George Bush deserves some credit for helping the middle class.

[rucky]

Seeing as that's now the Democrats' reason for supporting the extension of Bush's tax policy, shouldn't we as Democrats - in the spirit of "no labels" bipartisanship - give credit where credit is due?

[arcane1]

1. I thought their middle-class help was based on the UI extension

and the assorted tax breaks that took place in 2009? :shrug:

[Statistical]

14. Nope. There was really one one middle class tax cut in 2009 and that was $400 making work pay credi

Middle class tax relief is short hand for:
* creation of 10% bracket as opposed to 15%
* expanding child tax credit from $600 per capita non refundable to $1000 fully refundable
* elimination of marriage penalty

and a handful of other minor tax breaks which happened in 2001 & 2003.

[Hawkowl]

2. Obama IS validating the Bush presidency

I know your post was snark, but that doesn't make it true! Afghanistan, Gitmo, TARP, Tax cuts, no prosecution for torture--these are all continued Bush policies by Obama. Obama is doing incredible damage to the country by making these horrendous policies bi-partisan.

[meow mix]

3. "we have to do it to help the economy" says the dems

completly supports the republican meme.. and makes the dem message the same as thiers. 2 corporate partys.

but we cant have any fights in washington.

[hfojvt]

6. not only that

but the economy has created 951,000 jobs so far this year. Next year you can expect it to create even more as the recovery slowly continues. The timing is perfect for the Republican message "the stimulus (government spending) failed, and tax cuts worked".

I don't see how we can win elections when our new theme is "Republicans are right".

[phleshdef]

13. Its not going to help the economy. But letting them all expire could hurt it while its fragile.

And I think that most of us (meaning myself and others) that are "okay" with this tax compromise are seeing it that way. If you believe that jobs are generated by the economic activity of those of us that aren't wealthy, that its fueled by an economically active middle class, then the last thing you want to do is poor cold water on that kind of activity during a time that its desperately needed.

[Statistical]

15. You will wear yourself out trying to inject facts into a rant but +1 for good try. n/t

[phleshdef]

17. Hehe, its my daily exercise.

[meow mix]

18. bull. they wont get that much and theyd be better off letting it expire

better off for the economy, and the middle class.. to stabilize the deficit and not gut thier programs

[phleshdef]

19. It would be a 50% increase on the poorest tax payers.

And to hell with stabilizing the deficit until the economy has recovered.

[golddigger]

4. Hell, its like he is still President.

[HughBeaumont]

9. It's like Reagan's still president. He never left, really . . .

[Autumn]

5. I never dreamed I would be forced to

accept so many of his policies pushed by my own party. k/r

[lfairban]

7. Not really.

As Paul Krugman said, this argument is too nuanced for most of the electorate:

Until the economy improves and unemployment subsides, deficits are not as much of a concern than economic improvement.

This was not the case when Bush passed the tax cuts. In addition, tax cuts for upper income levels will not create as much economic benefit as for the lower income levels. The justification is not, "Helping the middle class" as you contend, but to improve the overall economic condition.

Most people will not understand this.

[reformist2]

8. Repugs always throw a few crumbs to the rest of us.

While they gorge themselves silly.

[frylock]

10. absolutely

[phleshdef]

11. If we weren't in the middle of a jobs recession, I would be fine with everyone's taxes going up.

And I don't think the tax cuts are going to solve the unemployment problem by any stretch of the imagination. But there is a time and place to fix the tax/deficit problem and that time and place is found somewhere between 6-7% unemployment or better. I still believe the wealthiest should be taxed through their gizzard, starting from now until the budget is balanced again. But thats unobtainable at the moment.

[Statistical]

16. +1. Raising taxes on middle class will kill aggregate demand at a time

when we can ill afford it.

[DCKit]

12. Sure, I'll take that snack bag full of Milk Bones any day over the endless buffet...

of Porterhouse steaks, caviar, fois gras and Dom the 2%ers are receiving.

Meanwhile, even those with 1st class accommodations are stuck on the Titanic with the rest of the unwashed masses down in steerage.

How could it turn out badly?

[Fire Walk With Me]

20. The Republicans have been desperately attempting to destroy the middle class since and during Reagan

and succeeding systematically...the BushCo attempt to destroy the US economy in order to do power grabs thankfully was headed off to a large amount by Obama.

The Republicans and the Bush family and their international money buddies want to own everything, hence disaster capitalism and privatization of US infrastructure...