what happens when time comes to raise the payroll tax back up 2% ?

[spanone]

i suspect that will be the 'democrats raising taxes' again.

didn't we just see this movie?

[Joanne98]

1. Nothing. Once taxes go down they NEVER go back up!

[Autumn]

2. We can't raise taxes on Americans,

that would be political suicide and yada yada yada. Yeah the movie really sucked.

[rocktivity]

3. Yep. and then Obama will say he has no choice but to cut benefits or raise the retirement age

because the Rethuglicans are holding America's seniors hostage.

:headbang:
rocktivity

[laughingliberal]

14. +1,000,000 nt

[rocktivity]

24. And he will not make a peep about raising the SocSec salary cap.

Eliminating it altogether would allow EVERYONE to pay a lower rate.

P.S. Check out what http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/12/12/ftn/main7143039.shtml">Rep. Jerrold Nadler had to say on a Sunday talk show:

"The Republican block is saying, like a bunch of gangsters, 'It's a nice middle class tax cut - a pity something would happen to it! Unless you give the millionaires and billionaires a long-term tax cut, we're not going to permit the middle class to continue its tax cut.' But that millionaires' and billionaires' tax cut will cost $700 billion added to the deficit over the next ten years, which we can't afford..."

"If we succumb to that blackmail now, when both the middle class and the upper end tax cuts expire in two years in the middle of a presidential election, why would I expect that the president and the Congress would then have the political gumption not to submit again to the Republican blackmail and in effect make it permanent?"

:headbang:
rocktivity

[L0oniX]

30. ...and of course no means testing.

[laughingliberal]

33. What???!!!??? That could upset the rich!!! Musn't ever upset the rich. nt

[quinnox]

4. I totally agree with the first three responses

Republicans controlling the House will never go along with raising the rate back up.

That means Obama will be "forced" to make spending cuts, and I'm guessing social programs will be the ones brought up first in the debate.

[Gin]

5. maybe we should be asking our leader that question...he made the deal

now answer that question.

[Odin2005]

6. Yup, the "holiday" will be made permanent and SS left underfunded. IT'S A TRAP!!!

[scarletwoman]

32. Damn right it's a trap! It's the right wing wet dream come true.

They've wanted to do this for YEARS because they know this is the first step to getting rid of Social Security altogether.

sw

[LAGC]

7. This is not the time to be cutting taxes.

Our deficit is out of control as it is, its only going to get worse.

We should make the hard decisions now to raise taxes and pay down the national debt, before interest alone KILLS us down the road. We'll be in a situation like Ireland, where the debt-to-GDP ratio is astronomical and its leading to all sorts of austerity measures.

If we think its hard now, wait until 30 more years of this red-ink bullshit. This generation needs to make a small sacrifice so that future generations don't have to sacrifice much more.

[Buns_of_Fire]

8. Same thing as this year.

rebubbalickins will wail to the sky about "raising taxes".

Democrats will hem and haw until the whole thing reaches a crisis.

The President will have a bipartisan meeting with the rebubbalickins (although no other Democrats will be there, it'll be "bipartisan" 'cause HE'S a Democrat, get it?).

The President will fold. A few brave congresscritters, like Bernie Sanders and Sherrod Brown, will once again try to speak sense to the assembled "leaders" -- they'll pretty-much be ignored.

Everything will be extended since we can't risk scuttling the infant "recovery".

Same script, a few different players. Wash, rinse, repeat.

God, I hope I'm wrong.

[Hello_Kitty]

9. Since this payroll holiday is only on the employee contribution

I can see them not only extended it permanently but cutting the employer contribution by the same amount to be "fair" and "stimulate business".

[TheKentuckian]

10. This part of the deal makes it impossible to support.

Even if I could ignore the drag and distortion the income tax cuts cause on the economy there is no fucking way I'm getting behind a game of chicken with funding Social Security.

What responsible person would even begin to tolerate this complete nonsense? No sane person would make this big a bet on a package that has proven ineffective in the immediate past with such small promise of return.

Let's keep it real, there is a mentality that reminds me of a desperate gambler at work on multiple levels here.

[Kingofalldems]

11. It is an honest to goodness trap set by the repubs

Norquist is probably giggling right now.

[YvonneCa]

21. And Dems walked right in with eyes wide open. n/t

[NorthCarolina]

12. The cry will be 'Now is not the time to raise taxes on those that can least afford it!' nt

[liberal N proud]

13. The Democrats and namely Obama will be tagged for raising taxes

It will be used by the GOP in the following elections.

[spanone]

15. that's how it looks to me. we are setting ourselves up.

[doc03]

16. If Obama is supposed to be so smart why

didn't he see that coming? On second thought maybe he did.

[earthside]

20. I'm not believing that anymore.

I just don't think he is that smart.

I think he mostly just wants to go along to get along ... and I think he wants to avoid conflict so badly that he gives into the biggest bullies first.

[Turbineguy]

17. Nothing

we'll have worse problems to worry about.

[dixiegrrrrl]

18. Last I heard the bill had not passed and there was "no chance" of passage.

Did I miss something?
did it pass?
Was there a vote this weekend?

anybody????

[former9thward]

23. There has been no vote in either the House or Senate

but it is expected to pass both probably this week.

[Parker CA]

19. Absolutely. Gonna be a shitshow again.

[EstimatedProphet]

22. Of course that's what they will say. That was the point.

I don't get why people don't see it. The repubs wanted the 2 year tax cut extension instead of a permanent cut. They have their talking points for 2012 now all set, and it will work just as well next time as it did this time. And really, how persuasive is Obama on seeing them expire in 2 years? "I'll fight in 2012 - I promise!" COME ON.

[jp11]

25. Our recovery will be weak and jobs still fragile, must continue tax 'break'.

[spanone]

26. or increase it, give an even greater tax break

[corpseratemedia]

27. god this is a "forever" set-up to get rid of social security

things will always be in a dire situation so they can pull these stunts..

[Gin]

28. is there a bill? what is the name of it to be voted on?

My personal opinion is Obama wanted to get "something" done in his presidency....and by god...when he gives in to all they want...he gets something done...mission accomplished..

what we say means squat...he gets what he wants by folding up front...again...mission accomplished.

[Better Believe It]

29. Congress will vote against that because we can't raise taxes during a recession!

Plus, that will help transform Social Security into a means tested program dependent on government tax revenues.

There will have to be cuts!

The Obama/Republican tax cut scheme.

It's just chock full of holiday surprises!

[scarletwoman]

31. 2 things: #1 -- with the Rs in charge of the House, it won't be restored.

#2 -- the push for privatizing Social Security will begin in deadly earnest.

It will go something like this: "The American people don't want their taxes raised! It's time to give them a choice to make voluntary contributions to their own personal retirement accounts that THEY control!"

This "payroll tax holiday" is the opening of the assassin's gate. To allow it to stand will be to allow the guaranteed ultimate destruction of Social Security.

DON'T FALL FOR IT!!!

sw

[laughingliberal]

34. There's 2 huge fights in the next year which will provide prime opportunities for cutting SS.

The first is estimated to be around April when it will be necessary for Congress to vote to raise the debt ceiling. It will be another bit of theater where the Republicans will pull a hostage situation where they threaten not to vote for it if we don't hand over the SS money. We will see another hair on fire emergency where we 'have to' give them what they want or the whole country is lost.

If we should, by some miracle, save SS during that fight, it will happen during the debate over the FY 2012 budget. Because of some procedural tool they used for the 2011 budget, reconciliation will not be able to be used in the Senate and we will have a nice replay of the last year of '60 votes are needed.'

They should just bill the whole thing as a mini series and put it in the TV guide so we can TIVO it.

[scarletwoman]

35. Absolutely correct!

And the title of the mini series should be: "The Fall Of Social Security".

:grr:

[Recursion]

36. Republicans piss and moan

Obama makes a speech about "being adult". The 2012 election happens, and people will either have been persuaded enough that they elect enough Democrats and actual deficit-hawk Republicans to Congress to make it happen, or they won't.