Rep. Gary Ackerman: Tax Cut Deal Is GOP's 'Wet Dream Act'

Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.) used a crude play on words Wednesday, when he described what he saw as Obama's gift to the GOP in the recent tax cut deal as the "Republican Wet Dream Act" -- apparently no relation to the actual Dream Act.

"Members of the Democratic caucus are saying 'why should we take this vote, we're gonna get blamed for adding to the deficit,'" Ackerman told MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan in his analysis of the potential political consequences of passing Obama's tax plan. "This isn't the Dream Act, this is the Republican Wet Dream Act. They get the Democrats to add to the deficit, they get all the benefits for their wealthiest friends in America to pay them off for their huge contributions that they made during the campaign and got an exemption from the U.S. Supreme Court. The whole thing is an absolute absurdity."

Vice President Joe Biden faced a number of irate House Democrats later on Wednesday, many of whom roundly criticized the White House for being too quick to accept what they saw as the short end of the stick on the bargain. On Thursday, the caucus voted to reject the deal in a non-binding vote.

WATCH:

Comments

[tinman1967]

01:59 PM on 12/10/2010

But speaking of the DREAM Act please unite to defeat it. It is a nightmare.

[Ravenlea]

12:33 PM on 12/10/2010

If anyone hasn't heard Al Franken's eloquent and telling speech on taxes, I can't recommend it highly enough. Every American should hear it.... It's the most clear and concise description of the inherent deceit of the GOP tax arguments I have ever heard. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVURyaA9UWY&feature=player_embedded

[emicscram]

11:51 AM on 12/10/2010

Is anybody here sick of the two party system yet?

[tinman1967]

02:00 PM on 12/10/2010

No, I think it's working just fine.

[falco]

02:45 PM on 12/10/2010

Yes, but I fear another party would be controlled by the same people who control the two we have - the bankers.

[JTH2711]

11:22 AM on 12/10/2010

IT'S A TRAP!!!!!

[Coco Lily]

09:40 AM on 12/10/2010

Rep. Gary Ackerman is reiterating what I've been saying since the new budget was introduced.
The Republicans and The Heritage Foundation spent two years outlining a plan to pretty much ties President Obama in a political Gordian Knot. Apparently they studied the ramifications from all angles and came up with a no win situation and determined that if he acquiesces to their demands, they'll accuse him of adding to the deficit; if he doesn't acquiesce they'll blame him for raising taxes.
On top of this they've gone for the ultimate trifecta of jeopardizing harmony within the Congressional and Senate Democrats, between President Obama and the Democratic Congress and Senate and with the base.
"With great power comes great responsibility". Too bad the Republicans can't focus their
misguided attempts to revive our economy and not sabotage our government.

[Jon Dorian]

09:34 AM on 12/10/2010

Here's an idea, Ackerman: CUT SPENDING!

[CPAwADD]

11:19 AM on 12/10/2010

Something absolutely no Republican was able to specify when running for office. Easier said than done.

[emicscram]

11:36 AM on 12/10/2010

Answer: Abolish the US Department of Education.

[sarcasm]

[emicscram]

11:34 AM on 12/10/2010

End the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and slash military spending by 50%!

[dvtaz]

09:12 AM on 12/10/2010

A real class act from Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.) What an embarrassment to the country.

[JB1977]

09:50 AM on 12/10/2010

Oh no, he said wet dream! Cover your ears everyone!

[emicscram]

11:38 AM on 12/10/2010

Do you point your pinky finger upward when you drink your tea?

[Cynth]

09:03 AM on 12/10/2010

"Wet dream act"...sounds like tea bagging might be involved.

[johnnyboy13]

08:25 AM on 12/10/2010

It is fun reading posts of Liberals eating other Liberals. Get used to it. Only going to get worse for you from here on. You had 23 months, and you blew it, just like last time!

[rockgod]

08:29 AM on 12/10/2010

You tell 'em Johnny Boy :) ! LOL!

[fr33d0mhawk]

08:33 AM on 12/10/2010

Johnny Boy wants to go back to the good old days when Reagan gave US arms to Iranian terrorists because Johnny hates America as bad as Al Qaeda hates America.

[fr33d0mhawk]

08:32 AM on 12/10/2010

Blew it like during Clinton? You didn't mean blow it like Bush, doubling the national debt, lying us into war, ignoring warnings of planes flying into buildings, letting people drown in Katrina, killing thousands of Americans for the almighty buck for his Wahabist buddies at Muslim-nation based Halliburton, trillions thrown down toilets, record corruption and collusion from Bush resulting in the fall of Enron, tens of billions in corporate welfare for Exxon, kidnap and torture of innocent civilians like the KGB would do, and you dare to insult Democrats? It must because you are pro-KGB Big Govt fasco-communist who loves seeing the GOP destruction of America. Love it or leave it pal.

[Cynth]

09:06 AM on 12/10/2010

Nice job. Sounds like johnnyboy just got owned...

[PigsOnSoma]

09:16 AM on 12/10/2010

"It must because you are pro-KGB Big Govt fasco-comm­unist who loves seeing the GOP destructio­n of America."

What a spot on sentence.

[hornedcog]

08:25 AM on 12/10/2010

Obama should announce that he is switching parties, now. He is a Republican.

[Chivas]

08:01 AM on 12/10/2010

Obama lost his bols and is apparently spineless. At least, there are some democrats with more sense than him. Adding 500 billion to the deficit, to help the richest of the rich, is not a good idea. Let the repugnlicans be the ones to deny unemployment benefits. They will pay for it, but to take your pants down in the middle of the conversation is beyond belief. This is not the change I voted for!

[willdabeast831]

02:43 PM on 12/10/2010

Actually it is over $800 billion that it will add.

[Chivas]

02:53 PM on 12/10/2010

OMG! 300 more billion than I thought! Thanks

[p c r]

07:36 AM on 12/10/2010

My paycheck did not change significantly when Bush's tax cuts went into effect. That is because I a middle class worker, not super rich. The only significant difference I have noticed resulting from the tax cuts were an increased national deficit. The law passed re: Bush Tax Cuts was that they were to expire on December 31, 2010. Let them expire and move forward as we try to expunge any remnants of the fiasco we now call "The Bush years" (2 senseless wars, doubling the national debt, bringing the country to the edge of another Great Depression).

[tacevad]

08:17 AM on 12/10/2010

your paycheck did not change significantly, but your expenses have skyrocketed due to less federal money available to state and local projects and services that depended upon them.Now that dependence is on the lower and middle class taxpayer while the federal government hands out billions to big business and the wealthy.

[IncludeMeOut]

09:52 AM on 12/10/2010

Bingo-my transportation expenses increased $60 per month, thanks to underfunding of mass transit by "Governor Wrecking Ball" Cristi, and my property taxes went up $!,000. Thank you sir, may I have another.

[tinman1967]

02:03 PM on 12/10/2010

We rich folk can't pay all the taxes. We pay far more than our share now. Time for the little people to feel some pain.

[willdabeast831]

02:47 PM on 12/10/2010

13% is more than your share? I pay closer to 40% of what I make in taxes, I'm already feeling the "pain." Make your money on the backs of the working class, then find every tax loophole you can to nothing. You people give us the crumbs, but tell us if we don't pick them up before they hit the floor you're going to eat them yourself. I wish people in the wealthy class would be forced to live like us working class folks for a while and see what real life is like.

[emicscram]

09:13 PM on 12/10/2010

Damn, you're funny.

[michael3ov]

07:28 AM on 12/10/2010

This was the perfect position for democrats to take back the national debate regarding taxes but they passed up the opportunity. Or Obama passed it u[ actually. The republicans hijacked this debate years ago and they have the average American thinking that they work hard to lower their taxes, when in actuality they are working for around 6,000,000 out of 300,000,000. Its actually much less than that but the message is the same. Obama really passed up a golden opportunity for democrats to be seen as more fiscally responsible and the champions of the middle class. They want to constantly play partisan politics and state that their number one goal is to make Obama look bad instead of helping the country in this time. Obama should have given them some of their own medicine. Everyone send an email to Obama and let him know what you think!

http://www.emailthepresident.com/

[yougg]

07:04 AM on 12/10/2010

Go Gary! Republicans have been trashing the President before he even go into office.

[michael3ov]

06:52 AM on 12/10/2010

It is more of their reprehensible "starve the beast" strategy.