New NBC/WSJ poll results "a huge flashing yellow sign to Republicans" (81% say tax the rich more)

[highplainsdem]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41876558/ns/politics/

The survey — which was conducted Feb. 24-28 of 1,000 adults (200 reached by cell phone), and which has an overall margin of error of plus-minus 3.1 percentage points — also listed 26 different ways to reduce the federal budget deficit.

The most popular: placing a surtax on federal income taxes for those who make more than $1 million per year (81 percent said that was acceptable), eliminating spending on earmarks (78 percent), eliminating funding for weapons systems the Defense Department says aren’t necessary (76 percent) and eliminating tax credits for the oil and gas industries (74 percent).

The least popular: cutting funding for Medicaid, the federal government health-care program for the poor (32 percent said that was acceptable); cutting funding for Medicare, the federal government health-care program for seniors (23 percent); cutting funding for K-12 education (22 percent); and cutting funding for Social Security (22 percent).

Those numbers, GOP pollster McInturff says, “serve as a huge flashing yellow sign to Republicans … if they are going to start to talk about changes to Medicare and Social Security.”

[malaise]

1. Tax the rich or face the poor and middle class in the street

That is all

[MedicalAdmin]

43. If we take to the streets in a serious way ... ala Egypt ...

... I think we can expect to see these used. If a revolution starts then they either have to give up or they have to fight. I think they will fight. And given that the hyper rich are both sociopathic and psychopathic, they will not hesitate.

[OnyxCollie]

57. Yeah, that's the bad part.

National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive
NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/NSPD 51
http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/nspd/nspd-51.htm

Purpose

(1) This directive establishes a comprehensive national policy on the continuity of Federal Government structures and operations and a single National Continuity Coordinator responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of Federal continuity policies. This policy establishes "National Essential Functions," prescribes continuity requirements for all executive departments and agencies, and provides guidance for State, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and private sector organizations in order to ensure a comprehensive and integrated national continuity program that will enhance the credibility of our national security posture and enable a more rapid and effective response to and recovery from a national emergency.

Definitions

(2) In this directive:

(a) "Category" refers to the categories of executive departments and agencies listed in Annex A to this directive;

(b) "Catastrophic Emergency" means any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions;

(c) "Continuity of Government," or "COG," means a coordinated effort within the Federal Government's executive branch to ensure that National Essential Functions continue to be performed during a Catastrophic Emergency;

(d) "Continuity of Operations," or "COOP," means an effort within individual executive departments and agencies to ensure that Primary Mission-Essential Functions continue to be performed during a wide range of emergencies, including localized acts of nature, accidents, and technological or attack-related emergencies;

(e) "Enduring Constitutional Government," or "ECG," means a cooperative effort among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal Government, coordinated by the President, as a matter of comity with respect to the legislative and judicial branches and with proper respect for the constitutional separation of powers among the branches, to preserve the constitutional framework under which the Nation is governed and the capability of all three branches of government to execute constitutional responsibilities and provide for orderly succession, appropriate transition of leadership, and interoperability and support of the National Essential Functions during a catastrophic emergency;

(f) "Executive Departments and Agencies" means the executive departments enumerated in 5 U.S.C. 101, independent establishments as defined by 5 U.S.C. 104(1), Government corporations as defined by 5 U.S.C. 103(1), and the United States Postal Service;

(g) "Government Functions" means the collective functions of the heads of executive departments and agencies as defined by statute, regulation, presidential direction, or other legal authority, and the functions of the legislative and judicial branches;

(h) "National Essential Functions," or "NEFs," means that subset of Government Functions that are necessary to lead and sustain the Nation during a catastrophic emergency and that, therefore, must be supported through COOP and COG capabilities; and

(i) "Primary Mission Essential Functions," or "PMEFs," means those Government Functions that must be performed in order to support or implement the performance of NEFs before, during, and in the aftermath of an emergency.

Policy

(3) It is the policy of the United States to maintain a comprehensive and effective continuity capability composed of Continuity of Operations and Continuity of Government programs in order to ensure the preservation of our form of government under the Constitution and the continuing performance of National Essential Functions under all conditions.

Implementation Actions

(4) Continuity requirements shall be incorporated into daily operations of all executive departments and agencies. As a result of the asymmetric threat environment, adequate warning of potential emergencies that could pose a significant risk to the homeland might not be available, and therefore all continuity planning shall be based on the assumption that no such warning will be received. Emphasis will be placed upon geographic dispersion of leadership, staff, and infrastructure in order to increase survivability and maintain uninterrupted Government Functions. Risk management principles shall be applied to ensure that appropriate operational readiness decisions are based on the probability of an attack or other incident and its consequences.

(5) The following NEFs are the foundation for all continuity programs and capabilities and represent the overarching responsibilities of the Federal Government to lead and sustain the Nation during a crisis, and therefore sustaining the following NEFs shall be the primary focus of the Federal Government leadership during and in the aftermath of an emergency that adversely affects the performance of Government Functions:

(a) Ensuring the continued functioning of our form of government under the Constitution, including the functioning of the three separate branches of government;

(b) Providing leadership visible to the Nation and the world and maintaining the trust and confidence of the American people;

(c) Defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and preventing or interdicting attacks against the United States or its people, property, or interests;

(d) Maintaining and fostering effective relationships with foreign nations;

(e) Protecting against threats to the homeland and bringing to justice perpetrators of crimes or attacks against the United States or its people, property, or interests;

(f) Providing rapid and effective response to and recovery from the domestic consequences of an attack or other incident;

(g) Protecting and stabilizing the Nation's economy and ensuring public confidence in its financial systems; and

(h) Providing for critical Federal Government services that address the national health, safety, and welfare needs of the United States.

(6) The President shall lead the activities of the Federal Government for ensuring constitutional government. In order to advise and assist the President in that function, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism (APHS/CT) is hereby designated as the National Continuity Coordinator. The National Continuity Coordinator, in coordination with the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (APNSA), without exercising directive authority, shall coordinate the development and implementation of continuity policy for executive departments and agencies. The Continuity Policy Coordination Committee (CPCC), chaired by a Senior Director from the Homeland Security Council staff, designated by the National Continuity Coordinator, shall be the main day-to-day forum for such policy coordination.

...

[MedicalAdmin]

72. If I may summarize.

It is legal for the president to declare the US a dictatorship and shoot at shit.

[OnyxCollie]

105. You got it.

There it is, in black & white. You can't mistake what it says. It leaves a lot out, though.

Like, how long does the emergency last, and who decides when it's over?

I gave this to one of my professors in the political science department soon after it was issued in May of 2007. He said it was nothing to be concerned about. Just the government making preparations to respond to another Katrina-like event.

I've since determined that professor is full of shit.

[louslobbs]

76. And should they dare use this type of force against

peaceful protests, given they are def sociopaths and Psychotic, how then, would the new America be looked upon in this world of looking good not only by the majority of our citizens, but the entire global citizenry? That, I fear, would be their biggest and final miscalculation, as other countries, who do matter, would have to rethink what this country is and has become. World opinion would not bode well and all of their millions and billions couldn't fix a nation and a world which their actions would throw into complete chaos. Someone might have to seriously rethink that decision. The first mass killing of an allegedly free people by a government that has always touted the rule of law and free speech in this allegedly great democracy, would leave this world forever changed. It is a frightening thought no matter, and I hope to never see the day.
Lou

[Shining Jack]

98. I wish that I was younger and had your innocence.

Not saying this in a demeaning or snarky way at all. I'm just sad.

[quakerboy]

100. So its a quick death or a slow one

and all we have to do is chose which?

What a wonderful time and place to be.

[dkofos]

2. The big O should take notice also.

[SpiralHawk]

91. Indeed he should. The corporate media has been lying thier asses off to America

Woe unto he or she or it what might give a shred of cred to the corporate media (R) or the professional Republicon Liars (R).

[SDuderstadt]

3. Wow!

I think the tide just may be turning.

[LiberalLoner]

4. K&R but they seem to not CARE what the people want or think. Somehow

they always get elected even when the people hate their policies. No matter how insane and harmful they are, they get elected.

Something is seriously out of kilter.

[lark]

63. They own the vote counting machines and the media

it's that simple. They steal the votes, get their bought and sold handmaidens to make it illegal to really count votes, then throw the votes to the Repugs, and the media says it's a legal election - story over. Sorry, being pessimistic, but don't see a way out of this where the middle class and our environment survives. Hope I'm way wrong.

[Oceansaway]

5. K&R...n/t

[Arkana]

6. More bad news for the GOP.

It makes me all toasty inside.

[highplainsdem]

10. Me, too.

:toast:

[leftynyc]

36. It's only bad news for the GOP

if those affected the most get out and vote. I didn't see any evidence of that in 2010.

[bvar22]

41. If the Democratic Party offered a clear alternative,

and STOOD UP in front of AMERICA and proudly marketed that alternative,
the voters would respond.

Reaching across the aisle, seeking bi-partisan appeasement, publicly praising the Republicans for their good ideas, passing 1/2 Republican Centrist legislation.....not so much.

"I've seen it happen time after time. When the Democratic candidate allows himself to be put on the defensive and starts apologizing for the New Deal and the fair Deal, and says he really doesn't believe in them, he is sure to lose. The people don't want a phony Democrat. If it's a choice between a genuine Republican, and a Republican in Democratic clothing, the people will choose the genuine article, every time; that is, they will take a Republican before they will a phony Democrat, and I don't want any phony Democratic candidates in this campaign."---Harry Truman

"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans.
I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans."
---Paul Wellstone


"By their works you will know them."

[Lorien]

47. +1,000. We need more than just a reason to vote AGAINST someone whose worse!

nt

[CLANG]

42. And you don't see any evidence that people are starting to wake up?

[leftynyc]

52. I wont know that until November 2012

I like what I'm seeing in Wisconsin (the same should be happening in Ohio and Indiana). Whether that will translate into votes in 2012 remains to be seen.

[hollowdweller]

101. I think the polls are showing people are waking up.

The one good thing about the Tea Party guys is the GOP have always had deficit spending to shield the public from their tax cuts. People got to keep everything but they cold still cut taxes for their rich overlords.

The Tea Party holding the GOP's feet to the fire on spending while they are actually in office and demanding cuts has woke people up.

That and the whole wealth inequality thing that is actually perculating up enough into the MSM and public consciousness so that polls like the above are even being done!

[CLANG]

104. We can only hope!

:toast:

[Xipe Totec]

7. Yellow?

Jack Lucas: Asshole. He didn't even look at you.

Disabled Veteran: He's payin' so he don't have to look. See... guy goes to work every day, eight hours a day, seven days a week. Gets his nuts so tight in a vice that he starts questioning the very fabric of his existence. Then one day, 'bout quitting time, Boss calls him into the office and says, "Hey Bob, whyncha come on in here and kiss my ass for me, will you?" Well, he says, "Hell with it. I don't care what happens, I just want to see the expression on his face as I jab this pair of scissors into his arm."

(sighs)

Disabled Veteran: Then he thinks of me. He says, "Waitaminit. I got both my arms, I got both my legs. At least I'm not begging for a living. Sure enough, Bob's gonna put those scissors down and pucker right up. See, I'm what you call kind of a "moral traffic light", really. I'm like sayin', "Red! Go no further! Boooo-ee boooo-ee boooo-ee..."

- The Fisher King

So, Republicans, put those scissors down and pucker right up.

[myrna minx]

8. This was just like a cozy cuppa cocoa for me. I hope the President heeds this poll too. K&R n/t

[reformist2]

9. The pendulum is swinging back, people!

[Initech]

11. Tax the rich and tax their fucking precious profits.

[northoftheborder]

12. Well, I hope the Democrats are listening too. They're just as much...

.....in denial that REVENUES need to be found. Loopholes need to be eliminated. Cayman and Swiss accounts need to be found. Corporations need to pay for their excesses and damage caused to the environment and the financial wellbeing of OUR country.

[damntexdem]

13. It doesn't matter until it bites the Repukes at the ballot box.

And possibly not then if the "ballot box" is a machine with no paper trail.

[MichiganVote]

14. Finally something all americans who pay taxes can get behind

[OHdem10]

15. Flashing Sign: Warning Republicans--you are overstepping

on Collective Bargaining and CUT CUT CUT the Budget.

Independents and Democrats want jobs and the economy addressed.
Republican Base like the cut cut cut. Republicans cannot win
elections with only their base vote.

Americans are stubborn creatures when it comes to taking
away a right. They may be slow in passing a right, but
do not try to take a right away.

[amandabeech]

103. The core Republican base, those who supported the Shrub to the end,

come up closer to 30%

This 80%+ figure may mean that some Republicans think that their leaders have gone way too far.

I hope Obama sees this pole.

[Rageneau]

16. All we need is a politician willing to SAY this.

But, like Huey Long, everyone who tries, gets shot.

[gratuitous]

17. Flashing yellow light means "Floor it."

Every bad driver knows that. The chances are real good there won't be a cop around to ticket you, and pretty good you're not going to get t-boned at the intersection. If the Republicans cared even a tenth as much about what the American people want as they yap about what the American people want, these numbers would mean something. But the Republicans don't give a tin shit about polls, except the ones they can rig.

[spanone]

18. after citizens united, they don't care....when the folks can raise as much money as corporations..

maybe

[MannyGoldstein]

19. Clearly we need more shared sacrifice for the bottom 98%

That's how I read it.

We need cuts-cuts-cuts-cuts-cuts-cuts-cuts-cuts-cuts-cuts-cuts-cuts-cuts-cuts-cuts-cuts-cuts-cuts now. And more bailouts for bankers.

[midnight armadillo]

20. So what.

The Democrats are not going to raise taxes on the rich. There are too few Democrats who are not bought out by the plutocracy.

[Bozita]

21. Why do I think this poll's goin' down the ol' memory hole real soon? Like maybe tomorrow?

Corporate media demands it.

[highplainsdem]

35. I do hope you're wrong about that, but I'm not seeing very many news stories on the poll,

and very little coverage of the popularity of those progressive ideas for reducing the deficit.

[highplainsdem]

22. Jonathan Chait (TNR): Republicans Stampede Toward The Cliff

http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-chait/84576/republicans-stampede-toward-the-cliff

Interesting read. Chait focuses on what one of the pollsters said about the Tea Party as a tiger chasing the Republicans toward that cliff.

[Volaris]

89. last line of the piece.....

"President Obama may decide to cut a deficit deal, but both the politics and the policy say he should hand the Republicans their head first."

can we have this printed on some great, big, colorful, party balloons or something and have them delivered to the W.H.?

[Cali_Democrat]

23. Too Late

Obama screwed the pooch when it comes to our tax policy.

And he'll do it again in 2012 :argh:

[AlabamaLibrul]

24. And we'll have 0 pollsters saying it serves as a huge flashing yellow sign to Obama - STOP THE BS

n/t

[SpiralHawk]

66. Corporate Media (R) shows no respect for the truth

or for the American citizens it is supposed to serve...It is a bought-and-sold RepubliCorp propaganda organ.

[louslobbs]

79. +1000

Sadly, I agree.
Lou

[deacon]

25. Kick.

[PBS Poll-435]

26. K to the R

:thumbsup:

[progressoid]

27. There are some prominent Democrats that need to know this too!

We had two years but did nothing about it.

[NotThisTime]

28. Should be a flashing green light to Dem's but has it been?

[Hannah Bell]

29. could people be getting wise? please god, i would like to live to see it.

[highplainsdem]

34. So would I.

[PA Democrat]

30. Democrats need to be quoting these poll results every interview and TV appearance they make.

They need to stay on message and pound this home. Republicans are very good and staying on message, even when their message is pure BS. We need to use these FACTS every time we have a chance.

[highplainsdem]

32. +1

[Enrique]

82. I hear democrats saying tax cuts create jobs

I heard Obama say it.

[frylock]

86. yes, obama did repeat that

[SpiralHawk]

31. "More more more tax cuts for rich republicons." - Rush DraftDodger Limbaugh (R)

"We want more more more more more...for us. You little people can just eat shit and die. Sneer."

- Rush DraftDodger Limbaugh (R - $40 million a year propagandist)

[Shagbark Hickory]

33. For once, I 'd like to see a poll where corporations are the respondents.

So we can get a glimpse into what actual policy will come about it.

[Tsiyu]

37. The Republicans have never spoken for the American people

They have only spoken out for the wealthiest.

How they continue to get elected is a mystery (yeah, I know they steal elections, lie and cheat, but still...)

Pay attention, Repukes. The more you stand up for the top 1%, the sooner the other 99% are going to revolt against your cowardly, greedy asses.

:evilgrin: Personally, I see no hope of Repukes getting the message, and I welcome their demise as a party...coming soon to a town near you...

[VoteProgressive]

38. +1

[nilram]

39. How about a huge, flashing GREEN sign to DEMS??!

Nah, they'd never see it...

[Lorien]

46. You mean the Dems who aren't busy acting like Republicans. nt

[Vidar]

48. All three of 'em?

[Hell Hath No Fury]

49. Yup, this should act as a warning --

to BOTH Parties, and a call for Dems to come back to their modern roots.

[highplainsdem]

40. If you have Twitter or Facebook accounts, please use them to publicize this poll,

especially the finding that 81% of the respondents chose higher taxes on the rich as the best way to reduce the deficit.

[Lorien]

44. Proving once again that America IS a Liberal Nation:

Popular and unpopular cuts
The survey — which was conducted Feb. 24-28 of 1,000 adults (200 reached by cell phone), and which has an overall margin of error of plus-minus 3.1 percentage points — also listed 26 different ways to reduce the federal budget deficit.

The most popular: placing a surtax on federal income taxes for those who make more than $1 million per year (81 percent said that was acceptable), eliminating spending on earmarks (78 percent), eliminating funding for weapons systems the Defense Department says aren’t necessary (76 percent) and eliminating tax credits for the oil and gas industries (74 percent).

The least popular: cutting funding for Medicaid, the federal government health-care program for the poor (32 percent said that was acceptable); cutting funding for Medicare, the federal government health-care program for seniors (23 percent); cutting funding for K-12 education (22 percent); and cutting funding for Social Security (22 percent).

Those numbers, GOP pollster McInturff says, “serve as a huge flashing yellow sign to Republicans … if they are going to start to talk about changes to Medicare and Social Security.”

(snip)

[Chorophyll]

45. THANK you for posting this. I might not have seen it otherwise.

:kick:

[libmom74]

50. The problem isn't

so much that the Republicans won't pay attention (we already know they won't because they have already been bought and paid for), it's that the Democrats still look at issues from the Republicans viewpoint and try to meet them in the "middle" which keeps moving further and further to the right

[L0oniX]

51. How about the entire house and obama take a pay cut. OH NOES!

[FlyByNight]

53. Too bad this survey will be completely ignored...

...within the Beltway.

[BobbyBoring]

54. Once Faux reverses the numbers

saying 81% want to eliminate SS and welfare and give the rich more tax breaks and it echos through the RW echo machine, it won't mean much.

After all, The republicans are doing the "Will of the people".

[RedCloud]

55. But zero puppetmasters agree with it.

[Jester Messiah]

56. Damn right!

Tax the corporations, tax the wealthy, put a tariff on foreign goods, and slap a VAT on luxury items. We'll be out of the hole in no time, without bleeding the poor to do it!

[Myrina]

58. ... too bad us average working schmucks aren't Citizens United ...

... and aren't pouring money into the critters' bank accounts. That's the only way to get listened to.

[Myrina]

59. By the way, where is "CUT MILITARY SPENDING" on this poll???

/rhetorical question D'oh!

[anarch]

60. but, like, I thought cutting taxes on the rich created jobs,

and that what America really wants is for us to eliminate the EPA, Dept. of Labor, Dept. of Education, end all entitlement programs of any kind (including veterans' benefits), privatize everything, raise taxes on people who earn $1.00 - $250k by about 20% or so, cut taxes even more for those earning over $250k, build more prisons, mandate gun ownership, rid the country of immigrants (unless they are performing labor for no compensation--then they are OK, as long as they aren't allowed to go to school or anything), increase funding to the military and all our fine defense contractors, and invade Iran. You mean that's not what the people want?

[tclambert]

77. That's why we have such a labor shortage right now.

After ten years of living with the Bush tax cuts for the rich, the millions upon millions of jobs created has left us begging for workers to fill the multitude of job vacancies . . . in an imaginary Republican parallel universe.

[femrap]

61. Well....I'm

proud of my fellow citizens!

TAX THE RICH!!!

[lark]

62. Huge flashing sign for Dems too

Many Dems are almost as corporatist as their Repug brothers at heart and also want to loot social security to enrich themselves and their donors. Whoever goes along with cutting social security - rather than just raising the tax to include all earners - will not be re-elected - regardless of party.

[tk2kewl]

64. +1,000,000,000,000

[Thav]

65. Those polls are wrong

People don't really think that. They mean that 81% of people think it's acceptable that people making more than $1m/year get a further tax break. the eliminating spending on earmarks only applies to those made by democratic congresspeople. They mean INCREASING spending on weapons systems, not eliminating. And they don't know about the economics of the oil/gas industries and why MORE tax credits are required for them.

Oh, and cutting medicaid, medicare, k-12 education, and social security? Sure, they'll do that. That's their mandate after all.

If you don't get it: :sarcasm:

[judesedit]

67. Top 20% wealthiest own 80% of the wealth in this country....let them pay 80% of the taxes

Easy

[OnlinePoker]

68. I know this is going to get slammed...so be it

From the following charts, which come right from the IRS database, the bottom 50% of income tax returns in 2008 took in $1.07 trillion in income (12.75% of total AGI that year). They paid $27 Billion in income taxes (2.7% of total taken in that year). By contrast, the top 10% of income tax returns took in $3.8 trillion in income (45% of total AGI that year and 3.5 times the bottom 50% total). They paid $721 Billion in income taxes (70% of total taken in that year and 26 times more than the bottom 50%).

Every time I see the words "tax the rich", I'm assuming the phrase is refering to income tax. If 10% of the people pay 70% of the taxes, I have to ask how much more should be taxed?

http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/250.html

[tclambert]

81. If I may take the first swing . . .

I'm shocked to see how poor the bottom half are, and how relatively well off my wife and I are. We would make the top 25%! The income numbers are so logarithmic.

The chart shows the split point for the lower 50% of AGI is at $33,048. That marks the top boundary of AGI for them. I would have trouble paying my bills if I made that. Their average AGI is only $15,355 ($1,074,514,000,000 / 69,980,290). After taxes, they average $14,956 (($1,074,514,000,000 - $27,873,000,000) / 69,980,290). I have difficulty imagining how people can live on that. How do they pay for basic necessities?

The top 10% by AGI exceed $113,799. That's the low mark. They average $275,461. That's a lot. After taxes, they still average $223,931. Still a lot, almost 15 times the average after-tax income of the lowest 50%. I can easily imagine living quite comfortably on that, in a 4,000 square foot house on a lake, with a boat, 4 cars, a smaller (1500 sf) vacation condo, 2 snowmobiles, 2 jet skis, and still plenty left over.

As I see it, the big percentage difference is the percentage of income required for basic necessities. At $15K, basic necessities may exceed 100% of a family's income. At $200K, basic necessities, really basic, take less than 10%. But of course, I would upgrade to the plush package for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, and think myself frugal if I only spent 30-40%. That still leaves 60-70% for investing and other forms of entertainment.

If I were in the top 10%, frankly, I would not mind if the the lowest 50% paid no taxes at all, even if it did require raising my taxes by 4%. (My calculations show it would actually take an increase of 3.8% ($721,421 / $27,873).) Well, I might grumble a little, just to fit in with the other guys at the club.

[JDPriestly]

93. Thanks. eclambert. You are absolutely right.

We have a graduated tax for a reason -- to prevent people who earn less from falling into abject poverty.

[JDPriestly]

90. Here is where your simplistic mathematical analysis fails.

Everyone, rich or poor, needs a certain minimum amount of money to survive.

At a time when our country, it is claimed, is "going broke," where CAN YOU FIND the money? Are you seriously arguing that a guy who can't even make his house payments and who can barely feed his two children because either he his spouse was just laid off or had his or her hours cut should pay more in taxes while someone who is earning over a million a year continues to pay relatively little?

That is simply unrealistic.

We are one country. We have to pull together. Sometimes we have to do what is right for others.

If our fiscal crisis is as serious as conservatives say it is, then the rich will have to pay more in taxes if for no other reason than that they can. At this time, poor folks and middle class people simply do not have the money to pay higher taxes.

You cannot squeeze blood out of a turnip.

Walker is squeezing the public employees down to just a bit more than a wage on which they can survive. They certainly cannot pay more in taxes.

This recession is the fault of the excessive military spending by the George W. Bush administration. If Republicans are so upset about it, then they should ask their supporters to pitch in and pay up.

Clinton was on his way to balancing the budget. If you go back to the news stories involving Greenspan in 2001, you will see that he argued that the budget surplus was a problem, that we had to go into more debt.

The Republican plan to cut expenditures will result in another huge dip in the recession. And when that next dip comes, the government will not bail out the banks. We will have 1932 all over again.

The rich can either pay to fix the budget or have serious problems on their hands.

And don't argue that they will leave the country. There is no place for them to go.

Unless they relish the idea of living in China, or Germany (higher taxes than in the US), or Nigeria (surrounded by desperate poverty) or how about Saudi Arabia (no whiskey, no wine). Of course, there is always South America -- Columbia comes to mind (they would feel at home with the drug dealers down there), or maybe Venezuela or Brazil (left-wing governments). That leaves Canada and Russia. Canada will impose higher taxes on them and learning Russian or any one of the languages in Eastern Europe would be a hurdle for most wealthy Americans.

Welcome to the real world.

[Roy Rolling]

69. damn right

Another strategy is to use the "competition" fad. Everyone wants the US to be competitive, how about this: LET THE US BE COMPETITIVE WITH CHINA'S DEFENSE BUDGET. If the US wants to be competitive with other countries of the world it cannot spend $1 trillion a year in "the war department" (yeah that's right, it is not all DEFENSE so that word needs to be retired). The US spends $1 trillion, China spends about $100 million---that's one thousand times LESS. So if the US wants to compete, let it cut its war budget.

[Deep13]

70. Aparently people are only stupid for one day every two years. nt

[supernova]

71. Since when have Repubs ever responded to the Public?

They live in their own little world where everything is alright for them.

[beac]

73. K&R for blindingly bright yellow strobe lights. WAKE UP, GOP! n/t

[Faygo Kid]

74. The GOP doesn't care about this. They hold the tea partiers and the billionaires and buy the rest.

Average citizens except for Tea Party useful dupes are of no interest whatsoever to the GOP. They know they can scare enough folks to vote against their own best interests.

[sarcasmo]

75. Tax the rich.

[Marr]

78. This is why Obama-type Democrats are so focussed on "bipartisanship".

What they mean by bipartisanship is that they all, regardless of party, must act as one to pass the really unpopular items their rich owners want. If they all spread the blame around evenly, there's essentially no political fallout, because the public has nowhere to go.

In theory.

[northernlights]

80. They don't care because votes don't matter. nt

Both sides will talk and put on a big show. But when push comes to shove, we're all expendable and they know it. The only question is how to get rid of most of us, while keeping around the necessary few needed to wipe their stinking butts, cook their meals, clean up their messes, etc.

[Enrique]

83. taxing the rich is not a Democrats vs. Republicans issue

the two parties conspired against us 80%ers to extend the Bush tax cuts, which were unpopular then too.

[Lasher]

84. Well guess what, it's March 2011 and last year Obama extended the Bush tax cuts for 2 fucking years

Republicans aren't going to give that back and Obama would never dream of asking them to do such a thing.

[polichick]

85. They don't care what the people want - and neither it seems do many Dems. nt

[JDPriestly]

87. This survey proves how foolish it was for Obama to compromise

on the tax cuts for the rich.

Either Obama is only pretending to be on the side of the majority of Americans, or he has poor judgment.

On this issue, he had the winning cards. He did not play them well at all. Not at all.

We need to find a challenger to Obama. He is failing the American people.

I hate to be so harsh, but we have to face the facts.

[Lasher]

92. You're right.

We desperately need a champion. And Obama ain't it.

[AllyCat]

88. Republicans don't work for the people who elected them. They work for

the corporations that installed them.

[Avant Guardian]

94. "a huge flashing yellow sign to Obama"

Would be a better title

[dotymed]

95. Sadly, There is one party.

The money party. Sure it has two names....
We should be one...Revolution....Unite!

[4dsc]

96. Democrats have no leadership to pull off taxing the rich more

I don't what this poll claims. If you don't have the leadership withing the party to tax the rich more then its a worthless poll.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

97. A union member, a CEO and a Tea Party member are sitting at a table with 12 cookies.....

A union member, a CEO and a Tea Party member are sitting at a table with 12 cookies. The CEO grabs 11 cookies, turns to the Tea Partier and says “Watch it the Union's are out to take your cookie!

[TxVietVet]

99. Yeah, like the conservanazis are going to listen to the citizens of the US

They are all kocksuckers. They'll obey their corporate masters and ignore the obvious from the middle class and poor who have to die for their illegal wars.

[Plucketeer]

102. Feh............

That big sign could land on their heads and it wouldn't change a thing.