Obama couldn't govern himself out of a wet paper bag

[madhatter85]

After all this whining about needing to stop the Bush tax cuts and hollering about "Redistribution of Wealth" (such a load of chicken crap, that idiot), Obama goes and says his idea would avert the “chilling prospect” of a tax increase next month for all Americans.

If it was such a "Chilling Prospect" for him then why the hell is there even a debate?

His approval rating is one point lower than Bush's toward the end of his term.

Interestingly enough he decides to cut revenue for social security? that isn't very democrat of him at all... I hope they get rid of social security all together. smaller government. more freedom.

 

[Revoltingest]

Interestingly enough he decides to cut revenue for social security? that isn't very democrat of him at all... I hope they get rid of social security all together. smaller government. more freedom.

Alas, we all know that smaller gov't isn't going to happen. At least this tax cut reduces the marginal rate for a large productive class of people.
To be permanent would be nice, but I think it's the only positive stimulus measure taken yet.

 

[Kathryn]

I couldn't believe how inappropriate Obama's press conference was - and what an opportunity he missed to build credibility with moderates and even the right.

Rather than continuing to polarize and divide with his rhetoric about disagreeing with so much of the compromise, he could have focused on the areas of agreement and the positives of the compromise. But instead, once again, he insisted on dividing and demonizing.

The man is a political idiot and a buffoon.

He should be working toward unifying our country rather than doing all he can to divide the ranks. Terrible leadership.

 

[Nerthus]

It is the same things over and over. People get their hopes up when someone new comes into power, but it is the same thing over again.

 

[linwood]

To be permanent would be nice, but I think it's the only positive stimulus measure taken yet.

In what universe is this a positive stimulus measure?

How is increasing our debt by 700 bil a positive stimulus measure?

Please don`t give me the old "Trickle Down" ******** as it`s been evidenced to be a GOP fairy tale over and over again.

I would have rather they simply let the whole thing expire and I went back to paying the same tax rate I was paying 8 years ago.

The Dems are beyond weak, all they had to do to get what we needed was "nothing" they simply had to sit on their thumbs and let the whole thing exprire but they couldn`t even do "nothing" right.

 

[Revoltingest]

In what universe is this a positive stimulus measure?
How is increasing our debt by 700 bil a positive stimulus measure?

I'm only comparing it with other stimulus measures. Lower wage workers have a high marginal tax rate due to payroll taxes, & this increases rewards for their labors.
I don't want to add debt either, but I don't think Washington would like my ideas about cutting expenses.

Please don`t give me the old "Trickle Down" ******** as it`s been evidenced to be a GOP fairy tale over and over again.

Don't get angry. (Why does talk of economics do this to posters?)
Perhaps you think I'm talking about the "Bush tax cuts". No. I'm talking about the payroll tax cut.
I'd prefer to overhaul then entire tax code, but that's for another thread some day.

 

[Reverend Rick]

Please don`t give me the old "Trickle Down" ******** as it`s been evidenced to be a GOP fairy tale over and over again.

My check book would disagree with you. I will grant you that people at the bottom might not see a trickle, but the rest of us do.

It only makes sense that the more money the rich have the more they can spend on goods and services.

If you don't see a trickle, perhaps you are not in the service industry.

Small business in the service industry depends on this trickle to employ more folks.

 

[linwood]

I'm only comparing it with other stimulus measures. Lower wage workers have a high marginal tax rate due to payroll taxes, & this increases rewards for their labors.
I don't want to add debt either, but I don't think Washington would like my ideas about cutting expenses.

Lower wage workers are too busy swimming in debt to stimulate anything.
Lower wage workers were the ones who would have kept the tax cuts if the Dems actually had an ounce of courage to fight for what they wanted.
Disbanding the tax cuts for the rich and leaving them for the rest of us.

While they may very well have lost that fight they would have still been able to allow the whole thing to expire doing so and we would still be in a better position fiscally than we are now.

Only the Democratic party can find a way to lose in a win/win situation.
They`re pathetic.

Don't get angry. (Why does talk of economics do this to posters?)

I`m not angry at you Revolting but I`d love to see some righteous anger coming from my countrymen about how they`re screwed on an almost daily basis by our self centered short sighted "leadership".
I believe it`s more than warranted.

My check book would disagree with you. I will grant you that people at the bottom might not see a trickle, but the rest of us do.

That`s a joke Rick.
You`re checkbook?
What about Bank of Americas check book?
How about GM`s checkbook?
How about the checkbooks of any corporation or person that could actually make some cumulative difference?

The rich are most definitely not spending their cash.
Trickle down is an illusion.

It only makes sense that the more money the rich have the more they can spend on goods and services.

Then why aren`t they?
The rich have had more money than they`ve ever had the past ten years.
This country has more rich people in the past ten years per capita than it has ever had.
The past ten years have been the worst for our economy in my lifetime.

Where are the numbers that support your assertion?

If you don't see a trickle, perhaps you are not in the service industry.

I`ve been in the service industry for the past 30 years.
The past ten have been the worst economically I`ve ever seen.
The past two make me wonder how we (as an industry) can keep putting food on the table.

Small business in the service industry depends on this trickle to employ more folks.

If Trickle Down works why do we have a 9-10% unemployment rate?

Delusion.

 

[LuisDantas]

I couldn't believe how inappropriate Obama's press conference was - and what an opportunity he missed to build credibility with moderates and even the right.

Rather than continuing to polarize and divide with his rhetoric about disagreeing with so much of the compromise, he could have focused on the areas of agreement and the positives of the compromise. But instead, once again, he insisted on dividing and demonizing.

I beg your pardon, Kathryn? Is this the press conference you are talking about?

Obama, Republicans reach deal to extend tax cuts - Carrie Budoff Brown - POLITICO.com

If anything, it seems to me that he is compromising way too much - and for a long time now.

The man is a political idiot and a buffoon.

Apparently so, but then again so are his GOP opponents, far as I can tell. Hard times are ahead for the American people.

He should be working toward unifying our country rather than doing all he can to divide the ranks. Terrible leadership.

Of course, it is by going way too far towards "unifying" that he became such a terrible leader. Not that I think he had much of a choice, mind you. The political landscape of the USA is terribly, terribly self-destructive these days, and I fault Obama for not being stronger and more decisive - but then again I doubt he is allowed to truly act, for whatever reason.

 

[Revoltingest]

....I fault Obama for not being stronger and more decisive - but then again I doubt he is allowed to truly act, for whatever reason.

Who is stopping him from acting? His party had overwhelming power in Congress for 2 years.
Given his agenda though, I'm happy he is a weak leader....except for his failure to dump DADT & to exit foreign wars.

 

[LuisDantas]

Who is stopping him from acting? His party had overwhelming power in Congress for 2 years.

I can only guess, but my guess is that he believes that strong political stance will be too divisive. As Kathryn apparently confirms.

 

[Revoltingest]

I can only guess, but my guess is that he believes that strong political stance will be too divisive. As Kathryn apparently confirms.

But this is a choice by Obama. To say he is "not allowed to act" is what I take issue with.
What I see is just a continuation of his leadership style throughout his brief career, ie, that he is a follower of consensus more than a driving & independent force.

 

[LuisDantas]

But this is a choice by Obama. To say he is "not allowed to act" is what I take issue with.

Maybe you are right. I really don't know. But why else would he back down so completely from his campaign promises?

What I see is just a continuation of his leadership style throughout his brief career, ie, that he is a follower of consensus more than a driving & independent force.

That doesn't tell the whole story, IMO.

 

[Revoltingest]

Maybe you are right. I really don't know. But why else would he back down so completely from his campaign promises?
That doesn't tell the whole story, IMO.

You'd have to ask him....but I don't think you'd get a straight answer.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

But this is a choice by Obama. To say he is "not allowed to act" is what I take issue with.
What I see is just a continuation of his leadership style throughout his brief career, ie, that he is a follower of consensus more than a driving & independent force.

When was the last time we had a President that was?

Clinton, I suspect. God I wish she were President now.

 

[Revoltingest]

When was the last time we had a President that was?
Clinton, I suspect. God I wish she were President now.

I think Dubya was a strong leader, but didn't care for where he led us....you know....a couple deadly & costly quagmires overseas.
Strength in leadership isn't everything.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

I think Dubya was a strong leader, but didn't care for where he led us....you know....a couple deadly & costly quagmires overseas.
Strength in leadership isn't everything.

Stonger than Cheney?

I think that you're giving Bush more credit than he deserves.

 

[Revoltingest]

Stonger than Cheney?
I think that you're giving Bush more credit than he deserves.

I'm not giving him any credit, since I view leadership as a valueless trait...it can work for either good or bad.
Bush worked hard to get us into those wars. That took leadership. I don't believe it was a good thing.
As for Cheny, I know it's fun to see him as a puppet master, but I find no real evidence of it.

 

[Amill]

I beg your pardon, Kathryn? Is this the press conference you are talking about?

Obama, Republicans reach deal to extend tax cuts - Carrie Budoff Brown - POLITICO.com

If anything, it seems to me that he is compromising way too much - and for a long time now.

Yea I don't really see how it was a compromise at all. What aspect of the deal did the Republicans have to compromise on? Is the compromise the fact that it's only extended for the next 2 years?(for now) The democrats don't even want to go along with it. I think he just went along with it because he felt that he wasn't going to make any ground against the republicans about raising the taxes on the wealthy, and he didn't want to throw the rest of Americans under the bus. Wish he would have had some fight in him though, even after he came out with the proposed deal he was still saying that allowing the tax breaks for the wealthy was a bad idea, but hoped that people would realize this 2 years down the road. Why can't he prove it's a bad idea now?

 

[Dirty Penguin]

I think it's much easier for internet politicians to run their mouths than it would be for any of us to take on the task of running the country. What would you do if you were President....and more importantly, do you think your opposition would let you do it? Some of us can barely balance a check book let alone balance the government.