House Republicans are a significant minority through the date the tax cuts expires.

[ProSense]

Why are Republicans, the media and a lot of other idiots pretending that Republicans get to dictate what happens before the tax cuts expire?

The Hill:

House GOP Whip Eric Cantor (Va.) threw cold water on the proposed plan, which would temporarily extend tax cuts for the wealthy while permanently extending tax cuts for the middle class. "Taxes shouldn't be going up on anybody right now," Cantor said.

Cantor's comments Monday evening on Fox News follow similar remarks from Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the incoming senior Republican on the Senate's tax-writing committee. While Hatch expressed an open mind to extending tax cuts past the 2012 election rather than permanently extending the rates, he also ruled out the decoupling proposal.

Former Congressman Martin Frost If Obama wants another term, he needs to reach out to GOP lawmakers

<...>

The first step for President Obama to reach out to Republicans would be to agree to a one- or two-year extension of all Bush-era tax cuts including personal income tax rates, 15 percent rate for dividends and 15 percent for capital gains. He could couple this with a request that everyone withhold judgment on other matters until his deficit reduction panel makes its recommendations on Dec. 1, and he could urge both parties to then work together to implement as many of these recommendations as possible.

<...>

Seriously, WTF?

[polichick]

1. They believe they can roll the prez, and he hasn't exactly said they can't. nt

[FBaggins]

2. What's the difference?

You really think that people will wake up on d-day+1 and say "well... now the tax rates are higher an we're just debating who we should cut taxes for"?

Whatever they do with rates, they're going to be effective for the entire year. It isn't going to make a difference whether some cuts are extended or allowed to expire and then passed again.

Acting while we still have a majority is a far bigger deal than the technicality of when the cuts expire.

[OhioBlue]

3. they need to increase capital gains taxes to help the economy

think about it... if you are a financial planner... when do you advise your client to extract capital for personal income? when the rates are low.

Raise the rates and companies will make more capital investment - which would create jobs.

[Cosmocat]

22. For the EVER LOVING LIFE OF ME ...

I don't get how this SIMPLE friggen concept has been completely washed over by the tax cuts create jobs scam ... I mean, this is basic, SIMPLE friggen logic ...

The higher rates goose people to ACTUALLY INVEST IN GROWTH to write the cost off ... You lower the rates or even eliminate them like the moron chattering class MSM spews like zombies, and they will FOREVER just keep them in safer investments ...

[OhioBlue]

25. I KNOW!!!

It makes me want to bang my head against the wall. So many educated people that buy into this myth and forget Accounting 101!

The damned propaganda trumps all logic and truth.

[playstation]

4. My best guess on lame duck outcome

b*ush tax cuts extended, including for the filthy rich.

DADT left in place.

[polichick]

5. If Dems play it spinelessly during the lame duck...

They're complete idiots.

btw, welcome to DU!

[LiberalFighter]

10. Consider that the Blue Dogs that lost are still there until noon 1/3/2011

[polichick]

11. No more blue dog excuses - time for our leaders to LEAD...

Maybe Reid and Obama can get some pointers from Pelosi.

[ProSense]

15. Doesn't matter.

Even if the a plurality of them vote with Republicans, it will be against the Democratic package, ensuring that the tax cuts expire.

[ProSense]

7. So are

you saying that Cantor has a say or that he's full of shit that Republicans will not compromise?

That was the point of the OP: Republican's role.

[playstation]

16. Dems in Congress boxed themselves in

If the repugs refuse to compromise and Dems cave, pugs get what they want. If they refuse to compromise and the tax rates expire on schedule, they get the talking point they want ("see- Dems raised taxes").

[ProSense]

17. Nope

"If the repugs refuse to compromise and Dems cave, pugs get what they want."

You assume that compromise means Republicans get what they want. The reason the tax cuts are about to expire is that Republicans had to compromise some years ago and didn't get what they wanted: permanent tax cuts.

They desperately want to make them permanent this go around. They are not going to get that.


"If they refuse to compromise and the tax rates expire on schedule, they get the talking point they want ("see- Dems raised taxes")."

Oh well, they still don't get what they want: permanent tax cuts for the rich.

[Lord Magus]

27. There's a third option, though.

Repugs refuse to compromise and Dems act without them. The Repugs are still the minority after all. We don't need a single Republican vote for this.

And if they try in the Senate to filibuster the extensions that don't include the top bracket, that doesn't matter either. The Bush tax cuts were passed under reconciliation. Why not pass the Obama tax cuts the same way?

[harun]

24. It's going to be interesting. But in the end, smart money goes with your

prediction.

As long as I have been alive, when the Upper Class asks Congress to jump, they have always responded by asking "How high and how fast?".

[playstation]

26. Here it is- White House Gives in on Bush Tax Cuts

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's top adviser suggested to The Huffington Post late Wednesday that the administration was ready to accept an across-the-board continuation of steep Bush-era tax cuts, including those for the wealthiest taxpayers.

That appears to be the only way, said David Axelrod, that middle-class taxpayers can keep their tax cuts, given the legislative and political realities facing Obama in the aftermath of last week's electoral defeat.

"We have to deal with the world as we find it," Axelrod said during an unusually candid and reflective 90-minute interview in his office, steps away from the Oval Office. "The world of what it takes to get this done."

"There are concerns," he added, that Congress will continue to kick the can down the road in the future by passing temporary extensions for the wealthy time and time again. "But I don't want to trade away security for the middle class in order to make that point."

It has been widely assumed that the president would have to accept an across-the-board deal of some kind, but Axelrod's remarks were the first public confirmation of that fact -- and by a figure regarded as closer to Obama than any other White House staffer.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/10/white-house-gives-in-on-bush-tax-cuts_n_781992.html

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9533695

[Ozymanithrax]

6. But they are sufficient to fillibuster in the Senate. n/t

[ProSense]

8. Yes, but

that still doesn't mean they get to dictate the terms. They will be part of the negotiations, but they do not design the package.

So claiming they refuse to compromise is BS noise. If they don't compromise, then the tax cuts will expire. Simple.

[Ozymanithrax]

12. If they expire, one of the early battles will be pushing a large tax cut...

proposal through congress. That that is what the American people voted for, arguing over tax cuts rather than jobs jobs jobs.

By the way, I have no problem with them expiring.

[ProSense]

14. Can you see that battle?

Republicans pushing for larger tax cuts for the rich.

Democrats still have the majority in the Senate, which at least guarantees that there is no veto proof majority.

Frankly, if the tax cuts expire. Republicans will become more desperate. Who knows what they'll agree to.

[Ozymanithrax]

19. I will not be phrased as tax cuts for the rich.

It will be Tax cuts for every American.

Obama just enacted the biggest tax cut in history on the middle class.

Republicans are the friends of every American.

And, it will work with a lot of people.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

18. You mean, the majority of the 40% of the people who voted in last week's elections

They don't "speak" for the American public. A more representative majority of people polled DON'T support a permanent extension of the Bush Tax Cuts on the upper class. The Republicans think that just because they won the House in last week's election that they are in charge of everything now and that they can do whatever they damn well please. They'll get one hell of a cold blast of water in their faces come January next year.

[Ozymanithrax]

20. We have a government elected by the majority who vote.

In accordance with the Constitution,they do speak for all Americans because they were elected in accordance with the Constitution.

If a more representative majority voted, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Since they did not, this is what that representative majority want and we will all get what they deserve.

Maybe next time they will get off their lazy asses and vote, but don't count on it.

[FBaggins]

21. Actually, yes... they do "speak" for the American public.

I don't know whether money is "speech" or not, but one thing I do know is that the purest form of political speech in a democracy is whether you vote and who you vote for.

We don't know exactly what the 40% (give or take) were saying with their vote (though we know the results), but we do know what the silent majority was saying to that 40%:

"You choose for me... I don't care"

[ProSense]

23. That's true, but

members of Congress have a responsibility to do the right thing. If the public is misinformed or underinformed, then it makes little sense for Congress or the WH to act irresponsibly.

Case in point: Iraq.

[polichick]

13. It's only simple if our leaders get that it's simple - so far there is no sign...

...that they do.

[Lord Magus]

28. One word: reconciliation.

That's how the tax cuts were passed originally after all.

[LiberalFighter]

9. Reach out to Republicans? Is the guy blind? Or more likely a weasel.

He talks about the need to work together but yet Frost ignores the fact that the Republicans except for a select few have worked against any serious legislation. Democrats are willing to go more than half way by providing tax cuts for everyone. But less than 3% will have higher taxes just on taxable income above $250k (married filing jointly.)

Are they seriously thinking of blocking this for everyone? The key is that everyone will receive tax cuts.