Biden to defend tax deal on Capitol Hill

[Lasher]

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN) -- Vice President Joe Biden is expected to meet Tuesday with what could be a surly group of Senate Democrats to discuss an Obama administration deal with Republican leaders that would extend Bush-era tax cuts for two years.

Democrats in Congress expressed initial concern with the deal, saying it conceded too much to Republican demands.

"I'm not at all happy with this. I want to see all the details before I make some kind of commitment," Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio said.

Asked if President Barack Obama "caved" to Republicans, Brown said: "I don't know if he caved. I think he could have gotten a better agreement."

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/12/07/tax.deal/?hpt=T2

[Skittles]

1. LOL: "I don't know if he caved. I think he could have gotten a better agreement."

HELLO!! CAVED!!!!!!!

[Lasher]

2. Brown was trying to be suttle, I guess.

I imagine he will be more candid in a less public venue.

It will be interesting to see this play out in Congress. Bernie is going to filibuster in the Senate. I doubt if Nancy will be supportive.

[Teaser]

3. Bernie won't filibuster

and even if he did, the rest of the Dems would vote for cloture, along with several Republicans.
You can't filibuster without some insititutional support. But my money is that he won't. He'll extract some kind of tiny concessions, and call it a good deal.


This is pretty much the only way this was ever going to go.

[dgibby]

8. I love Bernie, but I think you're probably right on this.

I watched that interview,and when asked if he would filibuster, he said he'd do everything he could, but he never used the word "filibuster". He definitely gave himself some wiggle room on that one.

[chimpymustgo]

11. Just like health care "reform". It's all SO predictable. We saw this coming MONTHS ago.

We keep getting shouted down...told to be patient while the chessmeisters craft their brilliant deal. Then we're told to shut up and eat the shit sandwich.

Rinse and repeat.

[ClutchCargo1957]

4. The only thing you need to ask yourself is..

Would the Republican had caved into the minority party during a lame duck session of Congress? No frickin' way! Why can't the Democrats grow a set?

[Teaser]

5. actually, I think they would have,

if the payoff matrix for them looked the way it did for us:




game theory tells you who wins these battles.

[No Elephants]

7. Um, Democrats are still in the majority. When you're talking votes, that still matters, even in a

lame duck session.

And yes, some Republican Senators were going to vote to extend unemployment. Most of America was willing to lose tax cuts before giving them to the rich--again. And please see Reply 6. This is not a center right move. It's a far right move.

Sorry, meme don't work this time.

"Why can't the Democrats grow a set?"

A set of what? Boobs?

Please don't associate strength with male reproducitve organs. It's very insulting to women.

Most in Congress have a full complement of male reproductive and peeing orgazns, so obviously the metaphor is totally ridiculous anyway.

That said, welcome to DU.

[No Elephants]

6. "Caved" nothing. Timmeh wanted this. His Republican soul believes you don't raise taxes on anyone

during a recession and they fear a double dip. November employment figures--back to April numbers--show their fears are not entirely fanciful.

So, Obama gets to do what he and Timmeh believe the economy needs while tying it to unemployment and blaming the Rethugs. And the Rethugs don't have to take an embarrassing vote on unemployment during holiday season or an embarassing vote on taxes or the rich, which even their ordinarily self-defeating voters don't want Win win for Obama and the Rethugs.

Meanwhile, he's kind of endgamed Dems in both Houses of Congress--and they ain't happy. I hope to hell they rebel.

I've said it before and I'l say it again: Every time I see this administration really play three dimensional chess, Demoxrats. not necons, are on the other side of the three dimensional chess board.

Sanders for President!

[tomp]

9. breaking: water is wet. nt

[pam4water]

10. Great crazy uncle Joe has sold out too.

[saigon68]

12. meanwhile the Bush-Obama War goes on

"BRING EM ON" shouted the CLUELESS ONE

[florida08]

13. you can't close the barn door

once the horse has bolted. I know where they're coming from about getting the unemployment extensions but we will revisit this again in 13 months. Does anything think things will be better by that time? Then what leverage will he use? What gets me is in this report it says:

The White House will fight Tuesday to get Democrats to support a last-minute deal on taxes that President Barack Obama hammered out with Republican leaders.

Is that where we are? Obama bypassing progressives who want to fight for real negotiations? Now he expects them to just go along? He got 13 months and they got 24! That's a deal? Anthony Weiner on the video here stated that Obama has arrows in his quiver he's not using and how difficult it is to fight when the president says right off the bat..ok we can deal. That is what is most annoying in this. He cuts off the fighters at the knees. Doesn't engage the public at all. Either he really doesn't believe in his principles (they're not worth fighting for) or it's easier to capitulate rather than contend..and continue to move forward. I tend to think it's the latter.


Remember is anti-bullying message..http://businessv20.com/x/president-obama-releases-anti-bullying-message.html he would do well to take is own advice.