cares about the middle class and who doesn't. I don't care about protecting any dem who wont vote for extending the middle class tax cut.

[Dr.Phool]

31. He compromised a week before they went into the meeting.

The man will fight for nothing.

He should call their bluff. Let all the cuts expire. And tell the American people that the reasons their taxes went up, is because the Republicans were holding them hostage for their rich friend's ransom. Scream it every day. Every Democrat scream it every day.

But, that would require making a stand.

[Still Waters]

39. It will be as Axelrod said in the interview of a few weeks back

"No permanent tax cuts for the over $250,000." I expect all the Bush tax cuts will be extended for some period of time-probably 2 yrs. It is more important for Obama to say (and potentially campaign on in 2012) that he did not raise taxes on the middle class than to take a stand and allow the tax cuts for the wealthy (and the rest of us) to expire. Baucus will be his point man in the Senate to argue Obama's position, just as he was with the health care that turned out to be a band aid on an amputation.

Obama is in a hellish position. The nation's economy tips precariously on the brink of disaster. The radical Republicans will gleefully take us all down so they can take him down. The Republican party is truly the party of no--they have no ideas, no solutions to any of the problems the country faces. But they do excel in one area-propaganda and sloganeering and fear mongering, aided and abetted by the acid tongues of Rush and Fox News. He doesn't have enough Democratic senators to count on for any traditional Democratic principles. The likes of Nelson, Landrieu, Bayh, and Lincoln were and are the first to denounce any measures to help the middle class. The Clown Court has ruined our elections, which are rather a farce anyway if we don't vote on verifiable machines. Obama's whole premise for becoming President was his belief that we can transcend our divisions. Well, the Republicans refuse to compromise, and they don't have to. They suffer no consequences for not compromising--they actually just got rewarded for it! I honestly don't think Obama truly thought the Republicans would be so craven, so destructive, so completely willing to fiddle as Rome burns. How could a rational person deal with implacable irrationality?

[playstation]

34. It's all rigged.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/11/30/5553033-dem-senator-on-lame-duck-its-all-rigged

[Raine]

53. That's for sure. nt

[awoke_in_2003]

35. In politics as in crime...

follow the man with the big sack of money.

[wackywaggin]

38. Calling their bluff!!

I'm in the lower middle class making abround 50,000.00 per year between my wife and my employment. So, go ahead, end the tax break.It makes little difference to me and if it will help other folks by me giving a little more, so be it.

Heretic Wack :0)

[lunamagica]

40. I was still hoping,still hoping. So the rich get their way again

from the poor, the unemployed, the elderly, the disabled, children....

And those that critizice him because he "follows Clinton's policies"


This is not Clinton policy.....this is pure Bush.

If only we were back to the 90's.....

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

49. Do they know this for sure? Even Dick Durbin, who was in the room, said that we

don't have a final plan.

I'm not sure if anyone knows yet...

[ElsewheresDaughter]

51. The rethuglicans are walking President Obama like a dog

[akbacchus_BC]

52. If Obama does that, he is sure a one-term president. What a sell out to his

base? How could he do that?

[palindrome]

59. how quickly the 'base' sold out HRC after Iowa--what did you expect, loyalty? n/t

[TheKentuckian]

54. I think the whole deal is absurd except for the bottom bracket and am not pleased

the top 2% cuts were not rescinded immediately.

This is the most wasteful borrowing ever. The activity struggles to offset the drag of the interest.

Why are people who opposed the policy now so adamant about "their's"?

Meanwhile, the tax base shrinks because fewer and fewer have income and we are so raggedy that our sewers are deteriorating and eventually will be in the water.

To borrow this kind of money to still lose services, cut government payrolls, and to maintain and expand our infrastructure deficit is pretty damned insane and is certainly a case of the snake eating its tail.

[grumgrum]

58. Half of DU will immediately support tax-cuts for the rich when Obama makes it official. You'll see!

It always happens on DU...its fascinating to watch...there are DU members who are hardcore democrats to the end even if their own elected officals are essentially playing for the other team. As long as there is a (D) next to the officals name they will always, ALWAYS support them even if it goes against their best interests. Power to ya..but i think its important to keep our officals honest.

Obama is a corporate democrat and everyone here knows it. We all are not surpirsed that he will extend these worthless tax cuts and essentially seal his fate as a 1-termer. I will not be voting for this sellout in 2012. We need a primary challenger badly, and NOT hillary clinton...she is even more of a sellout then Obama.

[donco6]

60. It'll be a fabulous idea!

There was no other option!

Do you think he has a magic wand?!!

Blue Dogs! Filibuster! You never loved him!

blah blah blah, you're absolutely right.

[opihimoimoi]

61. If there is an EXTENSION....THE WRATH OF GODZILLA WILL BE FORTHCOMING

[budkin]

62. I really can't take this weak willed shit anymore... Obama is way out of his league