O'Donnell has the right frame: If the GOP thinks the Bush tax cuts were a good idea...

[scheming daemons]

...why did they vote en masse in 2001 to make them expire after 2010?


If they were such a great idea, why weren't they made permanent at the time they were passed?


It is the Republican party that voted to make your precious tax cuts go away in 2010, Mr. Rich Guy and Mrs. Rich Gal.

[Motown_Johnny]

1. because you can't grow the deficit for more than 10 years using reconciliation

if they could have made them permanent they would have

[bluestateguy]

2. People don't want to hear excuses and parliamentary procedure jargon

That's fine for an academic conference or a Brookings Institute seminar, but that's not an argument that will go far in the real world.

[Make7]

3. The Democrats and media should challenge the Republicans into explaining...

... that the tax cuts were not permanent because they knew it would increase the deficit. Therefore the Republicans know that extending them would also increase the deficit, which they now claim to want to get under control.
 

[slay]

4. +1

you nailed it - that is exactly why - at least from a legal perspective.

[hfojvt]

5. nope, not seeing it

too easy to flip that frame

1) because they had to, to get around Democratic obstruction
2) regardless of that, they have changed their minds, and now it is the Democrat Party that is refusing to extend them, even in this bad economy when a tax increase will just kill a fragile recovery

I like my frame better

voters have a choice, do they want
a. $5 billion in cuts to Veteran's benefits (which Republicans voted for in the Blackburn amendment to HR 3288)
or
b. $68 billion in tax cuts to people with incomes over $250,000

a. hundreds of millions for local schools which preserve teaching jobs
or
b. $18 billion in tax cuts to the richest 400 people in America http://journals.democraticunderground.com/hfojvt/123

a. hundreds of millions for local roads, providing construction jobs
or
b. $68 billion in tax cuts for people with incomes over $250,000

a. a $500 tax cut for working people (which was cut to $400 by Republicans in the Senate)
or
b. a $45,000,000 tax cut each for 400 people with incomes averaging $344,000,000 http://journals.democraticunderground.com/hfojvt/123

and so on. If you support veterans, if you want good roads and good schools, and if you are a working person, then Democrats are on your side. Republicans are on the side of those with incomes over $250,000, including those with incomes over $340 million.

[ThatPoetGuy]

6. I think you stated something wrong?

voters have a choice, do they want
a. $5 billion in cuts to Veteran's benefits (which Republicans voted for in the Blackburn amendment to HR 3288)
or
b. $68 billion in tax cuts to people with incomes over $250,000

Why would I want either? Any sane person would rather not see veterans' benefits get cut. But that's a bizarre, nonsensical choice the way you phrased it.

[geckosfeet]

7. We also have to ask, if tax cuts are such a great idea, why not eliminate taxes altogether?

[Wednesdays]

8. Don't give 'em any ideas, now...

nt

[spanone]

9. that's the oldest trick in the world...get them installed 'temporarily'

then when it's time to repeal them, if thugs are in office, they extend them, if dems are in office and wish to end them, they are accused of RAISING TAXES...a win win situation for the thugs