Is the President wrong to call for "tax rises for the rich and further cuts in defence expenditure"?

[ProSense]

Mr Obama's ideas will be nothing like as radical, said Mr Plouffe, and he is likely to call for the restoration of tax rises for the rich and further cuts in defence expenditure.

link

[FLAprogressive]

1. No, but the proof will be in the pudding. He can say it all he wants, but will he DO it?

[dennis4868]

18. well, just like everything else Obama wants to do....

its up for the congress to come through....again, Obama is not a king and needs congress' cooperation....people forget how bills become laws here at DU....not sure why though.....

[FLAprogressive]

20. except for War in Libya. And Obama can veto anything he doesn't like, so he's not totally powerless

[socialist_n_TN]

21. OK dennis, you're right. It takes Congressional cooperation

Now how do Presidents GET Congressional cooperation? It's called the bully pulpit.

So here's the deal. IF Obama comes out for these things AND pounds it home with STRONG words SUPPORTING these things, I won't have a critical word for him. Even if he isn't able to get it done because Congress WON'T cooperate, I won't criticize. But if he does this like he did the Public Option during the health care debate, yeah, I'll have a problem with it.

IOW, I think that most people on the REAL left want to see the man actually FIGHT FOR something. Even if he loses, we want to see the FIGHT!

[JDPriestly]

25. Obama has to go out, mingle with ordinary people and talk about

these solutions to the problems that the Republicans go on and on about.

Americans will welcome the idea of higher taxes for the rich and less military spending. Obama has to make talking to Americans about why we should do these things his top priority.

If Obama really gets voters on his side on these ideas, Congress will get in line behind him, and Americans will vote for a Congress that supports these ideas.

Obama can get people on his side, but has to put some effort into it. So far he hasn't.

[SkyDaddy7]

26. Thank-you! I was wondering if anyone here still

remembered this very fact! Obama gets blamed for so much here on DU that he cannot do alone! GITMO & civilian trials for GITMO prisoners! Congress freaked out like somehow those nuts at GITMO had magical powers & could escape if put in a super max despite the fact no one ever has! And like they would get far if they did escape! Not like they would blend in very well or find sympathizers to help them. America has become kinda wimpy like Gov. Rendell said we are a nation of wusses! I agree!

The thing about calling for Defense cuts is military contractors take a project & bust it up & scatter production over many congressional districts so that it never gets done away with!

I honestly can't see how we cut defense as much as the military itself says should be cut! Defense spending is so out of control the military can't even say stop spending money on a,b & c we do not need it and still no one in congress listens!

[ZombieHorde]

2. I don't think it is wrong or right, but it is welcomed.

I voted "no," it is not wrong to say that.

[Terra Alta]

3. Calling for it is one thing

but will he actually go through with it? Or just cave to the repukes once again? Only time will tell I guess but I will believe it when I see it.

[mucifer]

4. He's a nice guy and a very weak president.

[ProSense]

8. The Republicans

are walking all over him.

[MannyGoldstein]

5. Of course not. Nor was he wrong to say he'd veto anything other than a public option.

"Well done", of course, is better than "well said".

But what of Obama's fetish for cutting Medicare, Medicaid and http://fdrdemocrats.org/the-common-sense-guide-to-social-security/6/">Social Security?

[iris27]

17. +1000 n/t

[Ken Burch]

6. I'm with him on it if he stays with it.

If he ends up signing off on INCREASES in defense spending and NOT getting out of Afghanistan or Iraq, that right there will have disqualified him from asking for progressive support in 2012.

[brentspeak]

7. Yes, he is wrong to call for "tax rises for the rich and futher cuts in defence expenditure"

Because, after all is said and done, Obama won't be raising taxes on the rich and cutting defense expenditures. He is a master of all-talk/no-walk.

[Harmony Blue]

10. It could hurt him if he puts it out there

but doesn't follow through with it. I am willing to give Obama a chance as he is still the President of the United States.

[aquart]

9. Would it were so.

[Generic Brad]

11. I'd settle for half of that

The "taxing the rich" half.

[annabanana]

12. This is EXACTLY what is called for. Of course he will have to

buck the bone ignorant teabagging fools along with the "drown the government" criminal corporatists to DO it.

It is a heavy lift. But I would support him 100% if he really went for it, you know?

[sendero]

13. Calling for it ..

... is worth a bucket of warm spit. Making it happen is gold.

If history is any guide, calling for it is all we'll get from Obama.

[gratuitous]

14. "Likely" to "call" for the right thing at last?

Or he "will" back the Democratic wing of the Democratic party and put the resources of his office on the line to pursue a responsible course of political action? Talk is notoriously cheap. And I've heard quite enough talk over the past five years.

[steelmania75]

15. Don't raise taxes on the rich up a measly 4 percent, go Eisenhower 90% levels.

And then cut that military budget down to 200 billion dollars a year. No wars, no troops overseas. All the troops are home to protect the borders.

[Autumn]

16. No. It's good for him to call for that,

however I'm going to wait and see what he does though.

[slipslidingaway]

19. Of course not, but watch what is done, not what is said. n/t

[markpkessinger]

22. Ask that question when the president it seriously proposing it n/t

[msongs]

23. obama just approved tax cuts for the super wealthy nt

[JDPriestly]

24. Of only Obama would do more than just suggest tax increases for the

rich and less spending on war. If he would go to the American people directly and explain why these policies are so important over and over then we might really start making some progress in the country.