This is the latest example of B.O.’s continuing disingenuous criticism of Republican “obstructionism”. Frankly the Chief is really tired of hearing this sort of attack…like the GOP should roll-over and rubber stamp whatever he proclaims as being The Truth.
Obama: GOP Holding Tax Cuts “Hostage”
President Urges Congress to Approve Extension of Middle Class Tax Cuts from Bush Era for Families Making Less Than $250,000
President Obama is applauding two Republican senators who voted for a small business bill and says he’d welcome that kind of cooperation on the divisive issue of extending tax cuts for the middle class.
Mr. Obama thanked Republicans George Voinovich of Ohio and George LeMieux of Florida for voting to move the bill closer to final passage. Speaking in the Rose Garden after a Cabinet meeting Wednesday, Mr. Obama urged lawmakers to approve an extension of Bush-era tax cuts for middle class families making less than $250,000 a year.
After praising these two Republocratic Demmicans for being properly submissive to the proclaimed will of The One, B.O. went on with one of his favorite complaints against the opposition:
Mr. Obama says Republicans should stop holding those tax cuts “hostage.”
This was originally, and continues to be one of the most puzzling political statements one can ever encounter. Let’s do some simple arithmetic.
The House of Representatives currently contains 434 members (with one vacant seat). This is comprised of 256 Democrats, and 178 Republicans. The Senate seats are currently held by 57 Democrats, 41 Republicans, and 2 Independents. Even without using a calculator or computer, it is readily apparent that there are significantly more Democrats than Republicans in both houses.
After careful examination of my trusty pocket Constitution, I see nothing there that prevents majority rule from operating in either of the houses of Congress. If President B.O.’s halo of political glory is not enough to persuade even his own party members from supporting his often ill-conceived legislative and policy initiatives, then what reason does he have to blame the GOP? All he needs to do is to have his partisan legislative satraps drum up enough loyal Democrats and he would be able to pass anything he wanted…oh, yeah, enough loyal Democrats to support his agenda…not any more.
In the case at hand the bone of contention concerns whether or not to kill the so-called Bush tax-cuts, which is worth commenting on in itself:
“They want to hold these middle class tax cuts hostage until they get an additional tax cut for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans,” Mr. Obama said. “We simply can’t afford that.”
This statement, on its face, is false. According to B.O. he so called wealthy are those with $250K or more of income. While the Chief concedes that that certainly seems to be greatly more than he has had the chance to appreciate in his life, it must be recognized that a significant number of small businesses that are not incorporated are included in this group, and pay income tax on their legal BUSINESS as legal INDIVIDUALS.
Given the continued stubborn lack of employment to respond as predicted to the massive Keynesian bout of trillion dollar stimuli, throwing a de facto tax increase onto these small businesses, that historically create the most jobs, is the LAST thing needed to help relieve unemployment. Also of dubious veracity is the shot about affording this tax cut, ignoring the dynamic that repeatedly increases net government revenue as marginal tax rates are reduced…but why quibble with reality, when there’s an need for some way invent another political stick to flail the opposition in response to diving poll numbers and fading electoral hopes.