Verified answer

I'm tempted to be disappointed that the Democrats and President Obama appear to have "caved" on the tax cuts for the wealthiest 2%---I had hoped the compromise would only be that the limit or ceiling was raised to maybe $500,000 from the $250,000 that was in place.

The arrogance and lack of patriotism of the right-wing Republicans as well as their blatant sanctimonious hypocrisy is so difficult to endure...I'm so angry about them that I could, as my mother used to say, "chew nails."

But, listening to the discussions made and the President's tense words, I suspect that the New START Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty had a whole lot to do with this "deal" that was forced...er...forged, and based on the sensitivity generated by the wikileaks documents which has caused incredible disruptions in our diplomatic relations with just about every nation, I'm betting that getting this vital Treaty ratified by 67 Senators had to take precedence. For one thing, President Obama got Russia to AGREE to having the U.S. inspect all of their storage facilities (some of which have been reported to be highly unstable and not well guarded). If we cannot have such access, we run the risk of having these materials fall into the hands of the black market, and even something as small as an apple can completely level a city. Republicans were holding this Treaty HOSTAGE, if you can believe the GALL of these right-wing fruitcakes! Republican Senator Lugar was the only one to break ranks and urge his GOP colleagues to put partisanship aside on this one issue, but to no avail.

What I'm wondering is: Is there anything to prevent the millionaires and billionaires who WANT to pay higher taxes to help this nation (like Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, the Obamas, the Clintons, perhaps many movie starts or entertainers, etc.) from just doing so? What if they simply set up an interest-bearing tax account for the 39% rate and started paying into that account? Could the government or IRS simply waive their Bush-era tax cuts the way other things can be waived---but this time IN FAVOR of something instead of in opposition? And maybe someone TRUSTED in the media (maybe PBS or C-SPAN1 or C-SPAN2) could monitor daily how much is paid into this "Fair Share" tax fund by these wealthy contributors and show us, the public, just how much the deficit would be reduced should these dollars be applied---and then give us STATISTICS on the other millionaires and billionaires NOT willing to contribute their "fair share" to this interest-bearing tax account at the 39% rate it would be and maybe SHAME THEM as greedy and selfish. It's a thought...

Obama has been extending his arm to the Republicans for 2 years and all they do is keep chewing on it.

Personally, I'm furious and am losing faith in his ability to be a leader. I'm tired hearing about compromise. The Republicans didn't compromise on anything the last two years. they demonized him and tore him from limb to limb and do nothing but play him for a fool. And he allows it.

I have no idea where he's coming from, other than the fact that maybe it just wasn't time for him to be President. I've heard talk there may be other Democrats who will challenge him in the primaries and he has no one to blame but himself. And if the Democrats can REALLY come up with a strong candidate to wipe the Republicans butt with, Obama has lost me. He's a nice guy, too nice, too trusting, still believes the Republicans will work with him, which only shows his innocent gullibility.

Democrats don't need gullibility, they need someone with an iron fist who will take the Republicans out once and for all.

Think about these liberal assertions for a millisecond and their speciousness becomes clear. For one thing, they assume that a tax cut is a gift from the government to the taxpayer rather than government choosing not to take something away that the taxpayer already possesses. Otherwise, to be logically consistent, the assumption must be that the money in taxpayers' hands is actually government property, which we are allowed to keep until the tax collector demands that we return it in the form of taxes.

Another way of understanding the fallacious nature of the liberal argument that tax cuts must be "paid for" by government is to focus on the $700 billion they say will be added to the deficit if all of the Bush measures are extended. Where do liberals think those 700 billion dollar bills currently reside???

Not really, because there is trouble ahead, I think that things will get very ugly the first of January when the Tea Baggers arrive.

We can vote these guys out in two years if they don't start working for the people instead of self interest.

There is no tax bonus for the rich. Only a continuation of the tax rates we've had for an entire decade.

And those on unemployment have gotten a bunch of extensions. It isn't the norm to be allowed to stay on unemployment for 99 weeks. That is a special deal for THIS recession.

And if you are really concerned with the deficit, the middle class tax cuts cost the IRS WAY WAY WAY more revenue.

Obama - The Messiah. Hope and change you can believe in. Obama got himself into this mess by being a complete and utter incompetent over the last 2 years. You are getting what you voted for - a Jr. Senator from Chicago who vote "present" more times than not to avoid having to take a position on an issue and who hasn't even run a State for cripes sake. Even Sarah Palin had more experience than he did.

The policy is to maintain existing tax rates not to cut anything.

That said, I do think that the super-rich should be taxed at higher rates. But to pretend that this action, or inaction, is a major blow to the deficit is ridiculous.

Bamboozled! Hoodwinked!

by geeks in DC and NY with 2-3 citizenship

I "feel" the government has plent of money. I'm ready to start cutting spending.

The Unemployment thing and the 2 year thing was BS.