Democrats have played stage one of the kabuki dance on tax cuts and unemployment benefits.
Now is not the time to panic, fold, or to do anything at all.
The stage has been set. Republicans voted against the middle class, they voted against the unemployed, they showed their utter contempt for the American people.
They want a second $700B bailout for the wealthy. Guess who will pay for it? Look at the deficit commission's proposals: raise the age for social security, gut medicare.
Give that message a time to take hold. To sear itself into peoples' psyches. To begin to express itself in frustration, in anger. Point the finger of blame where it belongs. Talk about middle class taxpayers unwillingness to give another $700B bailout to the wealthy. Hey, the wealthy have not even said "thanks" for the first one.
Let the outrage at what Republicans have done take hold in the electorate. Let it simmer. Let it boil.
In the nanosecond news cycle we live it, it will not take long.
The president needs to get out of Washington DC to Maine to hold rallies. To Massachusetts to hold a rally with Vicky Kennedy (rumor is she will run against Scott Brown). To Connecticut. To Ohio. To Pennsylvania, not Pennsylvania Avenue.
Sitting in the White House, negotiating with a bunch of puppets, is not the way to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice.
It is not even the way to grow the economy.
The president wants a bipartisan agreement. Here's how to get one: get enough votes to break a Senate filibuster, and the actual vote on the measures for the middle class tax cuts and extension of unemployment insurance will, suddenly, become 65-35. Or, 68-32. And, he will not have had to make a single concession on policy or principle.
The American people are already behind this. And, after tens of millions of dollars thrown into the recent election scaring people about their taxes and the jobless recovery (which is still one year ahead of Reagan's!). Their disinformation campaign of lies has peaked.
Voters remorse is setting in.
And, think of this -- move the Senate to a vote, and the House Republicans are on the record voting against middle class tax cuts and for a second $700B bailout of the wealthy.
Indelibly.
SHAME - SHAME - SHAME!
Holding America hostage so that they can fill their their already bulging purses at the expense of the American taxpayer!
SHAME - SHAME - SHAME!
How much of our money do you need, mr. Boehner? What will you try to dismantle next, saying that there is no money in the budget for it? How far will you let America sink?
The real question now for those who want to fight this to the last ditch is this: how practical is it to fight past 12/31 against the extensions, when automatically the cuts would expire? Is it practical to wait till the tax rates go up, and then attempt to keep rates at Clinton-era levels for the wealthy only?
At that point, with a new Congress seated, and all power of vote scheduling in the hands of the Republicans, could Democrats really force a vote that made Republicans too return most Americans' rates to the Bush rate? Lawrence O'Donnnel last night said even if it could be done, to do so would create an unworkable nightmare of calculation and enforcement. Is he correct?
If he is, then as our party decided to wait until it had no choice but to extend all the cuts, lest they see millions face the new year without unemployment checks, and lest they lose whatever chance they have at providing more stimulus for the economy, the Democrats have tried to make things appear as if they were forced into a position of their own devising. .
They are not looking for someone who will toss in the towel and give the wealthy exactly what they want at the first sign of opposition.
Republicans intend to destroy social security and medicare not save it!
Obama has come to their aid in his false hopes of winning a second term.
It is time for us to become angry that our needs and our desires have been shoveled into the dust bin along with the ethics and basic human rights America was so proud of for so many years.
If we allow these elected officials to continue dismantling our country, we can be sure that they will sell it to the wealthy, who already own 80% of it.
Let us use our numbers to revolt and bring about real change, unlike the hollow words the Tea Party yelled.
BLOOMBEG-MADOFF 2012!
I fear for the immediate future. I think the situation is dire and at some point we'll see chaos, violence, or a sudden collapse of our federal government. These people in DC are clueless, the electorate is freaking out, and no one is paying attention to the real issues.
tax break? The Republicans got themselves nominated thru the superfunding of campaigns by masked corporations, millionaires and billionaires. It is obvious that this president is going to cave. If he does not, the super rich will buy another president. He is one of them, he is now in WASHINGTON, it is where the rich find like minded misers to make them richer and campaign promises peel away over months and then it is time for reelection and new lies are created. .
When the supreme court allowed corporate wealth to decide our elections, we lost…we all lost and have little control over the next election. We are now giving hours of overtime which used to be compensated. We work two part time jobs, pick up children after dark at day care, maybe turn on the news at the end of the day. Chances are it will be FOX news.
In about 14 months more poison will come to the air waves, only it will be worse, masked wealth has demonstrated that it does not matter what lies fill the airways.
It is about GREED and the war against the exhausted middle class.
Let the greedy wear their proud titles, let the tax cuts expire, let unemployment run out…maybe if people get really mad…maybe…..there will be hope again.
Washington can not solve this…there is too much conflict of interest, in ALL houses.
Fanned, though, for the overview.
Kabuki plays are full of meaning, both obvious and subtle, brought to roaring life by actors of unsurpassed skill and artistry.
What we have here in Washington is, if anything, more akin to Roman Farce, in more ways than one.
It is the House Repub’s vote against the MIDDLE CLASS. This leave
Mr. Boehner standing out there naked and fuming before the whole world
(as I suggested previously).
If there is futility when this bill is defeated by Senate filibuster, that pales
in significance compared to the exposure of the Repub position on cuts for
the richest. I say to Congress, EXPOSE, EXPOSE, EXPOSE.
Make them vote!