“I’ve never voted to raise taxes, and I don’t intend to.”

[MannyGoldstein]

says John Boehner, regarding the deal he's cutting with Obama

So $3 trillion in cuts to programs that keep people out of poverty, zero tax increases, and the lowest top tax rate since 1915.

Did I wake up in bizarro world again this morning?

[ProSense]

1. "Did I wake up in bizarro world again this morning?"

If John Boehner is speaking for President Obama, then yes.

[jefferson_dem]

2. Thing is...

He doesn't have to vote to do shit on taxes and Bush's cuts will expire.

Ezra Klein lays it out clearly:

The revenue in this plan is approximately equal to the revenue from letting the Bush tax cuts on the rich expire -- which is something Democrats could do with zero Republican votes in 2012, when the Bush tax cuts are set to expire automatically. In other words, Democrats are demanding, as part of this deal, that Republicans agree to let them do...something they could do even if Republicans refused to agree to it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/wonkbook-new-anger-about-a-mostly-old-deal/2011/07/22/gIQAkP2MTI_blog.html

EDIT: I wouldn't necessarily "refudiate" the bizarro world thingy.

[tularetom]

3. The tax cuts were set to expire once before

And Obama extended them in return for an extension of unemployment benefits.

Do you trust the republicans not to manufacture some fake crisis in 2012 in order to force Obama to extend them again? I don't.

And I'm not sure I trust the Democrats not to fall for it.

[Jackpine Radical]

5. At the very least, O will cave to Republican PR about "raising taxes."

The Bush tax cuts are here to stay, and so are the payroll tax cuts. The former will kill state & local government, while the latter will kill SocSec.

YeeHaw, ain't America great?? Fiscal policy has been wrested from the control of the people and anyone purporting to represent them, and lodged in the megacorps and their minions, where it obviously belongs.

[Cosmocat]

15. God darned straight they will ...

There is ZERO ..

NO ..

NONE ...

NADA ...

Chance the Rs make good on any promise of ANY kind, much less a promise that involve taxes.

I like BO a good bit, but I was greatly disappointed by his allowing them to box him into extending these friggen tax cuts in December. This shiite is like Lucy, Charlie Brown and the football - I think we all know where republicans, BO and taxes go in that story ...

[dkf]

4. Which is why this insistence that we have revenue in this package is LAME.

No one needs to vote to increase taxes. They just have to sit on their butts.

[RaleighNCDUer]

8. There are more than one kind of tax revenue -

just because one specific tax cut is supposedly due to expire, that doesn't mean that there are not other sources of revenue that can be tapped.

Let me get this straight - you are arguing that the republican plan, with no revenue increases, is acceptable? Because SOME tax revenue will be increased in a year and a half (if he republicans don't stop it)?

[flamingdem]

6. What I don't understand is why the gang of 6 proposal wants to lower taxes for the rich

from 35% to 28% tops I think. That is a huge concession to the wealthy and a huge loss to the treasury.

But it looks like that is the bargaining chip..

[valerief]

7. Most of Congress are agents for the wealthy. That's their job, to protect the wealthy. nt

[RaleighNCDUer]

9. If you don't understand why they'd propose that, they you don't understand

their reason for existence.

[flamingdem]

12. I should say - why in hell should the Dems accept that? They have elections to consider nt

[Fuddnik]

10. What could possibly be more fair? Everybody gets cut!

The rich and the corporations get more tax cuts.

Us peons get Social Security cuts, Medicare cuts, job cuts. What more could we ask for. Ponies?


Yep, it's Bizzaro World. The "new normal".

[florida08]

11. yes that is the way it's headed

[ejpoeta]

13. and if they are so concerned about the debt, then why are they cutting taxes!!

they are taking revenues OUT of the coffers!! they aren't concerned about debt!!! this is a big red flag. cutting taxes is bringing LESS MONEY IN!!!

[Jakes Progress]

17. When did you come to trust republicans' promises?

[scheming daemons]

14. Wow.... using a Boehner quote to bash the President some more... you're quite the contortionist

[blkmusclmachine]

16. The GOP lies continuously.

And some of our "Democrats" fall for it every single time. These "Democrats" are either the biggest rubes evah, or are in on it. Take your pick. It's really that simple.