Posted on 11/28/2012 3:44:23 PM PST by SeekAndFind
As you know, GOP Rep. Tom Cole made waves today by urging Republicans to give in to the Dem demand that they extend the Bush tax cuts for everyone under $250,000. Cole argued this would remove the leverage Dems have and give the GOP more leverage to fight to extend the high-end tax cuts later, since Dems want the fiscal cliff averted and also want a debt ceiling hike.
Today John Boehner rejected Coles suggestion. But in the process, he said something pretty revealing:
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I told Tom earlier in our conference meeting that I disagreed with him, Boehner told reporters after a closed-door meeting of the House Republican Conference. Hes a wonderful friend of mine and a great supporter of mine. But raising taxes on the so-called top 2 percent half of those people are small-business owners that pay their taxes through their personal income tax filing every year. The goal here is to grow the economy and to cut spending.
Were not going to grow the economy if we raise tax rates on the top two rates, the Speaker added. Itll hurt small businesses. Itll hurt our economy. Thats why its not the right approach. Well willing to put revenue on the table as long as were not raising rates.
*****
In Boehners telling, extending the tax cuts just for those under $250,000 is simply indistinguishable from raising them on those Boehner himself describes as the top two percent. But Cole isnt suggesting a tax hike for the top two percent. Rather, Cole wants Republicans to extend the low end tax rates right now, and then take a stand against raising the high end ones in the fiscal cliff talks.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
The rich ARE the new middle class thanks to Obama and the democrats!
Has Boehner joined the Dem PR team or is this headline a bit “leading”??
Wedge Wedge Wedge the issues. Propose a special surcharge tax on Hollwood and Union Benefits. Heck, throw in Lawers and Politicians too.
Boehner is right. If Republicans allow Democrats to extend the 2001 tax rates to those making less than X dollars, but for such tax rates to expire (and thus automatically raise the tax rate) for those making more than X dollars, they will never be able to get Democrats to agree to keep the tax rates on those making more than X dollars the same, fiscal cliff or no fiscal cliff. The only way to get the Democrats to extend the tax rates is not to allow them to carve out tax rates for the middle class. If Republicans make it all or nothing, then the Democrats either will have to raise taxes on everyone just because they wanted to soak “the rich,” or else not raise taxes opn anyone.
no, mistake in strategy. you don’t throw away your strongest card, which for republicans is to insist on no tax rate increases.
i think the republican strategy is to stall this thing until the end of december and then go for a series of short term temporary status quo deals on taxes and spending that gets several months in the year and to the end of the debt ceiling.
they have much more leverage there:
1) a democrat threat to walk off the fiscal cliff puts a big retroactive tax increase on all tax payers, which wlil be due april 15
2) the debt ceiling forces a balanced budget with all the fiscal adjustment on the spending side
in august 2011, obama conceded everything just to get the debt ceiling past the election. the republicans wanted further debt ceiling votes because they think it plays to their strength
“Why is Boehner taking the bait?”
He rolled over for the supercommittee ploy....
Boehner is as pwned as Petraeus is.
OK that is now twice I’ve heard today the stealth “wealth tax” where they are talking about taxing assets. Heard it from a dear, dear wise an older friend today and just heard it barely mentioned by BOR.
I don’t think it has a chance, right now, but just shows how sneaky those RATS are.
I notice Greg Sargent conveniently omits the fact Harry Reid has added a demand that long-term extension of the debt limit be included in any deal.
Let all the Bush tax cuts expire... ALL of them. This country blames Bush for everything anyway, so get rid of that part of his legacy.
Won’t it feel good, America...getting rid of the last reminders of Bush’s awful presidency?
Go to hell Boehner. Get Lt. Col. West in.
Someone tell me how Cole and Scott are wrong. Just pass, right now in the House, a bill extending tax cuts to ALL WAGE EARNERS who make $249,999.99 or less.
That is it. Pass it, send it to Senate. Get it off the damn table. Warn the middle class: Obamugabe and the Demonrats are about to implement a tax increase on YOUR EMPLOYERS that will decrease your hours, wages, benefits AND increase the costs of your goods and services.
Obamugabe would then have ZERO (which is what he has now) to bitch about.
Someone tell me how Cole and Scott are wrong. Just pass, right now in the House, a bill extending tax cuts to ALL WAGE EARNERS who make $249,999.99 or less.
That is it. Pass it, send it to Senate. Get it off the damn table. Warn the middle class: Obamugabe and the Demonrats are about to implement a tax increase on YOUR EMPLOYERS that will decrease your hours, wages, benefits AND increase the costs of your goods and services.
Obamugabe would then have ZERO (which is what he has now) to bitch about.
The GOP should propose a further 10% tax cut for the middle class over and above the Bush tax cuts.
Instead of being reactive they should put Obama off balance by being proactive with something like this.
How about Boehner talking about cutting the Incredible taxes ObamaCare is going to place on all of us?
500 billion dollars worth.
These guys don’t even pretend to fight and seize the narrative.
simple solution
go on vacation
stop answering the phones or mail
just say when you have cut spending then call us
not before
end of story.
Boehner doesn't have to negotiate, all he has to do is refuse to bring any bill that increases taxes to the House floor for a vote.
In short: Pull a Dirty Harry Reid.
Boehner may not fully understand this yet - but he holds the trump card in using the Democrat's own tactics against them.
Actually, I am getting around to objecting to it. Let the whole tax cut package expire, put more of the 47 percent back on the tax rolls. People don't like it, they can do something about it next election.
the true sense of the US government is now fully exposed, it is filled with shake down thugs and is the largest criminal enterprise on the planet. it make Jesse Jackson be proud
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