Escalating The Kabuki On Obama's Tax Surrender

The pace of the kabuki is quickening on Obama's tax cut Waterloo.

First, let's admire Ezra Klein's attempt to spin this as a win for the Dems:

If you look at the numbers alone, the tax cut deal looks to have robbed Republicans blind. The GOP got around $95 billion in tax cuts for wealthy Americans and $30 billion in estate tax cuts. Democrats got $120 billion in payroll-tax cuts, $40 billion in refundable tax credits (Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and education tax credits), $56 billion in unemployment insurance, and, depending on how you count it, about $180 billion (two-year cost) or $30 billion (10-year cost) in new tax incentives for businesses to invest.

But that's not how it's being understood. Republicans are treating it as a victory, and liberals as a defeat. Which raises two separate questions: Why did Republicans give Obama so much? And why aren't Democrats happier about it?

Eventually Ezra admits to the correct answer, which I will present as follows: Back during the stimulus debate in early 2009, Republicans favored tax cuts and Democrats favored shovel ready projects (with the shovels manned at union scale) and aid to the states (and AFSCME).

So now in December 2010 Obama has acepted the Republican tax cuts for "the rich" in exchange for the Republican approach of stimulus through tax cuts.  Yeah, he is a tough negotiator.

And there is a bonus for Republicans - by cutting the FICA payroll tax Obama has endorsed the notion that he will raid Social Security even when it is running a current deficit.  Is that going to help him with seniors in 2012?  I think it is defensible public policy, but I don't mind watching a Dem body-slam himself onto the third rail just to test the public appetite for this sort of re-imagining of Social Security.

Democrats are in near revolt, but now we see reports that Republican Tea Party champion Jim DeMint may lead a Senate filibuster of the compromise.  I don't doubt his sincerity but I also don't doubt that grumblings from the right make McConnell's job a lot easier.  Back when Republicans were celebrating and Dems were in despair, there was a likelihood that Obama and Biden would plead that their hands were tied and the deal had to be re-considered.  Now McConnell can pretend that he, too, has problems with his caucus, and he simply can't settle for less.  And of course, Obama and Biden can point to flak from the right as evidence that this must be a great deal for Dems because Republicans don't like it.

Fortunately, Obama is only playing poker on the domestic stage against American opponents.

THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING:  Wow. Brian Beutler and Andrew Sullivan find an unexpected silver lining for Obama.  From Sully:

The most powerul aspect of this entire deal is how it has delivered a body-blow to the FNC/Limbaugh/RNC notion that Obama is an enemy and an alien and a threat. Instead, he's now the architect of a deal with that most rightwing of Republicans, Mitch McConnell, a deal that legitimizes Obama on the right with consequences McConnell probably hasn't completely absorbed yet. Maybe this was an inevitable consequence of the GOP assuming some responsibility in running the country. But it has pricked that balloon of demonization that has given much of the right its energy these past two years.

Meep, meep.

Well, OK.  I guess Robert E. Lee was legitmized at Appomattox, too.  As was Emperor Hirohito on the USS Missouri.  A few more legitimizations and minimizations like this and Obama won't have many body parts left.  Nor a pleasant baritone.

NOT SO FAST:  Jane the Hostage Taker begs to differ on the "pricked ballon of demonization": "I'm as inflated as ever."

As a fellow hosage taker I have to agree that Obama is functioning on Auto-Demonize now.

Comments

[PaulY]

Obama is playing tiddy winks

[Clarice]

Why don't we invite Sullivan and Ezra Klein over to play poker one night? Just saying. Rick can be out dealer.

[Jane the hostage taker]

But it has pricked that balloon of demonization that has given much of the right its energy these past two years.

Not for me. I'm as inflated as ever.

[narciso]

God he really has regressed like William Hurt, in Altered States, to the hominid with
the cleft palate.

[sam]

Now, if Obama promises to repeal Obamacare, he can run for the GOP 2012 nomination.

[Gmax]

Are the drugs that Sully must take to remain alive from AIDs, mind altering? If not someone check the kitchen cooking sherry. If he think Obama is getting reelected with conservative voters, I think I disagree rather soberly.

[RichatUF]

sam-

With a modest extension of Bush era rates under his belt?

I'm not understanding the Dems outrage about this. Looks like they are going to get amnesty and dadt too.

[Danube of Thought]

Kind of like France was legitimized at Compiegne the second time around...

[Comanche Voter]

Listened to an early morning talk radio show in Los Angeles today--the kind with two hosts. The lefty side kick was positively foaming at the mouth about Obama's lack of gonads and spine etc. The cri de coeur was "He didn't even put up a fight!"

This is just another political failure by Obama. He assumes that just because "he's the smartest guy in the room", everyone in his party will go along with him. He could have avoided it all by going out on Tuesday and saying "I'm fighting like a Tiger! Those Rethugs are tough, but I'm doing the best I can." Then on Wednesday or Thursday he announces the deal--just like the one he announced yesterday. He could have made the same deal--but with different optics, he wouldn't have faced as much lefty outrage.

As a politician/negotiator, Obama is a putz.

[RichatUF]

Good grief-he had two press conferences and produced a hostage video for his supporters.

[Danube of Thought]

It all reminds me of what Churchill said after Munich, something along the lines of "England had to choose between shame and war. She has chosen shame and she shall have war."

Obama had to choose between caving to the GOP and being a one-term president. (You fill in the rest.)

[Porchlight]

Well, OK. I guess Robert E. Lee was legitmized at Appomattox, too. As was Emperor Hirohito on the USS Missouri.

Thanks for the validation, TM. ;)

[Ann]

Oh, let's not be delicate. Obama's campaign has turned from Hope and Change to

Let's F**k the Folks!

[Melinda Romanoff]

DoT-

What Churchill said was this(transcript)and it is far more visceral than described.

I love listening to "question time", where the use of Robert's Rules, combined with the most sulphuric use of "the right, honorable gentleman", means nothing of the sort.

I'm going back to reading the speech.

G'night all.

[centralcal]

no kidding, Ann! He will be the most famous President in history - for being the worst ever.

[Danube of Thought]

Thanks Mel--I couldn't find the famous passage in a glance through the transcript, but I'm sure the gist of it is there. I did note that poor Viscountess Astor was a bit overmatched.

[Melinda Romanoff]

"nailed to the barn door" Comes to mind.

I know your passage, but it comes, I think, during the Battle of Britain period. I'll dig it up. I love his oratory (same style as my grandfather, a remote relative, hence the interest).

[Rick Ballard]

"Fortunately, Obama is only playing poker on the domestic stage against American opponents."

Shoot a little lower sheriff, he's riding a Shetland pony. I'm sure that his kids have given up on playing Old Maid and Crazy Eights with him due to the lack of competition. Definitely our very first short bus President.

[Melinda Romanoff]

DoT-

Selected speeches of Churchill.

[Ann]

I suggest we start reading columnists from the NYT's twitter remarks vs. their columns.

This is interesting tonight from the renowned Charles Blow:

»
Charles M. Blow
CharlesMBlow Charles M. Blow
@
@claritzajimenez I was a guest. I didn't invite anyone.
56 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply
»
Charles M. Blow
CharlesMBlow Charles M. Blow
... this is the undercurrent that the news and the polls don't register. These people would never disparage the president to a pollster.
1 hour ago Favorite Retweet Reply
»
Charles M. Blow
CharlesMBlow Charles M. Blow
... criticism of the prez were sprinkled through out the panel, prefaced with phrases like "I love my president, but..."
1 hour ago Favorite Retweet Reply
»
Charles M. Blow
CharlesMBlow Charles M. Blow
... when one speaker on stage basically called the president a wimp, the mostly black crowd erupted in applause. I was shocked...
1 hour ago Favorite Retweet Reply
»
Charles M. Blow
CharlesMBlow Charles M. Blow
That's not to say that the less vocal base isn't also upset. I spoke at an even of high profile black leaders yesterday, and ...
1 hour ago Favorite Retweet Reply
»
Charles M. Blow
CharlesMBlow Charles M. Blow
Q#2: Are progressives even "the base" of the democratic party? A Gallup poll says most liberals aren't sure that the label described them.
1 hour ago Favorite Retweet Reply
»
Charles M. Blow
CharlesMBlow Charles M. Blow
Q: Are progressives overreacting on Obama?

Oh my!!! Captured on Twitter not Wikileaks. Let's just call it tweetleaks or mockingbirds or something. :)

[Danube of Thought]

Thanks for the link, Mel, but I'm not sure which speech you are directing me to.

Somewhere I have a cassette of his greatest speeches, and the listener can tell that some were recorded (I suppose on wire) as they were given, while others were done later in a studio for posterity. I have early, stirring memories of my mother telling me of the "from the beaches" masterpiece.

[jimmyk]

DoT, the quote you have in mind seems to be: “You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor, and you will have war.” Said to Chamberlain, but not in the Mel's link. But it's quoted all over if you google it.

[jorgxmckie]

Do you suppose Sullivan has never heard of a Pyrrhic victory? [I'm pretty sure Klein's 'education' wouldn't include anything so old and passe.]

[matt]

thank you, Mel. I am still simply amazed at Churchill's ability to muster examples from history so readily. His command of the facts and ability to present them cogently were for the ages.

[Cecil Turner]

If you look only at spending numbers, the GOP got rolled. (Even though it ain't like they (the Dems) weren't going to spend all that money anyway.) But the real silver lining is this (referring to the Dream act, but also applicable to START and DADT):

The bill could come up there as soon as Thursday but is unlikely to attract the necessary 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. Republican senators have vowed to block all legislation until a stalemate over the George W. Bush-era tax cuts is resolved. Obama and the GOP have reached a deal, but Democrats haven't signed on.

The tax cut bill is worthwhile, just to keep the rest of that crap from passing in the lame duck.

But there's no hurry in getting it passed.

[Porchlight]

Cecil, what if they "suddenly" reach a deal with the Dems on the tax cut extension and then hustle through the DREAM Act and the rest of it? That's what I'm worried about. I think this kabuki about Dems being ticked off about the tax cuts is just to pacify the left and occupy the media until all the votes are lined up.

Also why aren't Republican senators "vowing to block all [Dem] legislation" period?

Senate cloture vote on DREAM is scheduled for 11 am, I believe.

[NK]

The commenters here are the best. Churchill's quote to his OWN Party's PM Chamberlain: “You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor, and you will have war.” The Dems rightly can say the same thing to BarryO. My old pen pal Sully? He's gleeful that barryO is at least pushing DADT repeal, so he'll bend over to any degree for BarryO. But, in the end BarryO will be the same miserable failure as Chamberlain, for different reasons, but a miserable failure.

[Cecil Turner]

Also why aren't Republican senators "vowing to block all [Dem] legislation" period?

They ought to be. At the least they ought to filibuster stuff that didn't have any GOP votes in the House . . . they can legitimately say, considering the recent election, that any such legislation doesn't represent the will of the people.

But they probably ought not to announce that in advance.

[Porchlight]

But they probably ought not to announce that in advance.

Good point. I hope that's the plan.

[Clarice]

Isn't it something to read or better yet listen to Churchill, the true oratorical master of our age, and recall that he was a real lush and considered a poor student in his youth?

[DebinNC]

Re Churchill, we've been watching the 70's BBC series Duchess of Duke Street, based on the amazing life of Rosa Lewis.

Wikipedia: She left school at 12 to go into domestic service, working her way up to cook. She claimed that the great chef Auguste Escoffier, then at the Carlton Hotel, taught her about cooking. It was he who named her the "Queen of Cooks". One of her employers was Lady Randolph Churchill. One day, Rosa chased her then ten-year-old, red-haired son Winston out of her kitchen, shouting "Hop it, copper knob."

And I highly recommend the movie Temple Grandin about another fascinating "copper knob" who triumped over early expectations.

[Clarice]

Upon daddy's recommendation I'm reading Grandin's book on understanding animals. She's a remarkably good read.

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

I tell you, if the republicans don't filibuster everything - even if they get the tax bill and the budget extension I am going to hit the roof.

[Porchlight]

Re Churchill, we've been watching the 70's BBC series Duchess of Duke Street, based on the amazing life of Rosa Lewis.

I love that series - I remember my mom watching it on Masterpiece Theatre when it first aired. Gemma Jones is one of my favorite actresses. I wouldn't mind watching it again, along with Upstairs, Downstairs and The Pallisers.

[Porchlight]

and recall that he was a real lush and considered a poor student in his youth?

He was definitely thought to be a real screw-up when young. He then went on to have like eight different careers. He never ceases to amaze me. For anyone who is ever in London, don't miss the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms.

[Clarice]

porch, netflix has the series if you want to see it again.

[DebinNC]

I wouldn't mind watching it again, along with Upstairs, Downstairs and The Pallisers

Netflix has them all, with "Duchess" available to watch instantly. Other favorite series of ours are Foyle's War and To Serve Them All My Days.

[Captain Hate]

Jane, could you hit my roof and shovel off all the climate change that fell on it yesterday?

[NK]

Churchill-- My favorite historical figure. He was the "Great Man" of the early 20th century; "Great" in the literal sense, big, larger than life. He was a magnificent screw up militarily -- Galipoli 0h yeah that was all his as First Lord of the Admiralty and then the "Balkans Campaign" of WWII-- politically, aligning himself with Lloyd George. BUT when Anglo-American liberty and Western Culture was at risk, he saw the evil of Nazi/Fascist totalitarianism and held the West together against defeatists like Joe Kennedy. Winston got the big one right and his Great personna saved the day. Plus, other than Shakespeare he is the largest quote machine in the history of the English language.

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

We've had no snow Capn' - knock on wood!

[Captain Hate]

We got absolutely pounded yesterday; fortunately the sun is out today but shortly I have to start knocking some of the icicles off before they get too massive.

[Jim Miller]

Gmax - Several years ago, I did a simple search on the psychological effects of AIDS and anti-AIDS drugs. Brief summary: Neither helps you think clearly. (If I recall correctly, the damage from AIDS is cumulative.) I am not a medical expert, so I haven't written about this at my site, but I urge you to do the same search if you are interested.

I've avoided discussing Andrew Sullivan since then, though I sometimes feel sorry for the man. (I am going to break that streak when I put up another post on FDR and waterboarding sometime this week.)

[NK]

Jim Miller--
no one knows the story with Sully. Close professional friends don't. I like Andrew, a brilliant mind, a Christian soul and a decent man. Sully the blogger is a nut job and fool. The fact is Andrew is one of the heaviest medicated HIV infected persons in history; also, who knows what his VD history was. So let's stick with knocking Sully the moronic blogger, and leave Andrew's medical condition out of it.

Cheers

[Jim Miller]

NK - If you read my comment again, you will see that not only have I avoided discussing his medical condition -- until someone here asked -- I have avoided even discussing his posts, for years.

[cathyf]

Jim -- wasn't FDR waterboarded in prep school as a typical hazing activity for the time?

[Melinda Romanoff]

Yippee!

House Dems vote down tax deal.

[Jim Miller]

cathyf - It was a routine punishment at Groton, but FDR probably never was waterboarded. (He approved of it, as he told his parents in letters.)

[Captain Hate]

The House donkeycrats have gone full-tilt retard by refusing to schedule a vote on the tax compromise. Bad for the economy and the country but who cares when there are politics to be played. And we have to schedule important stuff like the DREAM garbage. Thanks again for Castle, Rove.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Cap'n?

Are we playin' tag? Cause now your it.

(heh

[Captain Hate]

Yeah I saw your comment on the "live" thread, where I contemplated posting it but then thought here it would be "on topic".

[Melinda Romanoff]

That's why I did both, as a public service.

And no cut 'n' paste + Bold stuff either.

I hope everyone noticed that part.

[Melinda Romanoff]

London's about to go blooie.

21 vote majority to hike tuition fees and they're surrounded by students.

And there go the street fires.

[Clarice]

Mike Peabody, the grandson of the Groton headmaster, was apparently waterboarded several times--that's from the stories that appeared at the time there was a question as to whether waterboarding was torture.

[NK]

Jim Miller-- on the same page.

House Dems?-- the 150 safe seaters are doing what's in their interests. The white lib and Black Caucus Dems get no votes at home for keeping rates low, their voters don't pay fed income taxes. The only reason for them to vote for this is the national interest-- HA!! The Lib dems are happy to see this pass retroactively in January, when they are politically insignificant. Of course that hurts the country, but what do they care of that?

[Clarice]

Mel, that's a common notion of college students everywhere that those who never went to college or hoped to should subsidize their education at ever higher rates because they are so superior and the world would be worse off without another area studies or Mayan lit scholar.

[Dave (in MA)]

Jim, I read your top-most post on Pearl Harbor ignorance at your blog and followed the link to http://maristpoll.marist.edu/wp-content/misc/usapolls/US101115/Pearl%20Harbor/Pearl%20Harbor%20Attackers.htm>this poll.

32 years ago the summary at the end of Animal House mentioned that Bluto went on to become a United States Senator. They never specified, but I think it's pretty safe to say that we now know which party he belonged to.

[Clarice]

The House has turned down the tax compromise; the Senate has shelved he DREAM Act; the house has passed a budget bill at last which will probably die soon. Our long national Reid-Pelosi-Obama nightmare is over.

[Melinda Romanoff]

caucus voice vote, not floor.

waiting...

[DebinNC]

Daily Caller on what the House Dems want:

..."said a House Democratic leadership aide. “They’re especially upset about the estate tax piece, and they want to send a message to the White House that this is just unacceptable.”

The aide said House Democrats would like to see the threshold at which individual estate inheritors are taxed lowered from $5 million, as it currently is in the tax cut deal, to $1 million. They would also like to see the percentage raised from 35 percent to 45 percent.

To quote The Won, "It's a matter of fairness."

[narciso]

That would be Malcolm, right Clarice, look who pops up in the family but Frances Fitzgerald, in the LUN

[Dave (in MA)]

Declare the pennies on your eyes.

[Porchlight]

Other favorite series of ours are Foyle's War and To Serve Them All My Days.

Love Foyle's War, and I've had To Serve Them All My Days in my Netflix queue for years! My problem is that I never have time to watch - well, I would, if I wasn't on JOM 24/7. ;)

[Porchlight]

Okay, so after being burned multiple times during Obamacare about "Dems not having the votes," I thought for sure this was all kabuki. But it looks like they really don't have the votes. This is all so crazy.

So what happened with the DREAM vote? I've been at a meeting and haven't seen the update.

[DebinNC]

Hot Air links to CNN Ed Henry's twitter on Dem strategy to take another Senate bill, tack on the tax deal, and send it to the House where Pelosi et al will lard it up and jam it down our throats as they did with ObamaCare.

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

Gawd, I leave for an hour and all hell breaks loose. WHo voted down the tax bill? The house? If they amend one thing for that botox ridden moron I will demand they all be impeached.

It was a routine punishment at Groton,

Are you serious? When?

[NK]

Debin NC-- I don't think that's possible. the tax bill needs to pass filibuster, they can't do the reconciliation nonsense. The House has no power here, that's why the Dems are so PO'd.

[Clarice]

Porch, the Dems in the Senate shelved the DREAM vote.

[Clarice]

Jane, here's one source re Groton
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/131428/waterboarding-groton/jonah-goldberg

[Clarice]

narcis, who is Francis Fitzgerald?

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

Clarice,

My bestest friend from Law School lives in Groton and at least a couple of his kids have gone there. I sent him the link. His response: We should do more of that.

[narciso]

This person, who pops occasionally in the NYRB
and/or Huffington Post, in the LUN

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vnjagvet]

From another source, American Heritage:

Corporal punishment at Groton was administered by the older boys under the direction of the prefects. Younger boys who were insolent to their elders or who violated the sensitive Grotonian canons of good form were subjected to an ordeal called “pumping” in which the culprit’s head was held face-up under a gushing water spigot. The time of submersion was carefully limited by stopwatch to ten seconds, but this was ample to produce the unpleasant sensation of drowning; and it would be repeated until the boy showed the proper humility. Little Teddy Roosevelt, Jr., a few weeks before his father was inaugurated as Vice-President, was pumped for being “fresh and swell-headed.” Half-drowned but still spouting defiance after two immersions, he escaped being put under for a third time: the boys admired his pluck. Malcolm Peabody, the rector’s own son, was pumped because the older boys didn’t like his “tone.”

See LUN for link to full article.

[Boatbuilder]

According to Klien, the Estate Tax "cuts" (actually forestalled increases) were worth $30 Billion. For this the Dems are screaming about giveaways to the rich?

And they want to lower the exemption? Why? has it ever occurred to them that a $1 million exemption is going to have the greatest impact on the the smallest small businesses and prevent them from passing wealth to the next generation--and that minority-run small businesses and farms are far more likely to be in the smallest cohort? (I know--it has, and it's about power rather than success). How does a successful family-owned business grow in Demworld, when anything worth over $1 million is taxed out of existence?

[Clarice]

narciso, many years ago the New Yorker carried her work on high school history curricula. I don't know if it was the entire piece which was published in this book: America Revised, a highly critical review of high school history textbooks (1979) but at the time it made me appreciate how fortunate I was that my child wasn't stuck in public school.

It was a remarkable study.

[Chubby]

((I wouldn't mind watching it again, along with Upstairs, Downstairs and The Pallisers. ))

Do you like Catherine Cookson? She is another rags to riches success story. Most of her BBC serialized novels are available on YouTube, done in the inimitle British style and they are addictive!

((Born as Catherine Ann McMullen at 5 Leam Lane in Tyne Dock, South Shields, (then part of County Durham), she was known as "Kate" as a child. She moved to East Jarrow, County Durham (now in Tyne and Wear), which would become the setting for one of her best-known novels, The Fifteen Streets. The illegitimate child of an alcoholic named Kate Fawcett, she grew up thinking her unmarried mother was her sister, as she was raised by her grandparents, Rose and John McMullen. Biographer Kathleen Jones tracked down her father whose name was Alexander Davies, a bigamist and gambler from Lancashire.
................
She was created an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1985 and was elevated to a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1993

Cookson received the Freedom of the Borough of South Tyneside, today known as Catherine Cookson Country and an honorary degree from the University of Newcastle. The Variety Club of Great Britain named her Writer of the Year, and she was voted Personality of the North East. WIKIPEDIA))

[Jim Miller]

Dave (in MA) - Thanks for the tip on "Animal House". I linked to your 12:48 comment in an update to the post.

(If this is mysterious to any of you, here's the updated post. Republicans and independents will like it; Democrats should find it embarrassing.)