Dec 22nd, 2011
"There are only two possible reasons for House Republicans to behave the way they did. Maybe they are so blinded by ideology that they no longer care about the impact their actions might have on struggling American families. Or maybe their only guiding principle is that anything Obama supports, they oppose."
-- Eugene Robinson on the GOP's payroll tax cut fiasco. We covered it HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE
Showing posts with label fiasco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fiasco. Show all posts
Thursday, December 22, 2011
The Payroll Tax Cut Fiasco, cont...
Dec 22nd, 2011
No matter how Boehner tries to spin this latest development, the shenanigans detailed HERE, HERE and HERE amount to tremedous damage to the GOP brand.
Video via MSNBC
Via the NY Times:
"Bowing under intense pressure from members of their own party to end the politically damaging impasse over a payroll tax holiday, House Republican leaders agreed Thursday to accept a temporary extension of the tax cut, beating a hasty retreat from a showdown that Republicans increasingly saw as a threat to their election opportunities next year."
The sheer recklessness of the fringe freshmen in the GOP controlled house makes this an issue for the next November even if congress does pass the full year extension when they return from their exceedingly long, taxpayer-funded vacations.
ABC reports:
"House Republican leaders have decided to accept a short-term extension of the payroll tax cut, preventing a hike in taxes just nine days before the tax break expires for 160 million Americans.
House GOP leaders appeared to be adopting a compromise suggested by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to pass the two-month extension in exchange for the Senate appointing members to a conference committee, which will negotiate a longer-term solution. The proposal won a nod of approval from President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid."
Earlier this year, I predicted the GOP was going to attempt to kill the cut. They really don't want it. That they have positioned themselves in this manner precisely as Obama's approval ratings have begun to rise dramatically is a portrait of not only extremism, but also profound ineptitude.
No matter how Boehner tries to spin this latest development, the shenanigans detailed HERE, HERE and HERE amount to tremedous damage to the GOP brand.
Video via MSNBC
Via the NY Times:
"Bowing under intense pressure from members of their own party to end the politically damaging impasse over a payroll tax holiday, House Republican leaders agreed Thursday to accept a temporary extension of the tax cut, beating a hasty retreat from a showdown that Republicans increasingly saw as a threat to their election opportunities next year."
The sheer recklessness of the fringe freshmen in the GOP controlled house makes this an issue for the next November even if congress does pass the full year extension when they return from their exceedingly long, taxpayer-funded vacations.
ABC reports:
"House Republican leaders have decided to accept a short-term extension of the payroll tax cut, preventing a hike in taxes just nine days before the tax break expires for 160 million Americans.
House GOP leaders appeared to be adopting a compromise suggested by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to pass the two-month extension in exchange for the Senate appointing members to a conference committee, which will negotiate a longer-term solution. The proposal won a nod of approval from President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid."
Earlier this year, I predicted the GOP was going to attempt to kill the cut. They really don't want it. That they have positioned themselves in this manner precisely as Obama's approval ratings have begun to rise dramatically is a portrait of not only extremism, but also profound ineptitude.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
The Payroll Tax Cut Fiasco, cont...
Dec 21st, 2011
Frum lashes out at the WSJ op-ed everyone is talking about:
"But if anyone is to scold on this score, it should not be the Journal – which is as responsible as any of the House members for the GOP’s payroll-tax predicament.
The GOP is in trouble because deep down, Republicans do not want to do the payroll tax holiday. They ignored the idea when it was first floated back in 2009 by conservative economists as an alternative to a spending-side fiscal stimulus. Not until President Obama adopted the idea as his own in 2010 did congressional Republicans grudgingly join in support. In the year-plus since then, Republican talkers have denigrated the holiday as ineffective and worse."
Jennifer Steinhauer reminds us:
"By turning down a bill that was overwhelmingly supported by both parties in the Senate as well as the White House, the conservative House majority that has spent the year inciting combative legislative showdowns is now staring over the brink, standing fast against legislation with significant financial consequences for nearly every American household."
We are watching the total implosion of the modern GOP. I don't think it can be overstated. The shutdown nightmare of the Gingrich years pales in comparison. It's worth remembering that particular act of petulance had more to do with the Clinton re-election than the economy did. Where do they go from here?
Frum lashes out at the WSJ op-ed everyone is talking about:
"But if anyone is to scold on this score, it should not be the Journal – which is as responsible as any of the House members for the GOP’s payroll-tax predicament.
The GOP is in trouble because deep down, Republicans do not want to do the payroll tax holiday. They ignored the idea when it was first floated back in 2009 by conservative economists as an alternative to a spending-side fiscal stimulus. Not until President Obama adopted the idea as his own in 2010 did congressional Republicans grudgingly join in support. In the year-plus since then, Republican talkers have denigrated the holiday as ineffective and worse."
Jennifer Steinhauer reminds us:
"By turning down a bill that was overwhelmingly supported by both parties in the Senate as well as the White House, the conservative House majority that has spent the year inciting combative legislative showdowns is now staring over the brink, standing fast against legislation with significant financial consequences for nearly every American household."
We are watching the total implosion of the modern GOP. I don't think it can be overstated. The shutdown nightmare of the Gingrich years pales in comparison. It's worth remembering that particular act of petulance had more to do with the Clinton re-election than the economy did. Where do they go from here?
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