Obama’s Gets Payback For 2010 Bush Tax Cut by Using Christmas to Pressure the GOP

Last updated on February 8th, 2013 at 03:21 pm

Remember in 2010 when House Republicans used the threat of throwing millions into poverty at Christmas in order to get the Bush tax cuts extended? President Obama does. In 2012, he is getting payback.

Here is the video from NBC News:

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During his remarks the president admitted that he missed being on the campaign trail, and having a conversation with America. Obama repeated his belief in the middle class, and when people can get ahead through hard work. Obama, “I want to reward manufactures and small businesses like this one that create jobs in the United States.”

The president said the fiscal cliff is not some run of the mill debate. The president laid out two paths for the fiscal cliff debate. Congress does nothing and taxes go up on families and business. Obama said, “If Congress does nothing, every family in America will see their taxes go up on January 1. Every family, everybody here, you’ll see your taxes go up on January first. I’m assuming that doesn’t sound to good to you. That’s sort of like the lump of coal you get for Christmas. That’s a Scrooge Christmas.”

Obama argued that because people would see a huge tax hike, businesses would have fewer customers, and the economy would stall. The second path was Congress extending the tax cut for 98% of Americans and 97% of small businesses. He reminded everyone that people making more than $250,000 would still get a tax cut on their first quarter million dollars earned. The president repeated his message that the American people need to urge Congress to pass the middle class tax cut extension.

The president asked the American people to tell Democrats and Republicans not to get bogged down in partisan bickering. Obama wants the American people to tell Congress to get this done. He said it doesn’t make sense for Republicans to hold middle class tax cuts hostage, because they don’t want taxes to go up on the wealthy.

President Obama has completely turned the tables on the House Republicans who held the threat of cutting off unemployment benefits for millions of Americas to get the Bush tax cuts extended. At the time, Republicans thought they had won. It turns that take the unemployed hostage gambit was setting the stage for a huge loss.

David Corn has already debunked the myth of the 2010 cave. What the left saw as a cave was actually an elaborate move to set up this exact situation. Obama was thinking about 2012 in 2010, and he has successfully cornered the Republicans. This time it is the president using Christmas as leverage against the Republicans.

All the pressure currents sits on the shoulders of the Republican Party. Of course the president doesn’t want the country to go off the fiscal cliff, but if it happens he won’t be the one getting blamed. The president holds the winning hand. He has the popular support for his position.

In 2010, Republicans were playing checkers while Obama was playing chess. House Republicans are running out of moves, and they are about to be checkmated.

Obama hasn’t forgotten 2010, which is why Republicans are going to pay a heavy price in 2012.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association