Setting Sen. Reid straight

NY Post ^ | December 02, 2010 | Editorial

[Scanian]

All 42 US Senate Republicans wrote Majority Leader Harry Reid yester day, warning that the GOP will fili buster any legislation during Congress' lame-duck session until the matter of extending the soon-to-expire Bush tax cuts is addressed.

To wit:

"Without . . . action by Dec. 31, all American taxpayers will be hit by an increase in their individual income-tax rates and investment income through the capital gains and dividend rates," the senators noted.

"If Congress were to adopt the president's tax proposal to prevent the tax increase for only some Americans, small businesses would be targeted with a job-killing tax increase at the worst possible time."

Exactly so.

Indeed, letting the cuts expire would extract an estimated $226 billion over the next year from an economy struggling to emerge from a deep recession -- with close-to-catastrophic consequences.

Meanwhile, the majority leader has larded the lame-duck agenda with a legislative laundry list that includes:

* The so-called DREAM Act, to grant legal status to illegal immigrants who join the military or attend college.

* The Zadroga Bill,

[WesternPacific]

We'll see what the Republicans give-up for the Tax cuts. It's called horse trading. Ol’ Harry may be demanding the moon but, in reality, he really only wants a private suite at the Chicken Ranch.

[Mouton]

Pelousy began her counter attack last night with the introduction of tax legislation to extend the bush tax cuts for the “middle class”. All the GOP can do in the Senate is stop it from becoming law as it will probably pass the lame duck dem controlled house. She wants to be able to say the GOP denied tax cuts, this vile old bag that she is.

[catfish1957]

Are you talking about the Senator Reid who recently stole the election in NV?

I figured he wasn't relevant anymore.

[hal ogen]

Someone find that kid who reid said told him “When I grow up I want to be just like you”. Does that kid really want to be such a total, self-centered loser who hates America and Americans? Maybe the kid was just our in the hot summer sun too much and it fried his neurons?

[LibLieSlayer]

What good would it do her to try to lie about taxes? I know that she will but there is no election coming before January and the incoming Republican House will have an extension of all tax cuts in the Senate within days of reconvening. Then we give EVERYONE the same tax rate they had before obama, reid and pelosi attained power and destroyed our economy. I predict that they will further cut specific taxes thereby helping the economy... something no dim has ever done. We win... they lose... no matter what.

LLS

[unbiasedtruth]

I liked what one caller to Sean Hannity said yesterday. Stop calling it the Bush tax cuts and start calling this the Obama tax increase. No one is getting a tax cut. The current tax rate would just be continued, but if nothing is done in Congress, tax rates will go up for everyone. So, it’s a tax increase on Obama’s watch.

[econjack]

Wouldn't it be nice if Congress said: Screw it! From now on, everyone pays a 17% federal income tax...period. No deductions, no special interest groups, nada. You could fill out your income tax form on a postcard. If Obama really wanted a level playing field, that would help, since everyone would be paying the same "fair share". As it is now, the top 10% income earners pay over 60% of the federal tax burden, but Pelosi et al say they don't pay their fair share. True...they overpay. So cut the tax on the rich and see how long it takes to get this economic engine fired up again. Idiots...

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

We'll see what the Republicans give-up for the Tax cuts.

The republicans are not trying to cut taxes. They are attempting to prevent tax increases.

[bert]

The top is tapped out.

It is time to tax the freeloaders at the bottom.

I have seen no calculations at all about the revenue that could be raised by taxing the bottom. Tax diversity is needed . The profiling of America to determine their tax liability should end

Progression has bankrupt America

[Mouton]

I agree this will be only a talking point. She is such a loon, she will do it nonetheless, kind of win the battle lose the war. The fact she did not step down from house leadership when she precided over a monumental shift in power shows how completely committed to her far left agenda she is, and as is the crowd who went along with her as minority leader.

Now on to why, with the dems virtual stranglehold on the leftist media, she will get to posture her beliefs in the most favorable light portraying the GOP as the party of the rich for the next two years. This is her mission. Hopefully it is a non starter but remember this is an electorate who voted in (o)bama.

[LibLieSlayer]

Indeed... one thing we have going for us... this electorate was lied to and is out of work and hungry... and everything the dims have done has made it worse... and foreign policy is in shambles... and we are more unsafe and less wealthy than we were 2 years ago... or 4 for that matter.

LLS

[WesternPacific]

The Repubs are trying to extend the Bush Tax cuts, which will prevent taxes from increasing.
Again, we will see what is traded and or bargained away to get the extension. That is how politics/dirty politics works.

[montag813]

If the DREAM Amnesty is the price for the tax cuts, then to hell with the tax cuts. Just do them in January retroactively.

[Scanian]

I think it’s more likely that START will be the compromise.

And to hell with that too.

[montag813]

I think it’s more likely that START will be the compromise.

Why would ANY GOP Senator want to hand Obama a prestige-boosting, high-profile photo-op like signing a major treaty with Medvedev in the White House and/or Russia? It makes absolutely no sense if they wish to defeat him in 2012. I understand the assclown Lugar's reasons--he supported Obama! But he should stand ALONE in the caucus. Say NO to the START scam--at ANY price.

[Scanian]

I don’t think ANY should...it was a rumor being kicked around on Fox last night. And, truthfully, how many “assclowns” do they need to ram it through? Maybe two besides Lugar.

Bitter lameduck Voinovich, Miss Lindsey Grahamnesty-Goober...plus the usual suspects, the Maine Sob Sisters, Collins and Snowe could all do Hussein’s bidding.

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

The Repubs are trying to extend the Bush Tax cuts, which will prevent taxes from increasing.

We live in a soundbite world. For exactness..... then Repubs should dialogue.

[WesternPacific]

...prevent taxes from increasing.

I guess that is why the House just voted to raise taxes on families making more that $250,000. Senate may filibuster, but I have lost faith in the repubs willingness or ability to do anything to help us get out of this mess.