Politico Blames Republicans for 'Step Backwards' Even Though Harry Reid, Obama Threatening Shutdown
"Congress took a collective step backward in wrapping up a bitter year of legislating, as President Barack Obama’s top priority over the payroll tax holiday became mired in a battle over unrelated, partisan issues," groused Politico's Jake Sherman and Manu Raju in a December 14 story.
"House Republicans jammed through a version of the payroll tax bill Tuesday evening" Sherman and Raju complained, noting that the bill "calls for construction of the controversial Keystone KL [sic] oil pipeline, scales back an air-pollution rule, cuts Obama’s health reform law and reduces the length of unemployment benefits."
"It was largely a message vote — the GOP bill is dead on arrival in the Democratic Senate and faced a veto threat anyway — but it sets the stage again for a final, frenzied bout of deal making that has defined this divided Congress," the Politico staffers added.
Of course, the Republican-controlled House is actually passing legislation for consideration by the Democratic-led Senate. What's more, Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is, on advice from President Obama, threatening to hold up a vote on an unrelated spending measure to keep the government running past Friday.
Yet Sherman and Raju buried that fact deep in their article, preferring to portray Republicans as unreasonable obstructionists:
What has infuriated Republicans is Reid’s refusal — at the suggestion of Obama — to move on a separate government funding bill unless the two sides can reach a deal on the payroll tax bill. McConnell accused Democrats of raising the specter of a government shutdown simply because of concerns over the pipeline — since funding for many agencies would dry up Friday.
But Democrats say the ploy is working, and said Boehner will need to cut a deal over the payroll bill since he has no desire to see the government shut down.
By Sherman and Raju's own admission, the government shutdown threat is a "ploy" from partisan Democrats. Yet to Politico, it's Republicans who are unreasonable for linking a job-creating measure to a treasured Democratic tax holiday.
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Comments
Got to love the terminology
Submitted by CobraMan on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 12:05pm.
"payroll tax holiday"
Got to love the terminology people use when describing what is actually a tax payment deferment. It's not much of a "holiday" when you have to pay those "tax cuts" later, when you file your returns. Who, really, is going to celebrate a higher than normal tax bill at the end of the year?
There's a reason why those withholdings were enacted in the first place. It was to help people PAY for their tax obligations without having to pay a large sum at the end of the year, something that most people can't afford to do. Those witholdings have the effect of spreading out your tax payments across a whole year as opposed to paying them all at once. Now, of course, you'll own a lot more at the end of the year and will have to pay all those newly unpaid tax debts in a big lump sum. It'll have the opposite effect from what it was claimed to do, put more money in people's pockets. People will now ether have to keep more money in a savings account to pay their future tax obligations (which, thanks to the government taxing the "earned interest" on those accounts, will lead to even higher tax obligations) or be forced to take out loans to pay off their tax debts, both of which will take money out of people's pockets.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Payroll Tax Cut
Submitted by iamsaved on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 12:01pm.
From what I understand, the payroll tax cut is the social security portion of payroll tax withholdings. If social security is going broke, I'm not quite sure I understand why the revenue source to fund SS would be cut. One would think you'd want to keep the funding neutral, at a minimum, for a fund that's going broke - not reduce it and accelerate its demise.
Personally, I'd cancel the payroll tax cut and off-set the increase in taxes the people will have to pay by implementing an income tax cut.
It's not actually a cut
Submitted by CobraMan on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 12:08pm.
It's not actually a cut, for you are still liable for those taxes. You still have to pay them. Instead of spreading out those payments across the entire year, all the taxes that you'll "owe" to SSI, money that this "holiday" isn't collecting on your account, will still be due when you file your taxes. Do you really thing that the government is going to not collect those taxes at some time?
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
New definition of "Bipartisanship and Cooperation."
Submitted by Newsbubba on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 12:09pm.
Give the liberal democrap babies EXACTLY what they want, when they want it, or you are a rotten bastard who hates the country and wants people to DIE!
I believe Barbie Boxer (D Californicate) said this morning that if the "Republican" House bill is passed by the Senate, 8000 people are going to DIE!!!
A better headline:
Submitted by Tugboat Phil on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 12:12pm.
Senate Democrats Hold Pennsylvania Unemployed Hostage With "Tax" Scheme
The Keystone pipeline doesn't
Submitted by Ken Shepherd on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 12:17pm.
The Keystone pipeline doesn't refer to the Keystone State. It would be built through the upper Midwest. Still, a large share of those jobs would be union jobs, a core Democratic constituency.
Good catch
Submitted by Tugboat Phil on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 4:08pm.
I've been following the Marcellus pipeline debacle on Quinn & Rose Show out of Pittsburgh and got my locations mixed up. Now where'd I put my car keys??
My stepdad was a natural gas pipeline welder for 50 years. The precautions they have to take are already so strict that the workers personal vehicles they park near the dig, have to have plywood under them if they have engine or trans leaks. The soil is sifted for rock removal above a certain size before the dirt is backfilled on the pipe.
The folks opposing this on environmental grounds are just doing it for the money. There are gas pipelines all across the country right now. The support industries for pipeline and drilling projects create more jobs than the on-site work. I wish Democrat union members would wake up to the fact that they've been long ago tossed under the bus.
Politico
Submitted by bkeyser on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 12:28pm.
is seemingly one of the few that believe Obama and the Dems hold the upper hand on this. Republicans should simply go about their normal business and ignore any of this criticism. Would the Reid really let the government shut down over a bill that would extend UE benefits, extend a tax break to the middle class and create jobs in middle America? Would Obama really veto it?
I'd love to see them do it, then run on it. It's political suicide.
Upper Hand?
Submitted by Blonde on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 1:34pm.
Obama looks like a colossal jerk...he's "holding off on a decision until after the election". Win The Future? He's not in the Senate any longer, he gets PAID to make decisions, and here he is, voting PRESENT.
So what's the deal? Is he afraid if he says no, the unions will go bonkers? Or if he says yes, the envirowhacks will go postal? Because we know for a fact he doesn't care about those of us who want REAL energy independence, and not the faux eco-solutions he's been pushing....IOW, "drill, baby, drill".
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Let me see if I have this right...
Submitted by Cappmann1962 on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 3:49pm.
"mired in a battle over unrelated, partisan issues." Aren't some of the biggest issues in this country right now unemployment and the economy? Building a pipeline that will both create thousands or even tens of thousands of jobs (with continued and possibly increasing long term employment), as well as providing lower cost oil and gas to us, thus lowering fuel costs and everything tied to such costs (which is virtually EVERYTHING we spend money on), seems somewhat logically tied to payroll taxes.
If these thousands of newly hired people would suddenly be paying taxes, people having more money in their pockets to spend due to lower fuel costs, and more merchandise being sold and manufactured (with the associated "stimulus" to the economy this would entail) a good thing?
How is this partisan if it addresses two of the most serious isses we face as a nation? And who is holding all these issues up? Doesn't sound like it's Republicans - they passed the bill in the House. What party is the majority in the Senate? And what party is the president who's threatening to veto it if it were to make it past the Senate? So who, exactly, is causing the stalemate?
Finally, how can people be so stupid as to buy this line of rancid feces being thrown against the wall by the Democrats? It's truly scary that people still subscribe to this moronic philosophy.
Oh, and BTW, what about that twit Barbara Boxer bitching about a partisan pet clean air act provision attached to the payroll tax bill? Along with her claims that due to REPUBLICANS attaching the pipeline provision, which DOES relate to payroll taxes, killing the bill with her totally unrelated clean air provision, 8,000 people will die. Talk about being "mired in a battle over unrelated, partisan issues"...
Obama, Reid and leftists Dems in Congress
Submitted by Conservator on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 1:03pm.
From the beginning of the payroll tax debate (just happen to coincide with the launch of Obama's 2012 campaign), the democrats thought they had pigeon-holed Republicans to support a tax-increase on the so-called rich. How could Republicans NOT support cutting taxes on the poor and middle class Americans while letting the rich NOT to pay their fair-share? Speaker John Boehner, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Congressional Republicans passed legislation yesterday that will pass in the Senate as well. It provides:
1) The Republican tax bill would extend a one-year break in the payroll tax that is due to expire at the end of the month, setting the rate at 4.2 percent...
2) Freeze pay for civilian federal workers for another year and reduce the government workforce...
3) It would extend benefits for the long-term unemployed but reform the unemployment insurance program to reduce the maximum time those out of work can receive benefits, from 99 weeks to 59 weeks. It also would allow states to require drug testing for benefits.
4) The measure would postpone scheduled cuts in Medicare reimbursement rates for doctors but pay for the “doc fix” by raising Medicare premiums for upper-income seniors and eliminating some funding for the federal health-care law.
5) The 1,700-mile Keystone XL pipeline will help meet our energy needs while creating at least 30,000 jobs NOW.
I dare Obama, Reid and leftist Dems in the Senate not to pass the bill and thus, close down the government while raising taxes on poor and middle class Americans. This has backed fired on the democratic leadership and Obama's reelection bid.
here is the most important
Submitted by jkwtrading on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 3:24pm.
here is the most important story today and possibly our lifetimes...
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/12/14/obama_where_congress_i...
Hell, Jim, Boy Barry couldn't
Submitted by killa37 on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 3:45pm.
Hell, Jim, Boy Barry couldn't care less about Congress, unless they're doing something that benefits him............otherwise, he doesn't need them, or want them. In fact, he acted the same way when he was IN Congress............he didn't do a damn thing. He'd be satisfied if they would all just bend over and vote 'present'.
you and I know that, because
Submitted by jkwtrading on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 7:30pm.
you and I know that, because we have paid attention. Obama has done all of his previous sneaky shit, quietly, now he is telling everyone or bringing it out in the open. He has declared himself a dictator..and even the libs cannot say otherwise.
Boxer claims Republicans will kill 8100...
Submitted by vrwc13 on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 5:42pm.
"They have attached a poison pill -- literally, colleagues -- because it will kill 8,100 more people more than would have otherwise been killed from pollution," Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Cali.) said on the Senate floor today about Republicans trying to roll back a Clean Air Act provision.
Republicans included a measure to kill an EPA regulation in their payroll tax cut proposal.
"So have that for a Christmas gift," Boxer said after she scared people with the 8,100 number.
...so lets see, a hypothetical 8100 deaths... in abortion numbers that's less than 3 days worth of deaths in the USA alone...
Barbara you have your priorities all messed up.
v
The burden of life is from ourselves, its lightness from the grace of Christ and the love of God. - William Bernard Ullanthorne