That Obama may be a politician like any other who takes care of his ‘friends’ is not a surprise to any but the naive. What is a surprise is that even with so much data, as mentioned, showing tax cuts for the rich don’t help the economy, he may still do it. Or maybe that thought is being naive since helping the economy isn’t the reason for doing it.

During the Democratic primary campaign, Barack Obama, along with all of his Democratic contenders, promised a swift repeal of these tax cuts. A rollback of tax cuts benefiting only corporations and the wealthiest individuals was supposed to provide the financing for Obama’s policy proposals, from education and health care to infrastructure and green energy. But by September, the Democratic nominee was already backpedaling on his pledge, and within three weeks of his election, Obama’s economic advisors confirmed that, after all, the new president might just let the Bush tax cuts expire on schedule in 2011, rather than eliminating them two years earlier. The decision is based on the premise that it is unwise—in economic as well as political terms—to raise taxes during a recession, since lower taxes stimulate the economy.

At the same time, New York’s Democratic governor David Patterson has refused to consider instituting a temporary “millionaire’s tax” to address his state’s desperate financial needs, choosing instead to slash vital social programs. Patterson claims that such a tax will drive businesses and wealthy individuals out of New York and further depress the economy. (This despite billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s declaration that among his rich friends, he’d “never heard one person say ‘I’m going to move out of the city because of taxes.’”)

But an analysis by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, released earlier this year, debunks the myth that tax cuts for the rich more than “pay for themselves” by fueling economic growth.
[…]
Especially during a recession, if we put more money in the pockets of the rich, it is likely to stay right there—in their pockets. On the other hand, if we put more money in the hands of low- and middle-income workers through tax cuts, and in the hands of the poor and unemployed through increases in government programs (food stamps, TANF, unemployment benefits), that money is virtually guaranteed to go directly into the economy, since its recipients have no choice but to spend it on their basic needs—food, clothing, gasoline, doctor’s bills.

And for those righties who think we leftist, pinko editors here at DU will be soft on Obama, I, for one, plan some ass nailing to walls when promises start getting broken. That makes us even more cranky.




  1. Mister Mustard says:

    #87 – Liberty Loser

    >>I’ve proven my point.

    Heh. Smooooooth. You sure YOU don’t want to be the new senator from NY? You go from posting bogus links and links that support my point of view to saying “I’ve proven my point”. Conveniently skipping over the part where you actually prove your point, even when given ample opportunity.

    >>It’s a free country, at least for
    >>three more weeks.

    In three weeks, it starts being a homeland we can be proud of again. We’ve survived 8 years of idiocy, we can do anything!

    ¡¡¡Si, se puede!!!

  2. Mister Mustard says:

    #84 – ‘dro

    >>4 times already to as many people in this
    >>posrt alone.

    I’m going to have to start calling you ‘dro O’Pinocchio, if you keep lying like that. I’ve only said STFU to two people, not four. And, prior to your post, I only used it three times in total. I gave Liberty Loser alternatives; either he could back up what he was saying with some factual material, or STFU. He chose not to back it up. You, I just told to STFU. So STFU.

    TIA.

  3. Grandpa says:

    Thank you John, I thought I was the only one in the country that noticed this broken promise. I wish we could have a re-vote based on fraud. Can we impeach someone who hasn’t taken office yet? I wish.

  4. Mister Mustard says:

    #90 – Grandpa

    >>I wish we could have a re-vote based on
    >>fraud.

    Why, would you change your vote from Obama to McCain because millionaires are going to get an extra year or two of tax cuts? Man, that guy can’t win for losing. First he’s criticized because he’s going to raise taxes, then he’s criticized because he’s not going to raise them soon enough. He said something that made sense last winter; when it became evident just how much of a mess Dumbya had made of our crumbling economy, he pushed out the timeline a little to reflect how much of the Dumbyan debacle is finally coming to light.

    I’d just as soon see him roll back those cuts the day he takes office, but whaddayagonna do? There are bigger fish to fry right now, and McBush/ Palin sure didn’t have a hot enough pan to do it.

  5. Mr. Fusion says:

    #90, Grandpa,

    Sure we can impeach him. The bar was set that if anyone does something personal in their own home that is grounds for investigation and impeachment. However, since the Constitution states impeachment for someone actually in office, they would have to wait until the next day before voting.

    But Grandpa, which broken promise? The one where Bush promised to be the “uniter”, or the one where he promised to be the President of “all” the people, or the one where Bush promised to bring “integrity” back to Washington, or the one where he swore to uphold the Constitution and laws of the United States, or …

  6. MikeN says:

    Well standard Keynesian economics says you cut taxes and engage in deficit spending during a recession.

    He can’t exactly raise taxes on all his supporters now can he?

    This is certainly better than his previous approach of saying he would raise tax rates even though it gets the government less money.

  7. Mister Mustard says:

    #94 – ‘dro

    >>#89 Good old reality blocking. That works
    >>wonders for true believers

    Do any of your posts apply to the topic at hand, or are they all random streams of consciounless like this?

    I can see why I tell you to STFU. Someday you’ll thank me.

  8. noname says:

    # 80 Mr. Fusion said,

    The original Plymouth colony was founded as a capitalistic adventure. The English backers ended up losing their investment when the colony couldn’t send back enough to pay the debt, plus their was corruption. Don’t forget that on the Mayflower, half were actual “Pilgrims” and the other half were private adventurers.

    Total BS, what you are describing is more accurately a description of the Jamestown settlement in Virginia and the conquistadors in South America. Plymouth colony did pay off its debt to the London merchants, and it’s intent was not as you describe. Know you American history or go back to Canada.

    Plymouth was intended for family settlement and commerce, not staple production or resource extraction like many other colonies. The Pilgrims, bound together by their faith and social covenant, envisioned building a self-sustaining agricultural community that would be a refuge for Separatist dissenters.

    The settlers officially disembarked on December 21, 1620 and where known as separatists who had broken away from the Church of England, believing that the Church had not completed the work of the Protestant Reformation.

    Life in Plymouth revolved around family and religion. Every person had a place and set of duties according to his or her position within the colony and family, and was expected to live according to God’s law. Those who did not, or those who openly challenged Separatist religious doctrine, were severely punished or driven from the colony entirely.

    Small, family farms remained at the heart of Plymouth’s economy throughout its history. Land was divided fairly evenly, with each colonist initially receiving 100 acres of land, with 1,500 acres reserved for common use. Apart from home plots, acreage was initially assigned on a yearly basis. When Pilgrim leaders broke with their London merchant partners in 1627, every man was assigned a permanent, private allotment. The venture’s assets and debts were divided among the Pilgrim colonists, with single men receiving one share (twenty acres and livestock) and heads of families receiving one share per family member. Farming proved productive enough to make the colony essentially self-sufficient in food production by 1624. The fur trade (initially run by government monopoly) proved very profitable, and allowed the colony to pay off its debt to the London merchants.

  9. soundwash says:

    i just love the left-right pawns in here..
    (tho, those on both sides of the isle get big props for sticking up and illustrating what they believe in)

    personally i give this thread to LibertyLover and similar…he’s the only one in who clearly sees the scam the both parties are playing on the rest of us. -and is not afraid to actually provide some supporting links for his POV..

    [Comment edited – Violation of Posting Guidelines. – ed.]

  10. soundwash says:

    ::sigh:: i just wrote an epic post, and something in it pissed of the spam filter..

    boohoo

    -s

  11. Mister Mustard says:

    #99 – SW

    >>pissed of the spam filter

    Looks to me like you were a “violator“.

  12. bobbo says:

    #97–Mustard==well done. If one lies about their own work product, can they have any credibility at all?

    #96–noname==how old are you? Hopefully you can grow as a person and not let such character flaws continue. There is a certain strength in being humble enough to credit your sources. The further benefit is that if your material is later refuted you have already insulated yourself from direct criticism by your respectful scholarship.

    You gotta love the google.

  13. MikeN says:

    Wow from a blog that routinely posts other people’s pictures uncredited.

  14. jbenson2 says:

    A website devoted to President Obama’s Promises and Broken Promises.

    http://allamericanblogger.com/president-obamas-promises/

  15. Mr. Fusion says:

    #104, benson,

    In case you didn’t notice, your link is phony. Obama isn’t even in office yet.

    BUT, I did take the time to look at one claim
    Windfall profits tax – July 2008 – Broken December 2008 (thanks to Steve!)

    If you follow both the original idea (Oil companies reaping in huge profits) and the “broken promise” you will notice that a windfall profit tax is no longer necessary as prices have dropped so precipitously.

    Why do idiots do shit like this?

  16. Fedup says:

    So, Barack the “magic negro” has lost some of his magic??? Nooooo… I guess throwing the queers under the church bus with rick Warren and keeping the Bush defense department and not taking away the “tax breaks for the rich” as promised has the libs scared shitless….

  17. soundwash says:

    hey..can any editors email me as to what
    it was i did/said in my post that
    gave it the nix please..so i can avoid
    such issues in the future..

    the only thing i could see on the surface
    is that is was “absurdly long”…

    oh..and fwiw:

    amongst other things in the post,
    i had youtube links to prove
    obama’s 150k/yr tax comments, as well as bill richardson talking about 120k/yr. (also have yet
    another youtube link of obmana stating that 97k/yr was “upper income” and thus NOT middle class…all from the horses mouth..

    anyway.. obama sliding from 250k to 150k here:
    here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=D0pNZ4Cycp4

    -and bill richardson talking about 120k /yr
    here:
    http://youtube.com/watch?v=G88ebXY2uaI&feature=related

    enjoy!

    -s

    (i have a copy of thew whole post nonetheless..(i write posts in
    Ultraedit so as to avoid possible loss when clicking the submit button..)

  18. soundwash says:

    ps…

    #106 said:
    “So, Barack the “magic negro””

    -rofl..i’ve heard that song on the
    radio too funny for words..

    (ps: google “the iron law of oligarchy”
    for an intersting persepective of
    where we are headed with our our current government models)
    -s

  19. Mr. Fusion says:

    #96, noname,

    You call BS but you didn’t say what was incorrect. Since Mr. Mustard accurately pointed out your “copy and paste” trick, I’ll just stay with your first paragraph.

    Total BS, what you are describing is more accurately a description of the Jamestown settlement in Virginia and the conquistadors in South America

    Not quite. The Spanish in America were mostly adventurers seeking treasure. Spanish colonization was mostly to protect their conquest of the region. Jamestown was much closer to the Plymouth goal in that they were set on settlement first and finding treasure second.

    So let us look at the first sentence of your plagerized work.

    Plymouth was intended for family settlement and commerce .

    The key word there is commerce. That is capitalism.

    Plymouth colony did pay off its debt to the London merchants, and it’s intent was not as you describe.

    They didn’t pay off the total debt. Much of their payments were lost to pirates, scoundrels, or bad accounting by their agent.

    They then sought financing through the Merchant Adventurers, a group of Puritan businessmen who viewed colonization as a means of both spreading their religion and making a profit.

    Know you American history or go back to Canada.

    Ha ha ha, asswipe, I studied American History for my degree. If you notice, I do cite my sources plus I was very careful to note that my first post was a very brief summary. I also said I had no intention to start rifling through any of my stashed reference material to educate “contempt”. I won’t do it for you either.

  20. Mr. Fusion says:

    #96, noname,

    NOTE: This was rejected by the spam filter. I removed the links.

    You call BS but you didn’t say what was incorrect. Since Mr. Mustard accurately pointed out your “copy and paste” trick, I’ll just stay with your first paragraph.

    Total BS, what you are describing is more accurately a description of the Jamestown settlement in Virginia and the conquistadors in South America

    Not quite. The Spanish in America were mostly adventurers seeking treasure. Spanish colonization was mostly to protect their conquest of the region. Jamestown was much closer to the Plymouth goal in that they were set on settlement first and finding treasure second.

    So let us look at the first sentence of your plagerized work.

    Plymouth was intended for family settlement and commerce .

    The key word there is commerce. That is capitalism.

    Plymouth colony did pay off its debt to the London merchants, and it’s intent was not as you describe.

    They didn’t pay off the total debt. Much of their payments were lost to pirates, scoundrels, or bad accounting by their agent.

    They then sought financing through the Merchant Adventurers, a group of Puritan businessmen who viewed colonization as a means of both spreading their religion and making a profit.

    Know you American history or go back to Canada.

    Ha ha ha, asswipe, I studied American History for my degree. If you notice, I do cite my sources plus I was very careful to note that my first post was a very brief summary. I also said I had no intention to start rifling through any of my stashed reference material to educate “contempt”. I won’t do it for you either.

  21. #107 – SW

    Are you really a moron, or do you just play one on dvorak dot org slash blog?

    How many times does the difference between “tax cuts” “tax hikes” and “no change in taxes” have to be explained to you before you understand it?

    Figures you’d like “Barack the Magic Negro” at your age. I thought “Do your tits hang low, do they dangle to and fro, can you tie ’em in a knot, can you tie ’em in a bow?” was pretty keen too, when I was I was in third grade.

    And how about “We three kings of Orient are, smoking on a rubber cigar”?? Festive, bitches! For the holiday season! Ho ho ho! (nappy-headed and regular).


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