After the Super Committee failed, President Obama placed Republicans on notice that they are going to do it his way and tax the rich, or face painful cuts to their beloved defense budget.
Here is the video from MSNBC:
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Obama said, “Despite the broad agreement for such an approach, there are still too many Republicans in Congress who have refused to listen to the voices of reasons and compromise that are coming from outside of Washington. They continue to insist on protecting $100 billion worth of tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of Americans at any cost…so at this point at least they simply will not budge from that negotiating position and so far that refusal continues to be the main stumbling block that has prevented Congress from reaching an agreement to further reduce our deficit.”
Later the president turned the tables and used the GOP’s own super committee against them. Obama delivered a message to those Republicans who are trying to wiggle out of the automatic cuts, “Already some in Congress are trying to undo these automatic spending cuts. My message to them is simple. No, I will veto any effort to get rid of those automatic spending cuts to domestic and defense spending. There will be no easy off ramps on this one. We need to keep the pressure up to compromise, not turn off the pressure. The only way these spending cuts will not take place is if Congress gets back to work, and agrees on a balanced plan to reduce the deficit by $1.2 trillion. That’s exactly what they need to do. That’s the job they promised to do, and they’ve still got a year to figure it out.”
Obama closed by telling the American people that he will not let the payroll tax cut expire, and he will not let taxes go up on the American people and businesses, so Congress had best get to work after Thanksgiving.
Obama has managed to take the failure of the Super Committee which was born out of the Republican Party’s creation of the fake debt ceiling crisis, and turn it into a weapon to use against congressional Republicans. The GOP had been assuming that Democrats would cave on their demands for both the protection of entitlement programs and raising taxes on the wealthy.
The Democrats didn’t cave, and now the Republicans have a big problem.
Republican hawks (especially in the Senate) have already started to squawk over the potential triggering of defense cuts. While Democrats are concerned about the automatic domestic cuts, they seem willing to hold their ground and battle to get the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share. Congressional Democrats are behind Obama, and he sent a very loud message today that he is not going to allow the GOP to wiggle off the hook.
President Obama used the phrase balanced approach numerous times in less than six minutes. His message to Republicans was that they have no hostage to ransom this time. He is willing to sit back and let the pressure on them build until they agree to raise taxes on the top 2%. He is targeting the $100 billion in Bush tax cuts for wealthiest Americans, but I suspect that the president wants more. Obama holds the veto pen, so small sacrificial amount of revenue is going to be enough.
Obama has always had his eyes on a bigger prize and longer term endgame. By not budging, congressional Republicans have played into his hands. Obama can win without doing anything. If Republicans want to prevent those defense cuts, they are going to have to break ranks and agree to raise taxes on the wealthy. Obama dictated the terms. He told the Republicans how it has to be, and now we’ll see how much pressure they can take before they crack.
Well played, President Obama. Well played.
PoliticusUSA
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Reynardine
Nov. 21st, 2011 at 8:11 pm
Well, let us hope.
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Ellen B
Nov. 21st, 2011 at 9:05 pm
Reynardine, My hope is that we progressives don’t have to keep hoping that our President will stand firm. I want to be able to count on it!
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jim1961
Nov. 22nd, 2011 at 1:00 am
If I had to choose between defense cuts or an equal amount of tax increases on the richest 2% I would choose defense cuts. The United States spends more on defense than all other industrialized nations COMBINED! We could cut a huge amount of defense spending and still be quite safe.
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Tim H
Nov. 22nd, 2011 at 1:18 am
Why not both? That would be even better.
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a_r
Nov. 24th, 2011 at 7:12 pm
My only concern about defense cuts is them applying it to vet’s benefits and active and reservists pay. These people more than anything make about as much as teachers.
My brother was paid about 2k a month for going to war in Afghanistan this year. That doesn’t cover the damage he has, ptsd, violent dreams, increasing lack of control of his anger, and severe back problems. This was his third tour since 2004, the previous two were in Iraq. He was 19 when he first went to war. The baby of the company and watched many of his friends die.
Mental health issues, vet medical issues, we NEED to take care of our war vets. They have already sacrificed so much.
And I’m afraid that congress or the big generals will cut the vet’s benefits or their dependents benefits so that they don’t have to cut the programs that do need to be cut, DRAPA, no-bid contracts with private companies to build weapons, planes, and armor, or support (mercenaries).
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buckeyewill
Nov. 21st, 2011 at 8:35 pm
why that dirtydealingkenyanmarxistsocialist
lol
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KarenJ
Nov. 21st, 2011 at 8:42 pm
What’s Michael Moore have to say now? That President Obama hasn’t done enough?
Or is he still ranting about Obama not marching with the Occupy protestors?
Left wing fanatics can be as tiresome as right wing fanatics.
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Ron1
Nov. 21st, 2011 at 9:16 pm
Last time I checked, Michael Moore wasn’t carrying arms, wasn’t threatening violence against anyone, wasn’t arguing that the constitution be replaced with theocratic dogma, etc, etc.
I think your comment suffers from a very bad case of cognitive dissonance brought on by accepting false equivalence arguments for far too long.
The cure is to give your head a good shake, stretch and then turn the channel to something other than Wolf Blitzer, Kurtz, et al.
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Shiva (Moderator)
Nov. 21st, 2011 at 9:48 pm
I think she was referring to the constant barrage of Obama criticism coming from MM
But of course you would have to be up on the news to know that
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Ron1
Nov. 21st, 2011 at 9:58 pm
My comment was in direct response to her last sentence, the one in which she implies Michael Moore is a left wing fanatic, that he is as fanatic as, oh, Bachmann?
Moore’s criticism of Mr Obama is a different matter. On that issue, the President is certainly deserving of criticism.
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Shiva (Moderator)
Nov. 21st, 2011 at 11:10 pm
No, Bachmann is a right wing fanatic
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Johnee
Nov. 21st, 2011 at 11:33 pm
Moore doesn’t have to be as fanatical as bubble head Bachmann to deserve criticism. I swear, when it comes to the subject of MM some liberals and progressives’ rationality goes out the window.
It doesn’t matter if you agree on the whole with the message of some his movies,( and I frequently do ) they are still selective cut and paste propaganda. I already know Bush was an incompetent president. I don’t need to see more bullshit to convince me further.
I’m a consistency nut, and some of us ( liberals ) want to give Moore a pass when he says shit that may be factually questionable, simply because we like what he’s saying. It’s typical ends justifies the means thinking- y’know the stuff we always criticize the right of doing – and it’s not OK.
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JP7
Nov. 22nd, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Dude you do realize of course, every time we criticize Obama for not doing exactly what we wanted immediately, or “not standing up” to the GOP. Somewhere republicans are doing cartwheels and giggling. Obama inherited massive systemic nation-wide problems. to expect them all to be fixed in a year or two is complete waywardness and imbecility. The republican strategy from the start was to ruin Obama and his mandate by blocking him at every turn. And only NOW are people mad enough to see it/ do anything about it. Many people voted for Obama patted themselves on the back and then watched him get sabotaged by blue dogs from his own party. The republicans are fanatical but they are united. I love how people like Cornell West and MM talk about what they would do if elected. REALLY and just how would you do that with a wall of republican resistance? its asinine . And Obama has actually gotten a lot done QUIETLY. http://whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com/
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Hsquared
Nov. 22nd, 2011 at 12:36 pm
Michael Moore has shown himself the be as much of an unashamed, race baiting liar as many on the right. As a matter of fact his latest lie, that the DHS under President Obama has participated in evicting OWS protesters, was taken whole from the Examiner.com aka Drudge jr.
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Shiva (Moderator)
Nov. 21st, 2011 at 8:52 pm
When Obama said “NO”, he slapped Lindsey Graham, Sen Waffle McCain, the tea thug wannabe’s, The Boehner and Sen. Joe Leiberstein 12 years forward into yesterday. The GOP thought they were going to drop all the agreements and walk away.
The US is worth around 84 trillion. Dont try and tell us we are broke Boehner
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susanai
Nov. 22nd, 2011 at 3:15 am
I agree Shiva. This rubbish about the US bring broke is just that – rubbish. BTW who is the idiot that first thought this meme up. I bet it was Fox news.
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Shiva (Moderator)
Nov. 22nd, 2011 at 7:49 am
Actually I think it was a Republican Congress. They are doing the same thing that Ronald Reagan did. Trying to convince the country that we were broke. When Reagan did it our debt was at its lowest point in a very long time. He just out and out lied Just so that he was justified in dropping the taxes on corporations and the rich. And now the Republicans are doing the same thing. To a younger person than myself this may not seem obvious. But it is so blatantly a Reagan play that it doesn’t even silly.
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crystalwolfakacaligrl
Nov. 21st, 2011 at 8:55 pm
WooHoo PBO used the “V” word!!! (not Vendetta) yet…heh!
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sherifffruitfly
Nov. 21st, 2011 at 8:57 pm
The silence from the obamaisalways wrong self-proclaimed “progressives” is deafening.
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Mark P. Kessinger
Nov. 22nd, 2011 at 4:18 am
Perhaps that’s because the “obamaisalways wrong self-proclaimed ‘progressives’” is a straw man.
Look, I am one who has had plenty of criticism for the way President Obama has handled certain things. But I have never, nor have I encountered any progressives who have ever, said he is “always” wrong. Yes, it appears the President played this very well, and I am more than happy to commend him on it. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that all other criticism of the President is invalid. It’s not like I take any great pleasure in criticizing a President I voted for and for whose candidacy I worked, but I happen to believe that hero-worship is extremely unhealthy.
And you know, I could just as easily characterize you, if I were of a mind to, as being one of the “obama-is-perfect-in-every-way-and-should-never-be-criticized-for-anything-ever” crowd. But I won’t because it would be a cheap shot.
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majii
Nov. 21st, 2011 at 9:19 pm
I’ve been to several blogs, and the right-wing rank and filers are angry and are blaming the dems and PBO. I have no sympathy for them at all. They fully supported the GOP playing games with the debt limit/deficit negotiations a few months ago, and they loved it when Boehner declared the GOP had got 98% of what it wanted. The super committee was part of the deal. The ball is in their court. Boehner should have read the fine details of the agreement before proclaiming victory. Greg Sargent says the dems have the republicans exactly where they want them. While Boehner, Cantor, McConnell, Kyl and the others were playing games, PBO was being deadly serious. I guess the republicans are only now finding this out. Oh, well, it’s their problem. They can either agree to serious revenue increases and save their behinds or keep kissing Norquist’s holy ring, further exposing the fact that they see their job as protecting the rich and corporations and watch their numbers in Congress decline after November 2012. I sure hope they’re having lots of sleepless nights about this.
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john
Nov. 21st, 2011 at 9:40 pm
i seem to remember about a year after the election.. Obama making the statement to republicans “if you want to stand with the bankers, thats a game i want to have”… that stuck in my head, wish i could find the source..
check & mate
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Dan
Nov. 21st, 2011 at 10:46 pm
I know the Dems are bought and paid for by the corporations but at least they throw a bone to the middle class once in a while. The republicans tell everyone through word action and deed that they are gonna stick it to the middle class the elderly, minorities etc etc and half of this country eats it up.
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Kimc
Nov. 22nd, 2011 at 12:58 am
Yes, Dems aren’t so great, but the Repubs are downright evil. In this case, the lesser of the two evils is a whole lot lesser. Vote.
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Barbara thomas
Nov. 22nd, 2011 at 9:05 am
Those blue dog Dems are problem in the party, they fight the president just like the Rep, some of them voted against the jobs bill, President Obama need to have a talk to them like President Truman did.
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Baruch
Nov. 21st, 2011 at 10:52 pm
Good for him. It will be interesting to see how this plays out…as the streets are erupting with police violence and the people are clamoring for real change.
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liberal hippy
Nov. 22nd, 2011 at 12:46 am
glad to see President Obama standing up to the rednecks in the whitehouse!
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Barbara thomas
Nov. 22nd, 2011 at 9:08 am
I know that’s right, I was so tired of him play nice with the other children, when they where steady pranking him. Maybe now he see, and know the game, That he probaly played all his life, (racist, color conicious blacks and the such) he has had to deal with. So since experince is a good teacher, GAME ON I hear whinning in the background.
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Deborah Montesano
Nov. 22nd, 2011 at 1:49 am
If I weren’t sitting alone in front of my computer, I’d stand up and cheer. Dammit, I’ll do it anyway! This is very heartening. This morning, I posted a blog entitled, “Congress and the Year of Magical Thinking”. (http://thepoliticali.blogspot.com/2011/11/congress-and-year-of-magical-thinking.html) Let’s see how far that gets them now!
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Bob
Nov. 22nd, 2011 at 6:30 am
The ending sentence says it all: “Well played.”
Here we are in the worst economic crisis since the Depression and it’s come down to a political game by the two parties. Frankly, I’m tired of the hucksters, regardless of their political leanings. What this latest “crisis” has proved is that the vast majority in politics are self-serving corporate hacks and have little real concern for the American people. They are really concerned about which side “wins.”
Pathetic.
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JayInDallas
Nov. 22nd, 2011 at 7:27 pm
You’re right. Although I think it’s more of retention of power. The politicians enjoy a tremendous amount of perks from all sides. They are treated like royalty simply because the hold office. Because they have a job.
I, for one, am tired of legislation that is created to “benefit the American people” created by legislators who no longer have anything in common with their constituents. They play “common man” when it suits them, railing against the very government that employs them. If government is so evil, they should leave it and go find something else to do.
There needs to be a merit-based system for assessing the effectiveness of politicians. You don’t pass, you don’t get to return to DC and continue to do nothing.
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Hsquared
Nov. 22nd, 2011 at 12:39 pm
Lawrence O’Donnell killed on this last night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHE2KgN73dw&feature=player_embedded
Stand up and cheer for our President.
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Kimc
Nov. 22nd, 2011 at 11:36 pm
Thanks for that link — a great comment in that video!
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