Obama: I’ve got my pen ready to raise those taxes

Hot Air.com ^ | November 9, 2012 | ERIKA JOHNSON

[Kaslin]

In case you missed it this afternoon (or, if you just didn’t want to watch it, in which case I sympathize), President Obama held his first post-election, fiscal-cliff, no-questions-please presser this afternoon, during which he iterated pretty much everything you’d expect.

Obama brandishes presidential pen as he calls for more taxes

National Journal sums it up:

• In his first statement since winning reelection, Obama called on Congress to let the Bush tax cuts expire for individuals earning over $200,000 per year and families earning over $250,000. “Let’s extend the middle-class tax cuts right now. Let’s do that right now,” Obama added.

• The president said while he is “open to compromise,” he will not accept a Republican plan that only contains spending cuts. “I refuse to accept any approach that isn’t balanced,” he told an East Room audience.

• “On Tuesday night, we found out that the majority of Americans agree with my approach,” Obama said. “Our job now is to get a majority in Congress to reflect the view of the American people.”

Earlier on Friday, Speaker of the House John Boehner held his own press conference, implying that he was ruling out any tax hikes as part of a deal, via the NYT:

“It’s clear that there are a lot of special interest loopholes in the tax code, both corporate and personal,” he said. “It’s also clear that there are all kinds of deductions, some of which make sense, others don’t. And by lowering rates and cleaning up the tax code, we know we’re going to get more economic growth.” …

But Mr. Boehner said he has a mandate as well.

“There’s a Republican majority here in the House,” he said. “The American people re-elected a Republican majority, and I’m proud of the fact that our team in a very difficult year was able to maintain our majority.”

And I just know you’re curious about what House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi thought about the whole thing, so here you go:

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., responded to President Obama with a statement that the president “is exactly right – the American people voted on Tuesday for certainty for our economy and middle class families.”

“President Obama has his signing pen ready, and I am certain that, given the opportunity, Democrats in the House will vote to send the middle income tax cut to the President next week,” said Pelosi.

So, everybody’s geared up for the fight, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid affirmed his readiness to raise the debt ceiling to almost $19 trillion earlier this week — which is really awesome, since we’re set to hit around $20 trillion in debt by the end of Obama’s second term. I’m sure we can just keep delaying dealing with our debt, and delaying it, and delaying it, and delaying it…

[dfwgator]

I still say GM should have been broken up.....if it’s “too big to fail” it needs to be broken up.

[doug from upland]

I wonder if he is going to blame his troubles on the guy who is just finishing a 4-year term.

[Vendome]

You act like that’s a bad thing...

[Varsity Flight]

“With out it we are helpless, even though we have the House”

Extortion-Care would not have passed if the Republicans had controlled the House.

The real extortioners “please stand up.” That’s what we now get to witness.....The propaganda, is “fiscal cliff”, “fiscal cliff”, “fiscal cliff” 24/7. Notice this was not front and center in the “debates” “show.” But now, “in your face” pie throwing 24/7.

They had their Hillary, “The Hillary of Massachusetts”, all picked out again, but now they have to panic deal once again with the Undocumented One, as in the bribing to get Extortion-Care passed. At least Reagan dealt with an honest Glass-Steagal paradigm. The anti-Glass/S want a free fascist ride on everyones backs.

[Jacquerie]

It’s going to happen anyway

Agree. I emailed by pubbie Congressman and explained why he should just vote "present," as our glorious Dear Leader did for years. Let the spending and tax bills sail through Congress without amendment or opposition. The rats are responsible for this fiscal, monetary and social mess; let them own it.

[AFret.]

Boehner will fold like a cheap lawn chair. Mark my words.

---

Of course he will..and zero knows it. He has nothing to lose and no more elections to steal. The unbridled arrogance we are about to witness will be breathtaking. Boehner has no balls, but if he has a brain he will step aside and let the dems take us over the cliff...

[trebb]

If raising taxes is such a grand idea let's see if this guy is willing to have them raised on just Democrats first.

I'd like to see a new tax - 5% bracket for those making under $35K....

[Terry Mross]

If all of you think obama is making these decisions....the man is dumber than a democrat voter. Someone else is making the decisions. He plays golf and smokes.