The only way to stop Republicans is to be Republicans first.

[MannyGoldstein]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-10/obama-to-propose-specific-long-term-plan-to-reduce-deficit-plouffe-says.html">Obama to Propose New Deficit-Cutting Plan, Plouffe Says

President Barack Obama, following up on the budget deal he reached with congressional leaders that averted a government shutdown, will announce long-term proposals this week for cutting the federal deficit, White House adviser David Plouffe said.

The president will set specific deficit-reduction targets and a timeline for reaching them, Plouffe said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” Obama will use a “scalpel, not a machete” and take a “balanced approach,” Plouffe said on “Fox News Sunday.”

...

Plouffe said Obama in his speech this week will address the need to control entitlement spending on such programs as Medicare and Medicaid that provide health care for millions of Americans. The Democratic president also will renew his call for higher taxes for the wealthy that were lowered when Republican President George W. Bush was in office and preserved through 2012 under a congressional compromise under Obama.

Obama believes “a trillion-dollar” tax cut for those making more than $250,000 a year is unacceptable, Plouffe said. Upper-income Americans “need to contribute to the deficit reduction in this country,” he said.

This will stop the Republicans in their tracks. History shows that this move certainly won't cause Republicans to push even further to the crazy-right to differentiate themselves from Democrats.

Got it? Working Americans, retirees, and the defenseless will triumph mightily.

[ProSense]

1. USA Today: "In his speech, Obama will say..."

Obama to deliver speech on deficit reduction this week

<...>

Obama will address cuts to defense and domestic spending, as well as what to do with the growing entitlement programs of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, Plouffe said. He will talk about "dollar amounts" over "a period of years."

<...>

Plouffe said on ABC's This Week With Christiane Amanpour that Obama does not believe Social Security to be "a significant driver in our deficit in the short term." But he added, "if there's a way to strengthen Social Security that doesn't hurt retirees and beneficiaries in the short term, and doesn't slash benefits in the long term, he's willing to work with Congress on this."

As part of deficit reduction, Obama will continue to fight for the expiration of George W. Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest taxpayers, Plouffe said. Obama and congressional Republicans agreed to a two-year extension of those tax cuts in December in order to prevent expiration of all the Bush tax cuts for all taxpayers.

In his speech, Obama will say that "people like him .., who've been very fortunate in life, have the ability to pay a little bit more," Plouffe said on NBC's Meet The Press.

<...>

[MannyGoldstein]

11. Again signalling his willingness to cut future Social Security benefits

despite their being http://fdrdemocrats.org/the-common-sense-guide-to-social-security/2/">no particular reason to believe the Trust Fund will ever be depleted.

[johnaries]

16. Did you read it? He says eaxactly the opposite of what you claim.

Plouffe said on ABC's This Week With Christiane Amanpour that Obama does not believe Social Security to be "a significant driver in our deficit in the short term." But he added, "if there's a way to strengthen Social Security that doesn't hurt retirees and beneficiaries in the short term, and doesn't slash benefits in the long term, he's willing to work with Congress on this."

PS, it's "there", not "their" - Grammar Police.

[MannyGoldstein]

19. Note his distinction between short term and long term?

"not hurt" vs "not slash". Why do you think he made a distinction?

[jeanpalmer]

23. Tax cuts for the rich

How can he "continue to fight" for something he just gave to the other side...without a fight?

[Exilednight]

2. If Obama really believed that trillion dollar tax cuts for the rich were unacceptable, he would of

vetoed them.

[RBInMaine]

4. And then ALL tax cuts for the middle class would have ended. DUMB idea. Politics is the art of comp

romise and art of the possible under the circumstances you have. Also, the bill ending the tax cuts for the rich was voted on and FAILED in the congress. You do what you can with what you have. Going into 2012 IS the time to draw that line in the sand.

[Exilednight]

5. No they wouldn't of. Obama signaled early that he was willing to backdown, and Republicans pushed.

[Sherman A1]

21. I would have been okay with losing

the middle class (not that there is much of it left anyway) tax cut to end the Bush era tax cuts for the wealthy.

Congress could have always come back with a real middle class tax cut, but my feeling is that this approach was never really pushed.

[Bluerthanblue]

9. If Pres. O really approved of tax cuts for the rich he'd have made them

permanent-

He would NOT have made the comment he did about them being the "holy grail" of the Republicans.

They made that their priority.

[Exilednight]

13. Then he shouldn't have extended them. n/t

[Cirque du So-What]

3. You got anything to say about the 'higher taxes for the wealthy' thingie?

Didn't think so.

Don't ever change, Manny. If you were to ever say something positive about Barack Obama, I think I would swoon with apoplexy!

[Exilednight]

6. Other than the fact that he had the chance to kill them last year? n/t

[Cirque du So-What]

7. Singlehandedly?

Wow! Talk about your 'unified executive!' I thought CONGRESS had to make that happen. Silly me :eyes:

[Exilednight]

8. Ending the tax cuts for the rich only required a veto. IF Obama had stood his ground, the tax cuts

would of sunset and expired. He signed legislation to extend them, when he could of sat on his hands and ended them.

[Cirque du So-What]

10. O how soon they forget!

Key House Republican Vows To Block Middle Class Tax Cuts If Rich Aren’t Given Their Fair Share

One of the key votes that will take place during the lame duck congressional session that began yesterday is what to do with the Bush tax cuts. President Obama and congressional Democrats want to extend the cuts for just middle class families, noting that extending the cuts for the richest two percent of Americans will add $830 billion to deficit over the next ten years. Republicans demand an extension of all the cuts, but have so far failed to put forward any convincing (or truthful) arguments explaining why giving the wealthiest Americans another tax break is the best use of almost a trillion dollars while the nation faces painful cuts to valuable government programs.

Today, a compromise emerged, which would split the issue into two votes — one for extending the tax cuts for the middle class, and another for the rich.

But as soon as the potential deal was floated by White House allies, a leading Republicans shot it down. Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), who plays a key role in GOP tax policy as the ranking member on the House Ways and Means Committee, which handles taxes, “said the GOP will block any proposal that extends tax cuts for the middle class for a longer period than those for the wealthy.” If Democrats insist on a longer period for the middle class cuts, “I think this issue will end up getting kicked into next year,” Camp said:

In a speech to the Tax Council, a business group, Mr. Camp called that plan “a terrible idea and a total nonstarter. We would be foolish to fall for it,” he said.

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/11/16/camp-no-compromise/

Have you completely forgotten this?!? Lay the blame entirely at the feet of Barack Obama if you must (and it's totally expected 'round here anymore), but renewing the tax cuts didn't happen in a vacuum, after all. I further contend that if tax cuts had not been extended for middle-income earners, you could have given the big kiss-off to any chance of an economic recovery whatsoever.

[Exilednight]

12. I have not forgotten. He could of let the tax cuts expire. It's not that hard to figure out. n/t

[Cirque du So-What]

14. Apparently, in your case, it IS that hard to figure out

You can continue to hold your breath and refuse to admit that the middle-income tax cuts would have expired along with those on the rich until you're blue in the face, but that won't alter the facts one whit. That was the hand he was dealt, and he didn't have the option to amend it - just pass it 'as is' or veto. I am glad he didn't veto it, as I believe economic recovery is more important than the rah-rah horseshit of 'winning.' Everything is not a fucking sporting event, yunno.

[Exilednight]

17. Republicans would of passed middle-class tax cuts after Obama had

let all the tax cuts expire. It would of been the best plan and it would of been easy to frame the debate. He rolled over and gave way to the Republicans, hook, line and sinker.

[Cirque du So-What]

20. Predicting the future is the province of Nostradumbass

Don't put yourself in that category. You have no way of knowing if that scenario would have occurred. You may be willing to be so cavalier with a fledgling recovery, but there are more important things than salving one's ego.

[rufus dog]

15. the point is the middle tax cut would have expired also

that was the trade off.

[Exilednight]

18. They would of only have expired for about two weeks. He could of let

them all expire and then pushed for what he wanted, but he signaled early that he was willing to "compromise".

[Keith Bee]

22. Ah, no

Unrec