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Sanders Hints He’ll Filibuster Tax Cuts Compromise
Roll Call ^ | 12/6/2010 | John Stanton

Posted on 12/06/2010 10:34:17 PM PST by Qbert

Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday all but promised to filibuster President Barack Obama’s controversial agreement with Republicans to extend all of the Bush-era tax cuts for two years.

Appearing on "The Ed Schultz Show" on MSNBC, the Vermont Independent lambasted the agreement, which also includes a 13-month extension of unemployment insurance, a two-year exemption from the estate tax for estates worth up to $5 million and a host of provisions from last year’s stimulus bill.

“I think it is an absolute disaster and an insult to the vast majority of the American people,” Sanders told Schultz, adding that Democrats opposed to the deal “are right. We're talking about social justice. They're talking about more tax breaks for billionaires who don't need it.”

While Sanders did not explicitly say he would filibuster the bill, he made his intention clear, saying, “I've got to tell you, I will do whatever I can to see that 60 votes are not acquired to pass this piece of legislation.”

Whether Sanders can be persuaded to not try to block the bill remains unclear: Vice President Joseph Biden is scheduled to attend Senate Democrats’ luncheon Tuesday to defend the agreement, which Obama cut in secret talks with the GOP.

Senior Democratic aides said that while the deal — particularly the estate tax provisions — would be a bitter pill for the caucus to swallow, the agreement included enough pieces of the stimulus bill to make it worthwhile.

But Sanders, for one, said Monday that he believes Democrats should stand up to the GOP and the White House in the tax debate. “I think we've got to hold tough on this, hold firm on this, and not concede to Republicans, who, as you indicated, have absolutely no inclination to compromise,” he told Schultz.

Other Democrats, while not going so far as Sanders in threatening a potential filibuster, were unwilling to immediately throw their weight behind the bill.

“I need to look at it. I’m very unhappy about it,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) when asked on CNN whether he would vote for the deal. When pressed if he would stand on principle and vote "no," Brown said, “if I think this deal is as serious as a problem as it looks at this point, I’m likely to do that.”


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events; US: Vermont
KEYWORDS: estatetax; sanders; taxes
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To: LibLieSlayer

Right, I know. So nothing is set in stone at this point in time.


21 posted on 12/06/2010 11:27:25 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper (In 2012: The Rookie and The Wookie get booted from the White House.)
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To: LibLieSlayer

What The Rookie has done tonight is basically voiced his opinion (however nonsensical it is) and kicked a can down the road for the next president and left it up to Congress to squabble over. Meanwhile the tax rate increase deadline looms on the horizon while he’s basically washed his hands of the problem.


22 posted on 12/06/2010 11:31:15 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper (In 2012: The Rookie and The Wookie get booted from the White House.)
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To: Qbert
Bernie. You will become an irrelevant Commie now. You don't have the numbers to pull this crap any more and a lot of your friends are in bad shape for '12 so they will be AWOL.

Even Ted Baxter has your number.


23 posted on 12/06/2010 11:32:16 PM PST by Lazlo in PA (Now living in a newly minted Red State.)
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To: BigSkyFreeper

“What The Rookie has done tonight is basically voiced his opinion (however nonsensical it is) and kicked a can down the road for the next president and left it up to Congress to squabble over. Meanwhile the tax rate increase deadline looms on the horizon while he’s basically washed his hands of the problem.”

I think he wants to run his 2012 campaign on his same tired 2008 theme: “GOP presidential candidate ______ wants to keep the temporary tax cuts for the wealthy for 2013 and beyond, and I want to give tax breaks for 95% of Americans and the middle-class, blah, blah...”. That’s why the deal was for two years only.


24 posted on 12/06/2010 11:43:27 PM PST by Qbert
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To: LibLieSlayer

Didn’t hear that. Right on. The truly rich have not suffered since the Civil War when the slaveowners lost all their capital in forced labor and in confederate bonds.


25 posted on 12/06/2010 11:50:41 PM PST by RobbyS (Pray with the suffering souls.)
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To: BigSkyFreeper

Exactly.

LLS


26 posted on 12/07/2010 12:29:10 AM PST by LibLieSlayer (WOLVERINES!)
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To: BigSkyFreeper
He was a disgusting turd tonight... that is what he is... but he was just oozing hate and venom... hussein... an America hating president... not my president... but a president.

LLS

27 posted on 12/07/2010 12:30:50 AM PST by LibLieSlayer (WOLVERINES!)
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To: Qbert

I predict his approval will slowly fall to the high twenties... like johnson before him... he “has lost America”.

LLS


28 posted on 12/07/2010 12:32:19 AM PST by LibLieSlayer (WOLVERINES!)
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To: RobbyS
Rush was making the point that those “rich” screaming the loudest would be the evilcrat dim socialist millionaires and billionaires. What sweet music that would be!

LLS

29 posted on 12/07/2010 12:34:09 AM PST by LibLieSlayer (WOLVERINES!)
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To: Qbert

He can always run for re-election, but right now the odds of him being elected much less nominated are slim. The people that elected him in 2008 are abandoning him in droves. Those on the far left think he’s wimped out and those on the center right believe he’s too liberal. He lied to get elected and most people don’t like being lied to twice. Barely two years into his presidency and he’s a lame duck president and he has himself to blame.


30 posted on 12/07/2010 12:36:47 AM PST by BigSkyFreeper (In 2012: The Rookie and The Wookie get booted from the White House.)
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To: LibLieSlayer

Yes, Rush was brilliant. Let’s hear the very rich Wall Street fat cats and Hollyweirdos scream, since they’re often libtard-democrats....LOL.


31 posted on 12/07/2010 12:44:32 AM PST by onyx (If you truly support Sarah Palin and want on her busy ping list, let me know!)
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To: LibLieSlayer
There is a “framework” only... no bill written... it will be laden with all manner of evil and pork... and lots of tax increases camouflaged as cuts... you watch what an abortion of a bill this will become... I predict 8000 pages plus or minus.

Lord have mercy. 8,000 pages! How many days (and nights) do they have?

Filibuster, Bernie! Go for it.

32 posted on 12/07/2010 12:47:57 AM PST by onyx (If you truly support Sarah Palin and want on her busy ping list, let me know!)
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To: MSF BU

Extending unemployment benefits 13 months
with no means to finance through cuts in other
spending is insane. Leaving tax rates at current
rates is better than the sharp increases on Jan 1st,
but still no great boon. Moving the expiration 2
years is still enough to kill job creation as many
businesses would barely be achieving any ROI on
the startup investment made in the current time
frame. Why take the risk? Just kicking the socialist
can down the road. Move the expiration to 2020
and cut corporate taxes. That would bring a stable
horizon and incentive to bring business back to the
U.S.


33 posted on 12/07/2010 12:48:41 AM PST by Myrddin
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To: April Lexington
The guy is so crazy about screwing the rich that he is willing to let millions of peasants starve with no unemployment check. Just like Lenin. What is a few million peasants when you can bring down a Czar?

Precisely! That's class warfare for ya.

34 posted on 12/07/2010 12:49:50 AM PST by onyx (If you truly support Sarah Palin and want on her busy ping list, let me know!)
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To: onyx
I like your suggestion to bernie! Did you see obamao on TV tonight? Mad as a hornet he was... all hating on republicans and such. It was all about me, me, me, me, me and I, I, I, I.

LLS

35 posted on 12/07/2010 1:01:40 AM PST by LibLieSlayer (WOLVERINES!)
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To: matt04
No Tax Breaks for Gazzillionaires and Super Duper Multi Gazzillionaires!

My work is done here, bedtime...

36 posted on 12/07/2010 1:01:47 AM PST by Kickass Conservative (Obama, Pelosi and Reid, the Axis of Fascism.)
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To: Qbert

Its the GOP who should be filibustering this deal!


37 posted on 12/07/2010 1:02:33 AM PST by TeachableMoment
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To: LibLieSlayer

Oh yes, I suffered through his petulant community agitator rant. Man, he couldn’t have been more political while he was reading the words “Washington has to stop playing politics”...LOL.

He’s a national disgrace. You’re so right - he must have said “I” 100 times.


38 posted on 12/07/2010 1:05:25 AM PST by onyx (If you truly support Sarah Palin and want on her busy ping list, let me know!)
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To: LibLieSlayer

Red Eye is almost over, so that’s my door card out of here.
I want to say that I’m sure you’re right about the pork laden bill and 8000 pages, which means the House Republicans will have to shred the bill and wait for the new congress. They will have hell to pay, if they pass a porker. Seriously.


39 posted on 12/07/2010 1:09:49 AM PST by onyx (If you truly support Sarah Palin and want on her busy ping list, let me know!)
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To: Qbert
Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday all but promised to filibuster President Barack Obama’s controversial agreement with Republicans to extend all of the Bush-era tax cuts for two years.

Bring it on Bernie!

My cynical side says however he wants some pork for Vermont or simply a bigger office.

40 posted on 12/07/2010 1:59:48 AM PST by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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