House Dems stew over Obama's handling of tax deal

[chimpymustgo]

WASHINGTON – The struggle over tax cuts is seriously straining President Barack Obama's relationship with House Democrats, who have backed him on key issues even when it cost them politically.
Expressing hurt and bewilderment, Democratic lawmakers say Obama ignored them at crucial negotiating moments, misled them about his intentions and made needless concessions to Republicans.
The president has responded that he acted honorably and drove the best bargain he could.

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"Hardly anybody in the Democratic caucus here feels that the president tried hard enough to deliver on his campaign promises," said Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida, one of dozens of House Democrats defeated in last month's elections. Obama had House Democratic leaders "go through what turned out to be Potemkin meetings with his staff, when the real negotiations were being done elsewhere," he said.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Maryland Democrat who has strongly supported Obama and who won re-election last month, told MSNBC the chief House representative "wasn't even in the room, and we did feel left out" during the key tax-cut negotiations.

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the estrangement is notable because House Democrats have been Obama's most dependable allies in his first two years in office. They passed a politically risky energy bill to cap greenhouse gasses, only to see the Senate ignore it. When the Senate refused to make further changes to this year's hard-fought health care overhaul bill, House Democrats swallowed their anger and pride, accepting big concessions to keep it alive.

Key liberal groups have attacked the tax plan, which would extend Bush-era tax cuts for two years for all Americans, poor and rich alike. It also would extend unemployment benefits and trim Social Security taxes for a year, steps most Democrats support. But the deal would tax large, multimillion-dollar inheritances at a rate lower than many had expected, and that infuriates many liberals.

Some of Obama's longtime allies have lashed out. Illinois Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. — who publicly chastised his famous father for criticizing Obama in the 2008 presidential campaign — said of the tax deal, "If we recklessly cut taxes for the wealthiest 2 percent, then Obamanomics will look an awful lot like Reaganomics."

The Congressional Black Caucus said its members "are overwhelmingly opposed to the president's compromise with Republicans."

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House Democrats are especially upset about a Dec. 6 White House meeting involving their party's leaders, Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, the administration's chief tax negotiator. Participants said Pelosi and one of her lieutenants, Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, knew the White House was nearing an agreement with Republicans, and they specifically objected to the proposed inheritance tax provisions.

Van Hollen says Obama and Biden indicated that no final deal had been cut. But shortly after the meeting ended, Obama announced the compromise reached with Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

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Van Hollen says more negotiations will occur when the tax measure reaches the House, assuming the Senate approves Obama's version this week. House Democrats "are determined to strip the most egregious provisions from the bill, especially the estate tax giveaway," he vowed.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obama_democrats;_ylt=AkqEN7WgBxXdqPkStnNZ5W2s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNpdG5wNGJuBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAxMjE0L3VzX29iYW1hX2RlbW9jcmF0cwRjY29kZQNtb3N0cG9wdWxhcgRjcG9zAzIEcG9zAzcEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA2hvdXNlZGVtc3N0ZQ--

[xchrom]

1. recommend -- obamanomics is reaganomics. nt

[niceypoo]

5. "Change" turns out to be a 'pony'

[aquart]

2. And he ain't gonna be nicer if they roll over.

[dkf]

3. The house needed to pass something the Senate could pass.

Since they couldn't Obama had to step in and do it for them. They lost all their leverage by waiting too long and now they are complaining about it?

[disillusioned73]

4. That is a real nice way of saying...

STFU

[MrTriumph]

6. It is NOT too late. A skilled negotiator knows

It is NOT too late. A skilled negotiator knows how to use "deadlines" to leverage their position.

[chimpymustgo]

8. Never give up. The House needs to show some spine (while they still have a majority!).

[badtoworse]

9. He did...

Unfortunately, it was Mitch McConnell.

[somone]

7. People should have paid attention every time he mentioned Reagan

his hero and idol

[LiberalEsto]

10. Hang in there, Chris!

I hope Van Hollen manages to cut the garbage out of the tax bill.

[subterranean]

11. The estate tax giveaway was a needless concession.

The Republicans would probably have settled for just a two-year extension of all the tax cuts, and the unemployment extension could have been passed separately. But Jon Kyl must have sensed an opportunity, knowing Obama was desperate for a deal, and pushed to include his estate tax and gift tax provisions, which are even more generous than they were under Bush -- and Obama gave him what he wanted! "Sure, Mr. Kyl, anything you say, sir." Obama also "negotiated" the payroll tax holiday, a Republican idea which could come back to bite us in the ass. But, of course, when he announced the agreement to House Democrats, it was NON-NEGOTIABLE! :mad:

[snooper2]

12. They should add some carrots and celery to that stew..

Maby a little bit of Thyme...

Probably would be a lot better :)

[Individualist]

13. K&R