People just can't stop fighting and give up...

[kentuck]

We cannot do that. We have to keep fighting.

If it means we have to fight our own President, then so be it. If he wants to compromise on everything, then we may have to oppose him?

We expect to fight the Republicans. But we don't expect to fight those in our own Party.

However, there are still principles in this Party that are worth fighting for. Tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires is not one of them. We have to stand up for working people that need unemployment checks to live on. They are not investing it in the stock market. It is for their survival, you cold-hearted bastards!

Those are principles that we stand on. We cannot stand by anyone that would compromise those principles, even if that were the Democratic President of the United States.

We should take that $700 billion that the Repubs want to give the wealthiest and spend it on jobs programs or unemployment. After 6 months, the unemployed will be offered jobs in our communities, on our roads, and in our parks. The Repubs and their taxcuts have had ten years to create jobs for these people and they have failed sadly and miserably. We cannot stand by and watch our fellow Americans suffer over some ideological bull shit.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. You got it.

Recommended, even though it didn't show, for now.

[AndrewP]

2. A Progressive movement vs. the Chamber of Commerce movement

We need large numbers of people, and many are too busy watching Dancing with the Stars

[gateley]

5. People are so dismissive of others (and yes, I'm looking at you) when they

don't know their situations or circumstances. Not everybody is watching DWTS, there are too many people with two or three jobs trying to make ends meet and raise their families and honestly can't give any time or money to any cause.

Have a little compassion.

[AndrewP]

8. Yes, I am aware that many do work. I have 2 jobs myself. But thanks for the lecture.

[gateley]

I'm in agreement that many just aren't interested enough until it comes time

to complain (I'm looking at one right now) but I do believe that many more would be involved if they COULD be.

Yeah, I'm good at lectures. Sometimes I get holier-than-thou, so I apologize.

[lob1]

3. It's just depressing when the people you think have your back,

are busy stabbing you in it.

[gateley]

6. I don't think they're stabbing me, I just think they're blowing me off - I don't matter. nt

[lob1]

14. You're right, my metaphor was flawed. If they were

stabbing me in the back, they'd be paying attention to me. We've been abandoned.

[DesertFlower]

4. i had the same thought about the $700 billion.

our infrastructure is falling apart.

[Doctor_J]

7. Yawn

I don't like posts like this. They're a useless attempt to garner rec's. we have no representation in the house, senate, WH, courts, or media. Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results, is one definition of insanity.

Statements like this are just plain dumb:

We should take that $700 billion that the Repubs want to give the wealthiest and spend it on jobs programs or unemployment. After 6 months, the unemployed will be offered jobs in our communities, on our roads, and in our parks. The Repubs and their taxcuts have had ten years to create jobs for these people and they have failed sadly and miserably. We cannot stand by and watch our fellow Americans suffer over some ideological bull shit.

What do you mean, "we cannot stand by"? What exactly are you going to do?

Unrec

[kentuck]

9. I was hoping to change one person's mind.

Obviously I failed.

We can stand idly by and you will lead us in standing idly.

[Doctor_J]

12. change one person's mind about what?

What exactly is the alternative to "giving up". Besides do what I did in vain for the last 20 years? And again, please expound on the sentence, "We cannot stand by..." what do you propose?

[gateley]

20. I'm not speaking for K, but when I say stuff like this I'm just expressing my frustration

and feelings of impotence.

[sudopod]

25. Fixed that for you

"They're a useless attempt to garner rec's express your frustration."

[emilyg]

10. kentuc - you're in

fine shape tonight.

[bigtree]

11. If you believe he's fighting for keeping middle class tax breaks in place for millions of Americans

. . . at the level he managed to achieve with his record middle-class tax cut in his stimulus bill; and, if you believe he's fighting for an extension of unemployment benefits as part of any compromise that temporarily extends the upper-class tax breaks; you might not be compelled to 'fight your own President'.

Fight all you want, but don't be misleading about the political obstacles to the things you want Congress to do. In this Congress and the next, there won't be an opportunity to overcome republican votes against cloture on a free-standing middle-class tax bill. Even if you're intent on speaking for the millions of Americans who receive those tax breaks, and would see their incomes drop if the cuts are allowed to expire as a result of a veto or inaction by Congress, and advocate their expiration, there isn't a political balance of interests and motivations in the Senate that appears willing to adopt the things you propose here. You get NOTHING from a presidential veto or inaction by Democrats except an evisceration of middle-class tax breaks along with the rest. Who do you think is more able to bear the increase in taxes?

You're talking economics and ignoring the real world/real people effects of the expiration of the middle-class tax cuts. With the addition of the extension of unemployment benefits to any compromise, you're also dismissing that possibility of relief for the folks agonizing over that real life concern. All of that for an economic strategy that's just not politically possible right now.

[Doctor_J]

13. So we should support billions in tax cuts for the hyper-rich, so that

the indigent can get a few crumbs? How long do you think that game can be played before the economy completely collapses?

[bigtree]

15. If the political balance in the legislature means you can't completely end all of that

. . . without ending the middle-class portion of the tax breaks?

Congress makes these tradeoffs all of the time. If it was politically possible, if there were enough votes to do everything then, of course you'd end the upper-class cuts. But as long as it takes republicans to round off votes in the Senate, then tax policy will always have an element of favor for rich people. I think there are also negative consequences to a collapsing economy in lowering the income of the 98% of Americans who would be affected if the middle-class portion of the tax breaks were allowed to expire along with the rest of them.

[kentuck]

16. "before the economy completely collapses"?

I agree with you. If all the money continues to go to the top, this economy will collapse.

[PufPuf23]

21. You are supporting two years of promises and failure to support

the middle class and violent duplicity in foreign affairs.

You have no clue about economics. The fix was in with the appointments. I say this as a Obama primary voter ,$ contributer, POTUS voter, tears on election, and forgiver/excuser but no more.

The increase in GOP and TeaBag votes is because Obama did not support the base that voted him in office, ignored objective scientific and analytic reality, made appointments counter to his rhetoric and good of the nation (and world community), and has not acted morally as a so-called Christian to his nation's basic needs because of favoring an economic global elite.

My only excuse for Obama is the DC "Bubble" has limited oxygen to his brain.

[bigtree]

23. the President already delivered a record tax break to 95% of Americans as part of his stimulus bill

Promise kept. What malady or bias is preventing acknowledging that?

[Laelth]

17. It appears the deal has already been struck.

If so, what we saw today was pure theater.

Obama will agree to extend tax cuts for everyone for 2 years. In exchange, Republicans will agree to a 1 year UI extension and will agree to let Obama keep the targeted tax breaks from the stimulus bill.

What's to fight? It appears the decision to allow the tax breaks to continue has already been made. I think Obama is surprised by how vehemently we oppose extending these tax breaks, but it appears too late, at this point, to undo the deal.

-Laelth

-Laelth

[kentuck]

18. Perhaps so?

Makes sense. Then the Repubs will blame him for running up the deficit with the huge $700 billion taxcut for the wealthy. He can't win.

[Laelth]

19. Honestly, Democrats got the upper hand with today's theater.

They put the Republicans on record opposing tax cuts for the middle class, but this whole deal gives the lie to the catfood commission's stated goals. If either party was really concerned about the defecit, one of the two parties would have really pushed to let all the tax cuts expire. Neither party really wants that. Ergo, neither party is really concerned about the defecit, and both parties are lying about the real purpose of the catfood commission.

-Laelth

[glitch]

22. It will be very interesting to watch their contortions to cut "entitlements" after extending BUSH

tax cuts to m/billionaires.

[Skittles]

24. I will never stop fighting

no INDEED

[Cerridwen]

26. To 'stop fighting' is not the same as 'giving up'.

Welcome to the world of 'shades of gray (or grey)'.

[johnlucas]

27. I will only fight for the Revolution

You can keep this Democrat vs. Republican jazz.
I'm done with that.

They're both zeroes to me. Screw 'em.

My fight comes when the Revolution comes.
And the Revolution won't come until things get much much MUCH worse.
When people have their comforts, they don't have the will to truly fight.
They do useless fruitless endeavors like writing letters to congressmen & drumming up campaigns & fund drives.
Those soft-hearted measures never worked.

It's only when they hit Rock Bottom & have nothing else to lose. When they have nothing else to protect.
THEN and ONLY THEN will be the time that they fight the REAL fight.

Start 5 wars. Gut & dismantle the Social Security program. Demolish Medicare & Medicaid. End workplace protections. Return slavery.
Do the worse you can do until The People finally remember who's REALLY boss in this land.

THEY are!

And when they remember that THEY are the boss, it will be time to throw off these so-called rulers who make this land, this world such a ruin.
Until The People as a whole have the guts & will to fight to self-proclaimed Elites, this kind of crap we experience today needs to continue.
Maybe all of this supposed political opposition would streamline real fast once people recognize who the Enemy always was.

Until then though, an Austin salute (middle fingers) from me to the American political system. I will prepare for the REAL fight in the meantime.
John Lucas

[Doctor_J]

28. I'm with you.

I am giving my spare cash to LOCAL charities, going to my job every day, and getting ready to do my best when the real revolution starts. I kind of knew it was inevitable when the corrupt court overthrew the election in 2000. Since then we get a little glimmer of hope every so often to keep us at bay, but eventually it will come. Personally I think we could take the country back fairly painlessly by wiping out (literally) hate radio, but however the revolution manifests I'll be ready.

[Lorien]

29. Here's how to fight:

Send Obama, your reps, and your local newspaper one HARD COPY letter each. My friends at TV and radio news outlets tell me that ONE HARD COPY letter has the weight of 10,000 emails and phone calls. If a station manager gets three on any one issue it becomes a BIG ISSUE.

Take the time. Lick the envelope. Sacrifice the stamp. THEY WILL TAKE NOTICE:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500