Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/12/gregg.nomination/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITI...dex.html</a> That he just now realizes he would have differences with Obama sounds more than a little lame. Why did he even accept in the first place. All things considered then, no loss.
Originally Posted By velo Wasn't he the Republican appointee? I'm sensing that "cooperative spirit" isn't going to be able to go too far, or for much longer?
Originally Posted By Mr X Agreed. The President has made several overtures towards bipartisanship and the right wingers have responded by spitting in his face. I hope he vetos the spending bill and sends it back for removal of all those tax cuts and other "concessions". The Republicans can't stop him if he does.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 yeah, let's fight partisanship with a higher level of partisanship- great plan
Originally Posted By Mr X ***yeah, let's fight partisanship with a higher level of partisanship- great plan*** No, not great. But if the other guys refuse to budge an inch, there's nothing to work with there. They're simply acting as obstructionists.
Originally Posted By Mr X And you can't argue that it's the same for all...the Dems made deep concessions in their plan (43 percent earmarked for tax cuts, for starters) in an effort to achieve some measure of bipartisan support. They were met with nothing in return. Time to acknowledge the facts here. The Republican party is hedging their future on the hope that the President fails.
Originally Posted By dshyates I DO NOT believe the Repubs are being obstructionists. I believe they are smartly playing poitics. They KNOW this stimulus HAS to pass, but they don't want to seem to support it. But I think there were negotiations behind closed GOP doors where they agreed to give Obama what he needed to pass it but they could still say that they don't like it. And they choose who would vote for it based on who needs to please their constituants. Pennsylvania voted overwhelmingly for Obama so Spector was a natural choice.
Originally Posted By gadzuux It's a dangerous game they're playing. If there's any measureable improvement in the economy at all twelve months from now, republicans are on the wrong side of the issue. And considering they've got nothing to suggest other than tax cuts, then even if the economy is still tanking, they'll have no credibility because they are plenty of tax cuts included in the stimulus package.
Originally Posted By dshyates I think the GOPers are just as afraid as everyone else that the Stimulus won't work, but they HAVE to oppose it simply because they ARE republicans. So they make sure it passes while screaming about it.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 Yep - the Dem'smade deep consessions- with liberties again on what this stimulus was. I watched Obama repeat time and time again about a tax cut for everyone family making under $250K. Over and over again even when questioned. Then is became $200K - which he said was a slip- it was really $250K Then a small rally - can;t remember where Biden let it slip the president elect may not quite have it right - it would be $150K- but of course this was AFTER the election. So read through the stimulus package today and tell me what the correct amount is ? Not only is it $150K-- it really is almost a heckof a lot less as it is GONE by $150 and being cut down long before that. Maybe Gregg has a problem with that ? Eh I know I sure as hell do. Don't tell me one thing over and over and over before the election - then have it be not close to true 100 days later.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 okay - the ABC ( nice going Mouse ) has the story wrong.....it starts going away at $150 and is gone @$200 for couples -- still not the $250k promised and much closer to what Biden originally said ( then said he was wrong) - but better than the ABC story.
Originally Posted By dshyates I bet by the time he leaves office it will be up to $250. I don't believe that when obama said $250, the economy was in complete freefall. This is the economy recovery stimulus bill, not the end all be all on what Obama wants to do.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder What Obama might have wanted in a perfect world (for him) and what ends up passing are obviously going to be two different things. He certainly knew that.
Originally Posted By andyll <<okay - the ABC ( nice going Mouse ) has the story wrong.....it starts going away at $150 and is gone @$200 for couples -- still not the $250k promised and much closer to what Biden originally said ( then said he was wrong) - but better than the ABC story.>> Actually you (or they) are confusing who gets tax raises and who gets tax cuts and who gets niether. All along he said that if you made over 250K your taxes would go up and you made under 250K there would be no change or it would go down. Since the promised cuts were a varity of credits/cuts it wasn't cut and dried who would get the decrease in taxes. Of course this bill only contains the 1 credit and no raises in rates for anyone.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***okay - the ABC ( nice going Mouse ) has the story wrong.....it starts going away at $150 and is gone @$200 for couples -- still not the $250k promised and much closer to what Biden originally said ( then said he was wrong) - but better than the ABC story.*** Unless I am horribly mistaken, he never promised tax cuts for everyone making under $250g. He merely promised that no one making less than that would see their taxes RAISED. Am I not correct on this?
Originally Posted By DouglasDubh Sen Gregg withdrew because it became obvious President Obama was not going to be bipartisan like he promised. Falsely claiming the GOP wanted to do nothing to stimulate the economy was bad enough, but stripping the Commerce of the census was a clear indicate that Sen Gregg would be a token Republican in his administration, with no power and no influence.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder "Sen Gregg withdrew because it became obvious President Obama was not going to be bipartisan like he promised. Falsely claiming the GOP wanted to do nothing to stimulate the economy was bad enough, but stripping the Commerce of the census was a clear indicate that Sen Gregg would be a token Republican in his administration, with no power and no influence." In your opinion, because you have no proof of this. Gregg in fact has voted to abolish the Commerce Dept in the past, and to slash funding for the census.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder And here's proof: <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2009/02/03/judd-gregg-commerce/" target="_blank">http://thinkprogress.org/2009/...ommerce/</a>
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder So if Gregg has felt this way for some time, why even accept the nomination in the first place?
