On the opening segment of “Morning Joe”, the panelists joined together in labeling President Barack Obama as weak because he is allowing the extension of tax cuts for the rich. Not one word was said about the deficit increasing concessions that the Republicans made concerning the cut in payroll taxes and the extension of unemployment insurance. Also the thorny issue of maximum taxes on estates was resolved at 35%.
Joe Scarborough acknowledged that 65% of Americans supported allowing taxes on incomes above $250,000 to revert to a higher level. He hypothesized that had Obama offered to only increase taxes on over a million dollars in income, 80% of the country would have supported his stance. But that was Obama’s bargaining chip, precisely what the right wing Republicans wanted to avoid.
Obama was ridiculed for not being able to prevail while he has an overwhelming majority in the House of 57 Democrat and a Socialist in the Senate. But they disregarded the Senate Rule that requires 60 senators to cut off a filibuster, which is the real issue. What a cheap shot!
Was the nation’s other business to be ignored for two weeks while the Republicans carried out their threat to freeze all legislation via the filibuster? Was the last opportunity for Democrats to enact needed legislation to be frittered away as the clock ran out?
When you make a deal, you get something and you give up something. Compromises always are painful. It is time for the Left to grow up.
