CBS's Dickerson: Obama Will Make GOP 'Own' Spending Cuts to 'Pay For' Tax Cuts
On Monday's CBS Early Show, political analyst John Dickerson discussed President Obama's strategy against Republicans in Congress, particularly on tax cuts: "[He] said there's got to be a way to pay for it, again trying to put pressure on Republicans to say if you want to spend $700 billion, you've got to find the cuts, make them own those cuts, which are painful and might be quite unpopular."
Earlier, co-host Harry Smith asked about the possibility of Obama and the GOP working together on stopping earmark spending. Again, Dickerson saw the issue as a chance for the President to go after his opponents: "...an opportunity for the President not only to get involved in the conversation but, also, to perhaps drive a bit of a wedge within the Republican caucus, they have different opinions in the Senate, Mitch McConnell has a more favorable opinion of earmarks than say some of the tea party-backed conservative candidates or some House members and the President can say, 'hey, maybe I have a chance to cause a little mischief in the Republican caucus.'"
Here is a full transcript of the November 8 segment:
7:04AM ET
HARRY SMITH: Joining us in Washington is CBS News political analyst John Dickerson. John, good morning.
JOHN DICKERSON: Good morning, Harry.
SMITH: I want to go back to the 60 minutes interview last night. And in case people didn't get a chance for watch it, it's – the entire thing is on the website, it's really worth watching. I'm going to play a little piece of it and I want to get your reaction. Let's take a listen.
STEVE KROFT: Do you get discouraged? Are you discouraged now?
BARACK OBAMA: I do get discouraged. I mean there are times when I thought the economy would have gotten better by now. You know, one of the things I think you understand as president is you're held responsible for everything but you don't always have control of everything.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Obama's Agenda; Tells '60 Minutes' He'll Work With GOP]
SMITH: It is so interesting because over the last several days – and this was recorded then just Thursday before the President took off on this trip to India and to Asia – as you see him, how are you reading him now?
DICKERSON: Well, he's trying to find a balance, you know, the President has to show he got it, he got the message of the election. But, he's also not trying to deal away all his leverage as president. And so, he's slowly trying to figure out – he mentioned in his trip in India with a meeting with students there's going to be a mid-course correction but in making that change, in recognizing this shellacking, as he called it, he has to still sort of hold some power and leverage and not just say, 'everything that I did for the last more than year and a half was in the wrong direction.'
SMITH: Let's talk about this, then. And what the President and what the Republicans may or may not have in common. Because many of the Republicans were on the Sunday talk shows and they said, 'well, you know, we're going to look for common ground, there are things we may be able to work together on. Let's star with earmarks.'
DICKERSON: That's right. They've said they are happy to work with the President which means at this stage they are happy to have him agree with them. They hold the momentum and the power right now and the President was much, you know, had that posture when he won. It's a good thing when you win. And so, on earmarks, though, the President says, 'I agree with you, let's get rid of earmarks.' And there you can see an opportunity for the President not only to get involved in the conversation but, also, to perhaps drive a bit of a wedge within the Republican caucus, they have different opinions in the Senate, Mitch McConnell has a more favorable opinion of earmarks than say some of the tea party-backed conservative candidates or some House members and the President can say, hey, maybe I have a chance to cause a little mischief in the Republican caucus.
SMITH: Very quickly, Bush tax cuts.
DICKERSON: Well, the President signaled some warming but said there's got to be a way to pay for it, again trying to put pressure on Republicans to say if you want to spend $700 billion, you've got to find the cuts, make them own those cuts, which are painful and might be quite unpopular.
SMITH: I want to move over to another subject entirely, Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, will lose that job, she wants to continue as minority leader. If you're a Democrat or Republican – Republicans must be dancing in the streets.
DICKERSON: They are. They used to talk about firing Nancy Pelosi before the election, now they have a sign up in front of headquarters saying 'Hire Nancy Pelosi.' She's not popular and she represents again this notion that Democrats don't get it, they didn't get the message of the election. And so for Republicans, that's wonderful. The fact is in the House for Democrats, the majority of the Democrats support her so there's not much any Democrat in the middle can do. There just aren't those moderate Democrats left in the House caucus to change that vote.
SMITH: John Dickerson on a Monday morning, thank you very much. Do appreciate it.
DICKERSON: Thanks, Harry.
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Comments
The very first cut should
Submitted by MidAmerica on Mon, 11/08/2010 - 7:03pm.
The very first cut should be obama's travel budget. That would be popular with almost everyone.
And the entertainment budget.
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Mon, 11/08/2010 - 8:06pm.
And the entertainment budget.
More Proof They Don't GET IT
Submitted by reelman46 on Tue, 11/09/2010 - 9:18am.
JOHN BREAUX ON FNC…DAAHH This morning mush mouth democrat John Breaux (former do nothing 30 year La. congressman) was on FNC to give his input on “Obama moderating to work with the Republicans”. Typical of this man who left his Louisiana to become a rich D. C. lobbyist after retirement, Breaux twice listed massive spending projects “to create jobs” such as high speed rail. Being a demo dimwit he never mentioned America is more than broke or that we need to cut taxes, spending and the size of the monster federal gov-meant. Democrats never seem to grasp reality. Its always “spend our way out” with taxpayer money. Repeat, America is broke. Your Party maxed our VISA. H-e-l-l-o. http://theconservativecrawfish.wordpress.comDoug Schexnayder, Ph.D. (theconservativecrawfish<
Warning: Dems will use this issue to demonize the GOP
Submitted by gopcongress on Mon, 11/08/2010 - 7:06pm.
The democrats have essentially screwed up the economy so badly that it will take awhile for the necessary steps of simultaneously cutting spending and lowering taxes (thus increasing revenue) to take effect. To this end, the dems are going to place EVERY slowdown and EVERY problem squarely on the republican House, as well as the overall conservative Congress. It is IMPERATIVE that the GOP stick to its guns and not let public sentiment knock them out. Therefore, it is EXTREMELY VITAL that they DIRECTLY COMMUNICATE their votes, as well as their reasoning, cpmpetently to their constituents, and especially in lieu of the planned mainstream media assault.
Folks, this is WAR. We have our troops, now we must support them. We can also help the party by constantly ensuring that our own neighbors and friends do not fall into the expected assault that will be conducted by Obama and the mainstream media.
IN MY OPINION, THIS IS NOW THE MOST IMPORTANT FUNCTION, OTHER THAN NATIONAL DEFENSE, WE FACE AS A COUNTRY. WE MUST NEGATE THE ASSAULT BY THE LEFT!
"The news and truth are not the same thing." -Walter Lippmann (1889-1974) FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER
Don't you just love the sneaky wording?
Submitted by bkeyser on Mon, 11/08/2010 - 7:15pm.
At what point does a tax rate become the status quo? It's been anywhere from seven to nine years that these tax rates have been in place, and yet continuing them -according to CBS- is a tax "cut". Of course, no one will actually see their taxes decrease, and the death tax is surely going up irrespective of what happens to the remaining tax rates.
So is it fair to say that if President is somehow able to get his tax increases during the lame duck- that they can still be called tax cuts since they'll likely still be lower than those under Jimmy Carter?
Needing to pay for Bush cuts?
Submitted by KC Mulville on Mon, 11/08/2010 - 7:38pm.
The original cuts were intended to be a stimulus, true. But it doesn't matter why the rate is lower now than it would have been. What matters is that if you raise the rate now, you'll inhibit growth-- and prevent the only way to improve the economy.
Tax Cuts
Submitted by djm159 on Tue, 11/09/2010 - 10:19am.
Do you really expect obama to understand this? He does not have a clue what caused the house to go republican. That narcissist thinks is was the slow growth of the economy and the American people being unable to understand what he is doing and why. He thinks we're all too stupid to get it. What he doesn't understand is the landslide was caused because we do get it and we do not want a marxist government and a president twho hates America, and he does big time, as does his overzealous, Marie Antoinette wannabe wife. We get it! Obama is an arrogant, narcissitic Marxist who takes his marching orders from George Soros, a nazi sympathizer ,and we don't want any part of that. We don't want government control of healthcare and we don't want him in office. I know that is hard for him to fathom but we cannot afford his entertainment budget much less his travel expenses. Would someone please tell the elitist pig that he is not the king, but that he works for us and we do not work for him.
Budget Spending
Submitted by Tugboat Phil on Mon, 11/08/2010 - 7:27pm.
When I was in the Navy, we had an annual event at the end of September. Every department was to have at the ready, filled out supply requests for a "wish list." The purpose being that if there was any money remaining in that year's budget, we could make sure it was all spent by the new fiscal year starting October 1.
If any federal entity does NOT spend all their money for a given year, they run the risk of getting less the next. There is NO incentive for anyone in the federal government to save money. Congress could start by changing the way the budget is allocated and accounted for.
Of course, Congress could also give away rainbows and unicorns too. Both have an equal chance of happening.
Of course the notion that tax
Submitted by Darasen on Mon, 11/08/2010 - 7:31pm.
Of course the notion that tax cuts are anexpense and don;t actually generate revenue is a given for the left. It really is a shame that the left is frequently framing the conversation.
JFK, Reagan, Bush, taught them NOTHING
Submitted by neutron on Mon, 11/08/2010 - 7:45pm.
These stupid Keynesians! They see the economy as a static balance sheet, and not a dynamic model with feedbacks and multipiers. I wish I had the figures to shove their noses into! The figures are easy enough to produce fro the data, but the libtards probably won't believe them anyhow!
JFK, Reagan, and Bush cut taxes. Each action lead to growth in the eonomy. Growth in the economy lead to more people having paychecks and bigger ones, too. People who could, took more of their gains as income, since the lower marginal tax rate was less than before. All of that lead to increased tax receipts.
When taxes are raised, people who can will defer income, so their tax liability will be less. Investment will drop and the economy will contract. Unemployent will rise. All of that will decrease tax receipts. Raising taxes further will further constrain the economy, causing further retractions. Those on the cusp of the income versus welfare decision will stop working and go on the dole, further reducing tax receipts and increasing welfare outlays.
These stupid Keynesiand need to pull their head out of the New Deal era, when Keynesian economics didn't work either, and tune into reality!
We a Stopping a Tax Increase
Submitted by libBuster on Mon, 11/08/2010 - 7:54pm.
Tax cuts are not on the table. Dickerson conveniently forgets this fact. Republicans are talking about preventing a massive tax increase.
Liberal Utopia requires unlimited power to tax
Submitted by forREALZplayer on Mon, 11/08/2010 - 7:55pm.
When republicans are faced with the insane question "how are you going to pay for not raising everyones taxes?" they must turn the question back on liberal economic dunces: "what tax rate is a deficit neutral rate?" For example, If the current rate for a given income is 25%, and the liberals think 30% is appropriate, why is 30% an acceptable "deficit neutral" number? In other words, isn't 30% a tax cut from a 35%? And in this way also increasing the deficit? At what rate do taxes become deficit neutral? 15%, 20%, 30%, 50%, 75%, 100%? We conservatives must remember this liberal deficit analysis is nothing more than an entitlement mentality: government is entitled to all earnings.
Hyppocrite!
Submitted by CobraMan on Mon, 11/08/2010 - 8:21pm.
"Well, the President signaled some warming but said there's got to be a way to pay for it, again trying to put pressure on Republicans to say if you want to spend $700 billion, you've got to find the cuts, make them own those cuts, which are painful and might be quite unpopular."
Ok, Obama, you hypocrite, how many cuts did your party make in the last two years? I don't think that over two trillion dollars in ADDITIONAL (not contained within the Budget) spending counts as a "offsetting tax cut" do you? Please, tell me why you're willing to, finally, insist on offsetting tax cuts when, for the last two years, you told EVERYONE that the country can't afford it! It can't be because your being partisan, is it? No, that can't be it, for you told everyone that you're the post-partisan President, correct? Ok, I guess that just makes you a LYING HYPOCRITE, right?
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.
obama conflates tax rate
Submitted by robert108 on Mon, 11/08/2010 - 8:28pm.
obama conflates tax rate reductions with spending; an outright lie.
agree cobra*
Submitted by cajun2 on Mon, 11/08/2010 - 8:31pm.
The beltway elitist have made the "tax cuts' all about them and their enormous ego. Goals are to make someone look bad in order to strengthen the party or positioning for the next election. Party being interchangeable. No one has yet to discuss the impact of tax cuts or extensions on ordinary Americans. I want to yell at all of DC, this is not about PARTY,. its about the ECONOMY STUPID!
I reject the premise
Submitted by FastEd on Mon, 11/08/2010 - 9:58pm.
of "paying for cuts" - what isn't said in the comment is that the money is already marked for spending, just send it to us!
The reason the elites in DC don't want to "save" money, is that they then lose power - and if it's all right with the rest of you, here and in DC, that's all firth with me! The poer is with us, the voters, and if things keep going as they have, for the last 20 or so years, then ALL must go.
Let us who vote, use the Constitutional powers that WE have, and vote out everyone, according to their time allotment (sic) as dictated in that legal paper!
The dummies at the top of BOTH parties need to realize that THEY work for US, and a career in politics is not a lifetime money maker, not anymore!
"We the People . . " Hey, congress - I'm one of the people - start listening!
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V
The Republicans will Own Debt Limit Increases
Submitted by Avitar on Mon, 11/08/2010 - 10:46pm.
For the next two years Republicans are going to own increases in the National Debt. They had better not give much too much for them. Each increase should be small and the Democrats should be giving something for them.
Yes, We Will...
Submitted by Tenebrous on Mon, 11/08/2010 - 11:58pm.
Yes, we will own them, and we'll be proud to do so.
I cannot believe that when faced with a trillion dollar deficit and debt as far as the eye can see, these idiots are sitting around talking about ways to throw spitwads.
Grow up, guys.
Visions and Principles blog
You seem to forget what happened Nov.2, 2010
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Tue, 11/09/2010 - 12:37am.
"make them own those cuts, which are painful and might be quite unpopular."
YOU LOST. You're not TELLING nor MAKING anyone do anything anymore. Wake up.
I reject the premise
Submitted by ckc1227 on Tue, 11/09/2010 - 4:00am.
"DICKERSON: Well, the President signaled some warming but said there's got to be a way to pay for it, again trying to put pressure on Republicans to say if you want to spend $700 billion, you've got to find the cuts, make them own those cuts, which are painful and might be quite unpopular."
Letting someone keep their money doesn't cost the government anything, but if we buy into the lib's bogus premise, $700 billion over 10 years is $70 billion a year, which could easily be covered with cuts. Heck, just winding down in Afghanistan and Iraq would cover most of it.
By the way, Dickerson, got a question for you......if Republicans have to own the $700 billion for the rich, does that mean if Obama wants to spend $3.2 trillion for middle class tax cuts, he has to figure out a way to pay for them? Does he have to find the cuts and own those cuts? That might be a little painful and quite unpopular, dontcha think?
Has anyone ever gotten a
Submitted by ninerdog on Tue, 11/09/2010 - 11:55am.
Has anyone ever gotten a profit bill? No. Ya have a tax bill. Very simple concept here but I would say we need to tie the budget to the profit. If the tax receipts (government profit)for the previous year are 100 bucks then the budget (government spending) needs to be 90 bucks. Is this concept to complex for our educated libs to understand? I was told they are the smartest people in the room. Cut the budget to this. They must pay for what the constitution says they must pay for first then whatever else they want to do is fine with me as long as they do not violate this simple rule.
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