President Obama...I Get It

To all the progressive liberals crying in their Wheaties, today about Obama’s tax deals cut with the GOP , reap it babies! You have had two years to change it and you could not. It is not up to Obama alone to win over a miniscule amount of Republican votes to move on legislation, he has had a majority for the last two years that has been completely partisan in every aspect and done little reaching across the aisle. On the midterm elections the Donkey party ran from Obama and the few accomplishments the administration has gained and now openly criticizes the President’s Clintonesque deal. The party of “pretty please” has never mustered enough strength to overcome the Republican blockade and paid little attention to moves made by the GOP on their side of the aisle.

The midterm elections have swept both parties out of the house in recent history because of imbalances of policy. Clinton moved to the middle and forced into the public eye the fact that the Newt Gingrich led Republicans were blocking all progress in our government and had to meet Clinton or commit political suicide. Yes letting the tax breaks end was popular in most polls, just as a little over half of America support the Healthcare reforms in polls, but as your President pointed out yesterday Gallup Polls do not run America, Congress does. We the people may support ideas, but it is achievement we vote for.

Democratic Representative Grijalva yesterday was quoted as saying, “I think the Republicans would have caved.” A couple of left leaning blogs today are crying the Republicans would have reinstated unemployment before Christmas. I say you are delusional. The Republicans do not melt. They dig in, a Christmas without unemployment and a stall in the economic recovery may be caused by the GOP, but they would point to the Democrats not creating jobs and taxing the top job creators as the reason it all went down. Then it is back on the Democratic plate to explain, and you cannot explain it. The numbers are plain for all to see, but all the Republicans have to do is say the numbers come from biased sources and not fact based and most voters buy into it. It’s a load of bunk, but it has worked since Reagan and it will continue to work as long as the Democratic party fails to communicate to the voter. Rush, Beck, Coulter, and Palin collectively have proven that you can appeal to worst fear scenarios without a factual base and American voters (not necessarily the people) buy in. The Tea Party membership on a whole has displayed the total inability to understand what legislation actually helps so the 4 personas mentioned above are more than glad to step in and create an understanding.

The numbers and outcomes are published for all to see, but few go to look. I wonder if our Democratic leadership even takes the time.
Here are the findings of the Congressional Budget Office and the Center On Budget Policy Priorities, both non-partisan entities that the GOP comes out against anytime the numbers do not meet Republican goals as partisan. Never mind both groups have equally bad reports on Democratic aims.

The short-term effect on letting the tax cuts for $1 million per year and above lapse and extending unemployment, child tax credit, earned income credit, and the higher education tax credit. $30 billion less added to the deficit from 2010-2015 than extending all the tax cuts. 500,000 more jobs created in the first year.

The long-term effect of making the above tax credits permanent and letting the tax cuts lapse. $441 billion less to deficits in the years 2010-2020 and 1.2 million jobs created next year.

We the people have been fed the crap for years that allowing the top to keep more money creates more jobs. It was called trickle down once upon a time. Clinton taxed the top and economic growth happened. Why? If the middle has the money the consumer market moves. The top works in the world of profit margin. If they are paying the same tax as the rest of us then they hire to meet the demand and make their margin. If they can make their margin by paying lesser taxes and the middle does not have the money to buy not only does the job creation incentive go away, but profit margin increase can only occur by cutting jobs. Have we seen jobs created grow in the last decade since these magic tax cuts have happened? No, the Democrats have failed to jump up and down on this, but Republicans have beat that drum until everyone is singing along.

In 2009 the CBO produced a report on the distribution of income from Reagan through the end of 2008. The top 0.01% (11,000 households) earned an average of 8.6 million per year and accounted for 411.9 billion dollars of income per year. The bottom 20% (24.1 million households) earned an average of $17,000 per year and accounted for 384.5 billion dollars per year.

Looking at the top 0.01% their income level rose 384% over the top 0.01% in 1979. The 20% of Americans that are in the exact middle of American income had their income raise 15% in the same amount of time. Looking at the dollar tells the story even more. A gallon of gas in that time frame has seen a 115% price change, milk 147% change, bread a whopping 320% change. See the top 0.01% dollar has not lost but gained in spending power while the rest of us have lost. 44 cents of the dollar earned by the top is earned through capital gains which is taxed at 17% ordinary paychecks are taxed at 35%. Combine the amounts the top is paying 26 cents on the dollar in taxes while the middle is paying 35 cents. Give your self the same tax break on your annual take home pay and you will see how much nicer your life could be.

Something for nothing, no incentive to get a job, rewarding the lazy, all talking points in the conservative media for not extending unemployment benefits to the unemployed. Never mind that the GOP just forced a possible repeal of estate taxes on the wealthiest that could more aptly wear the above talking points. The unemployed are in a job market where the odds are against them getting a job, five applicants for every one job. Let alone many good job opportunities are being advertised with the words “unemployed need not apply.”

Wake up Democrats, your ass whooping came a month ago, and the Republicans make everyone of their shortcomings look like your fault. You are only feeding their machine by bemoaning your president’s actions. The economy will profit (most likely not prosper) with the UI extension. The many tax credits that were saved yesterday will make a difference in the middle as well. When the Republicans take over next month and start working on killing the extension and the credits it will be up to them to explain why the middle needs another punch in the gut while the top gets a fanny massage. Unfortunately they will explain it in a united front filled with gloom and doom about Obama’s socialist agenda and the American voter will buy it. Even more unfortunate the Democrats will still be standing with mouths agape with no argument whatsoever.