Unemployment benefits were never a priority for Obama

Enrique

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Sat Dec-11-10 10:32 AM
Original message

Unemployment benefits were never a priority for Obama

Edited on Sat Dec-11-10 10:53 AM by Enrique

I remember recently, after the election, I heard Obama say that it was important to extend the unemployment benefits and I was pleasantly surprised, because I hadn't heard it from him before.

I HAD heard, that it was VITAL to extend the tax cuts for the middle class, which I disagreed with. I don't believe that they have the economic importance that Obama and the rest have been claiming,and I am CERTAIN that they are not the top priority.

What else isn't a priority for Obama? Saving Social Security. Many dems have taken a hard-line stance on Social Security, they mention it often as a priority. Obama isn't one of them. Whenever he mentions Social Security, it sounds like he wants it on the chopping block.

Edit: this is my honest feeling about what I heard from Obama. It's not made up. Someone says Obama mentions unemployment benefits in "every town hall", well I Googled and this is the first Townhall I found, where he doesn't mention UI at all (also notable, John Harwood doesn't ask about it), and he mentions tax cuts a whole lot:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/09/20/remarks-president-cnbc-town-hall-discussion-jobs

After fighting for several months, we finally got a small business tax cut bill in place so that we’re eliminating capital gains for small businesses and startups, making sure that they can get loans.

(...)

We haven’t increased taxes on businesses. Actually, we have instituted about 50 tax cuts, many of them going to businesses large and small.

(...)

We want to give tax breaks to companies that are investing in research and development here in the United States because the key to our long-term growth is technology and innovation.

(...)

Now, what we’ve said is that we should extend tax cuts, tax relief, for middle-class Americans -- like most of the audience here -- because, first of all, you’re the ones who didn't see your wages or income rise.

(...)

Everybody agrees that this should be done. All we’ve said is that you get those tax breaks up to $250,000 a year. After that, if you make more than $250,000 a year, you still get a tax break; it’s just you only get it up to $250,000 --

(...)

So the point, I guess, I’m making is this. I think that American businesses like yours are what make this country go. We have passed eight tax cuts for small businesses so far. We have made it easier for you to invest in plants and equipment. We have already taken down your capital gains and we want to reduce capital gains for small businesses down to zero. All of these things are what historically have been considered pro-business agendas.

(...)

We are now saying we’ve giving you a tax break if you provide health care to your workers. And 4 million small businesses out there are in a position to potentially take advantage of it.