Profiles in Courage...

[Joy in Mudville]

It's not "good faith". The bsers in DC have a spending problem. Sending them more money is like giving an addict more drugs.

so, why are you opposed to a tax cut?

[michiganjoe]

When you're holding a losing hand it's sometimes best to fold and Cole is just reflecting the political reality.

The bottom line: elections have consequences.

[cprenegade]

When you're holding a losing hand it's sometimes best to fold and Cole is just reflecting the political reality.

The bottom line: elections have consequences.

That is true. And since the election did not return an uncontested majority to either party, both will have to give something to get something.

[ivanbalt]

"The first thing I’d do is make sure we don’t raise taxes on 98 percent of the American people. We’ll get some credit for that, and it’s the right thing to do. I don’t believe in holding the American people hostage to this debate. Let’s get what we can now, then go back and try to get the rest. Where there is common ground with the president, we should seize that common ground."

Representative Tom Cole (r) Oklahoma

Great. And raising taxes on only 2% won't really solve any problems.

Rome can fall as long as my taxes don't go up I guess.

[CajunRaven]

Ineptocracy:

"A system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers."

Just wait for the 'but we will discuss cuts next year" smoke being blown out of the arse of the socialists if they have not already started.

Great post Dsummoner!

[CajunRaven]

The representative in question is breaking with his party orthodoxy in suggesting quick agreement with the president on tax cuts affecting 98% of Americans as a first, good-faith step, toward reaching an agreement designed to reduce the size of the deficit.

Good Faith, more like Good Grief. How many times has this show been played. Fool me once......

[CajunRaven]

Great. And raising taxes on only 2% won't really solve any problems.

Rome can fall as long as my taxes don't go up I guess.

No, it won't solve any problems, but it makes some folks feel good.

The American people are really held hostage to the debt load we're carrying. The folks who should fall into "The Profiles in Courage" category would be those willing to tell the truth and provide ideas on solving the real problem. Everyone will feel some pain in solving the problem.

[CajunRaven]

so, why are you opposed to a tax cut?

What tax cuts? The question is around which rates to make permanent.

[michiganjoe]

The question is around which rates to make permanent.

That was pretty well decided on November 6th.

[CajunRaven]

That was pretty well decided on November 6th.

No argument. My question is around using the term tax cut. It's not a tax cut. These rates have been in effect for about a decade. Taxes are not being cut, they're being raised and indeed it looks like the top 2%.

What really needs to be decided is how to fix the budget and this does nothing in those terms.

[flyboy56]

If you earn under 250000 it looks like you have nothing to worry about there.

Wrong Zen. The math doesn't add up if you only tax the rich and close loop holes. Taxes will go up for everyone eventually. 16T dollars in debt. The math is a no brainer.

[flyboy56]

I can't believe you're one of the moderators when so many of your posts actually serve to diminish the quality of the debate on this forum.

In your humble opinion of course.

[flyboy56]

I think we should simply turn our paychecks over to the government and in turn be given an allowance.

Do you have that address mom? I think the government would handle my money better too.

[CajunRaven]

If you're talking about JiM's post, yes it was dead on.

And not necessary.

[Joy in Mudville]

And he's not backing down from a rational approach...

You don’t consider people’s lives as leverage. I live in a blue-collar neighborhood. I’ve got a retired master sergeant as my next-door neighbor, police officer across the street. These are working folks, they’re great people, and the idea that I would ever use them as leverage is just wrong.

Both sides, I think, need to be a lot more clear-eyed. We’re going to be living in this house together for four years in all likelihood. Let’s get some things done that we can agree on.

Where’s your political courage? It’s pretty easy to vote ‘no’ around here. But we’ve got a divided government. The American people ratified that in this election. They’ve basically told us to work together. Here’s something we both agree on that would be in their interest. Why don’t we do this?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinio...y.html?hpid=z2

[Joy in Mudville]

No, it won't solve any problems, but it makes some folks feel good.

The American people are really held hostage to the debt load we're carrying. The folks who should fall into "The Profiles in Courage" category would be those willing to tell the truth and provide ideas on solving the real problem. Everyone will feel some pain in solving the problem.

Indeed. But returning the tax rates on the upper 2% to their Clinton era levels will add hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue to government coffers and will reduce deficits.

So, while it won't solve the whole problem it is a part of the overall solution.

[flyboy56]

Indeed. But returning the tax rates on the upper 2% to their Clinton era levels will add hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue to government coffers and will reduce deficits.

So, while it won't solve the whole problem it is a part of the overall solution.

And you believe that is what our government will do with the extra revenue, pay down the deficit? And then what, watch the debt clock start counting down? Maybe when hell freezes over. And about that time we will have a real Balanced Budget Amendment too. Fool me once...

[Joy in Mudville]

And you believe that is what our government will do with the extra revenue, pay down the deficit? And then what, watch the debt clock start counting down?

That's what was actually happening in the late 90s early 2000's until Bush pi$$ed the surplus away.

[ivanbalt]

That's what was actually happening in the late 90s early 2000's until Bush pi$$ed the surplus away.

But everyone loved their tax cuts (still do).

[dsummoner]

The bottom 2% should be made chattel slaves of government and put to work in mines... it would bring hundreds of billions of dollars to the coffers of government and it is only a minority group so no one should have any problems with it.