President Obama Does The Right Thing

So in the end with time running out and Democrat Senators making zero progress after delaying handling the matter until the last possible moment President Obama steped in and cut a deal.    Had Obama not stepped in the tax rate on the lowest bracket would have gone from 10% to 15%, a 50% increase in tax rate on the poorest taxpayers.


If there is dissatisfaction it should be directed at the Senators who failed to do their jobs and the Republicans who obstruct and gum up the function of the government.


The President doesn't have the luxury of letting the country fall apart and the Senators don't appear to care one way or the other. Keith Olbermann (MSNBC Cable) has as is his want once again shot his mouth off with out using the grey matter between his ears to properly assign blame.    If the House and Senate don't like Obama's Deal then they can vote it down, but they won't.    They are happy someone else made the decision and they have something to hide behind.    As for Olbermann he seems intent on racing Glenn Beck to crazyville.

The end of December is the drop dead date for cutting a deal.    I couldn't care less who cuts it as long as it gets done.    Here's the bottom line, President Obama Did The Right Thing.

Click for Video      Obama Explains Terms of Deal

Background Info

United Senate Republicans joined a small handful of Democrats on Saturday to defeat a pair of proposals to extend some of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts signed into law by President George W. Bush.


Voting nearly identically, the Senate twice failed to meet a 60-vote threshold necessary to move forward on both proposals.    Meeting in a rare Saturday session after agreements fell through for a Friday vote, the results were widely expected.    They were also somewhat premature, as the White House is still negotiating with congressional leaders on an alternative compromise proposal.


The first proposal by Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) would have extended the cuts only for individuals with incomes of up to $200,000 and families with incomes of up to $250,000.    That failed by a vote of 53-36, with all GOP senators in opposition as well as Democrats Russ Feingold (Wis.), Joe Manchin (W.V.), Ben Nelson (Neb.) and Jim Webb (Va.).


The second proposal by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) would have extended the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanently for incomes of up to $1 million, among other provisions such as a one-year extension of unemployment benefits and cuts in capital gains, estate and dividend taxes.    That failed, 53-37, with Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) joining the ‘no’ votes.

Senate Democrats give up push for pre-election tax cut vote, September 23, 2010.


Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other Democratic leaders have expressed desire to extend the tax cuts.    Senate Democrats will not vote on extending Bush-era tax cuts for families making less than $250,000 a year before the upcoming congressional elections, the spokesman for Majority Leader Harry Reid confirmed Thursday.

"We will come back in November [after the elections] and stay in session as long as it takes to get this done," said a statement from Reid's spokesman, Jim Manley.


The announcement followed reports by CNN, citing senior Democratic sources, that Senate Democrats would hold off for now on forcing a vote on the measure pushed by President Obama.

The deal the President struck with republicans was necessary.   It wasn't his job to cut the deal.    The House and Senate should have cut the deal and sent it to Obama for signature or veto.    The House is willing to do their job and over the last two years has been hung out to dry by the Senate almost 200 times.    The Senate is a Non-Functional Gathering of Wind Bags who lack the courage to reach a decision on anything.


Controlling the language and semantics is important in politics.    It is obvious that calling the 2001 and 2003 Tax Cut bills the “Bush Tax Cuts” is not correct.    I hereby propose a few alternatives. First, for the HB 1836: Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001:


Feinstein-Nelson Tax Cuts: In honor of the Yea votes of Sens. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Ben Nelson (D-NE).


The Democratic Presents of 2001: In honor of the five Democratic Senators who voted “Present”.      (Kerry (MA), Murray (WA), Boxer (CA), Harkin (IA), Leahy (VT), and a special Democratic Congressman who was also “Present”: Kendrick Meek (FL). Thanks guys for lacking the courage to cast a vote.


The Bi-Partisan Tax Relief Act of 2001


Now, for the 2003 cuts, the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, which reduced the third through top
rates, lets consider these re-names.

Another Tax Cut McCain Voted Against Act.     McCain voted against tax relief in 2003, just as in 2001.    John McCain used to
vote Democratic more often than some of our Blue Dogs.     Sadly John no longer remembers anything prior to 2009.


The Bi-Partisan Tax Relief Act of 2003, with seven Democrats in the House and two in the Senate voting yes.


The Cheney Liberty Act, in honor of the man casting the deciding vote in the Senate.

So now Obama steps in and brings some order to this cat herding madness and you want to pretend he messed up your master plan.     Send your cards and letters to the phonies pretending to be Democrats.      As long as Democrats have five different positions and are marching in three different directions then Democrats are going nowhere.