Here is what I think Obama should do:
Honor his "Government transparency" campaign promise & bring the cameras in for the negotiations.
I want these dolts on film, demanding Tax cuts for the rich.
Them say they won't budge over that, or almost anything else.
Have them go on camera, showing all the items they refuse to negotiate on.
One talking head said just raising the debt ceiling at all is their biggest sacrifice, but they will demand all kinds of concessions from Obama.
The GOP has always enjoyed the tactic of using & abusing select buzzwords.
This month the catch phrases are:
• "Job Creators" Some fictional concept about the wealthy not being taxed so the little people can have jobs. Ten years of tax cuts for the wealthy & we are at 25% unemployment (the real number when all who are out of work are counted, not the 9.2% they are claiming).
You could play a drinking game on this phrase alone...
A talking head last night said it about 8 times in a short interview on PBS, Michelle Bachmann is spewing it, and of course John Boehner is reciting it too. They are relying heavily on the concept that if they say it enough times, it will become reality, a kind of word hypnosis, if you will.
• The (rich) people don't want taxes raised (the rest of the people want Social Security & Medicare messed with, instead??)
It is all about trying to get middle-class & poor voters to swallow paying for tax cuts for rich people.
These guys are proposing defunding hospice care, student loans & Sesame Street.
What they actually do is:
Massive deficit spending on defense, upper-class tax cuts, bailouts, corporate subsidies, and big handouts to Pharma and the insurance industries.
Rolling Stone reports:
" Ryan’s proposal also includes dropping the top tax rate for rich people from 35 percent to 25 percent. All by itself, that one change means that the government would be collecting over $4 trillion less over the next ten years."
" The issue is being presented as if the debt comes entirely from growth in entitlement spending. It’s bad enough that middle-class taxpayers have been forced in the last few years to subsidize the vacations and beach houses of the idiots who caused the financial crisis, and it’s doubly insulting that they’re now being blamed for the budget mess."
Harry Reid said:
“Cooperation and compromise are not just good ideas. They’re not political slogans. They are essential to the end game. With a cooperative spirit and willingness to compromise, we can move the country forward. Without them, we can’t. It’s as simple as that.
“I can speak only for my side when I say we’re ready to negotiate and legislate. We’re ready to do our jobs. But we can’t negotiate with ourselves, and we won’t negotiate through the media.
“Once the Republicans settle their own internal disagreements and decide what they stand for, we’ll get this done. Until that happens, the country waits, watches and worries.”
Maybe that is their mistake. Maybe the ridiculous lack of budging on the budget is because they are behind closed doors. Let the cameras roll & let the truth be shown.
The GOP just might come around in the spotlight of open negotiations.
Otherwise, having the likes of Eric Cantor, Mitch McConnell, and John Boehner pitching a fit because the wealthy need tax breaks will be a treasure chest of film footage for the 2012 election year.
Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO), noted that it was a misconception that raising the debt ceiling would permit Congress to spend more.
“All we are doing is making good on the spending that has already occurred,” she said. “It’s like they bought a new car and don’t want to make the payments.”
These guys all approved the spending that got us into debt, now they don't want to pay the bill."
Later speaking with Salon.com’s Joan Walsh, Matthews said that the
"Republican’s plan to hold the debt ceiling “hostage” until Democrats agreed to budget cuts was “terrorism.”"
4 comments:
Excellent post. I love the comparisons on the left showing what the Republicans want to keep on the right and what would be sacrificed on the left. What scumbags they are. You'd think they'd be embarassed to even admit they support these things.
Great graphic, Fran. It clearly shows the difference between Democrats and republicans, and what the republicans are willing to sacrifice in order to keeping giving the wealthy tax breaks.
like i asked over at dcAp's place--if the rethugs are so concerned with so-called job creators, then why not pass a bill that says that businesses will get tax incentives for every full-time job they create (with benefits), as long as it is in the united states? that will take care of the job creators without letting millionaires and billionaires off the hook.
Maui~ That is why I wish they would stop the closed door bargaining sessions. Have them do this in the light of day.
Jerry~ It is a jaw dropping reality check, for sure.
Nonnie~ Great idea Nonnie... but that would have to be watchdogged.... or some COE/beancounter will hire people fill out the paperwork for the tax break then fire them. They would find a loophole in how to exploit the program.
Plus the term "job creator" is vague.
Less than part time, or minimum wage is not going to sustain. They like keeping it vague... so what if people have to work 3 shitty jobs & still have no health insurance coverage... they are "lucky" to have a job.
Bachmann wants to get rid of minimum wage...
so in her world, you could work full time or more & still be living below the poverty level.
They says "jobs" but they don't say living wage or decent jobs.
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