Some in GOP urge lawmakers to back tax hikes for changes in safety-net programs - Basketball Forum : Professional and College Basketball Forums

**Prince** · 12-05-2012, 07:35 PM

Quote:

A growing chorus of Republicans is urging House leaders to abandon their staunch opposition to higher tax rates for the wealthy with the aim of clearing the way for a broad deal that would also rein in the cost of federal health and retirement programs.

With less than a month before the “fiscal cliff” is set to begin, President Obama remains adamant about allowing tax rates to rise for the wealthiest 2 percent of taxpayers. Without such a a deal, he is “absolutely” ready to go over the cliff, Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner said Wednesday on CNBC.

Many GOP centrists and some conservatives are calling on House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) to concede on rates now, while he still has some leverage to demand something in return. Republicans are eager to win changes to fast-growing safety-net programs, such as raising the eligibility age for Medicare and applying a less-generous measure of inflation to Social Security benefits.

After Dec. 31, tax rates for most Americans, including the wealthy, are set to automatically rise and this could cost Republicans a key bargaining chip in winning changes to entitlements.

“I and some others are advocating giving the president what he wants,” said Rep. Steven C. LaTourette (R-Ohio). But he stressed that this must be part of a package that slows federal borrowing and reduces the debt by $4 trillion to $5 trillion.

“Quite frankly, some people in this 2 percent who call me, they’re more worried about the fiscal cliff than about the rates going up a couple points. That has bigger risk for them,” said LaTourette, a close Boehner ally who is retiring in January.

Rep. Thomas J. Rooney (R-Fla.) added: “If there are truly real entitlement reforms that are going to preserve Social Security and Medicare for generations to come, it’s going to be very difficult for me to oppose” higher rates for the rich.

An agreement to raise the top tax rate above the current 35 percent would mark a major concession for a Republican Party that has made opposition to higher tax rates a touchstone for more than two decades.

The step would come on top of what was already a significant compromise for the GOP: an offer earlier this week to increase tax revenue by $800 billion over the next decade. That offer involved generating new revenue by closing loopholes and ending deductions for top earners, not by increasing rates.

Republicans are growing alarmed that they could be blamed if Washington is unable to resolve the fiscal stalemate and $500 billion in year-end spending cuts and tax increases kick in. Nearly 90 percent of U.S. households would face higher taxes, and economists warn that the economy could be jolted back into recession.

With talks between the parties apparently at a standstill, Boehner spoke with Obama on Wednesday by telephone for the first time in a week, GOP aides said.

Meanwhile, Republican leaders were looking for a way out of their predicament.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politi...y.html?hpid=z1

**Diable** · 12-05-2012, 08:36 PM

Trouble is that everyone in the House is going to be facing a primary in about 20 months and all of those ass clowns are more afraid of losing to some nuttier and more extreme nutbag than they are of this stuff. They just don't care about anything else more than they care about their own sorry asses.

Nimreitz · 12-05-2012, 09:39 PM

Democrats should just say "cool, let's do nothing then." Bush cuts expire, defense budget slashed. Mission ****ing accomplished. Congrats Republicans, you didn't vote to raise taxes, it just happened; like magic!

Mrs. Thang · 12-06-2012, 05:48 AM

I don't think anybody can afford to do nothing. It would be politically devastating for either party to obstruct a deal and and allow the full measures of sequestration to go into effect. Sequestration would be trimming the defense budget with an atomic bomb. The Dems were able to reasonably argue in the last election that the economic situation was inherited and the arrow is moving up, but that would be impossible if this were to take place.

e-monk · 12-06-2012, 05:58 AM

the dems can better afford to do it, if nothing happens then Jan 1 the conversation changes to "should we lower taxes for 98% of the populace?" with the pubs position forced to shift to "not unless we do it for the 2% too" which is a nifty bit of judo

**E.H. Munro** · 12-06-2012, 10:35 AM

Except that democrats are going to want to put all that corporate welfare back into the budget (as will the republicans). So eventually a deal will get done with some meaningless tax hikes that actually won't impact revenue collections, but as compensation there will be no spending cuts so that the politicians can continue merrily spending into the apocalypse. But team blue will have its very own boob bait for bubbas, so I guess that's something.

12-05-2012, 08:36 PM	#2 (permalink)
Diable Limehouse Blues Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: North Carolina Posts: 22,415 Rep Power: 14865553	Re: Some in GOP urge lawmakers to back tax hikes for changes in safety-net programs Trouble is that everyone in the House is going to be facing a primary in about 20 months and all of those ass clowns are more afraid of losing to some nuttier and more extreme nutbag than they are of this stuff. They just don't care about anything else more than they care about their own sorry asses. __________________

12-05-2012, 09:39 PM	#3 (permalink)
Nimreitz Legend Join Date: May 2003 Location: Milwaukee, WI Age: 29 Posts: 16,247 Rep Power: 14813408	Re: Some in GOP urge lawmakers to back tax hikes for changes in safety-net programs Democrats should just say "cool, let's do nothing then." Bush cuts expire, defense budget slashed. Mission ****ing accomplished. Congrats Republicans, you didn't vote to raise taxes, it just happened; like magic!

12-06-2012, 05:48 AM	#4 (permalink)
Mrs. Thang Player Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 745 Rep Power: 2114851	Re: Some in GOP urge lawmakers to back tax hikes for changes in safety-net programs I don't think anybody can afford to do nothing. It would be politically devastating for either party to obstruct a deal and and allow the full measures of sequestration to go into effect. Sequestration would be trimming the defense budget with an atomic bomb. The Dems were able to reasonably argue in the last election that the economic situation was inherited and the arrow is moving up, but that would be impossible if this were to take place.

12-06-2012, 05:58 AM	#5 (permalink)
e-monk All-Star Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,843 Rep Power: 3274359	Re: Some in GOP urge lawmakers to back tax hikes for changes in safety-net programs the dems can better afford to do it, if nothing happens then Jan 1 the conversation changes to "should we lower taxes for 98% of the populace?" with the pubs position forced to shift to "not unless we do it for the 2% too" which is a nifty bit of judo

12-06-2012, 10:35 AM	#6 (permalink)
E.H. Munro Baddest Honky Mofo Alive Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 24,496 Rep Power: 21474869	Re: Some in GOP urge lawmakers to back tax hikes for changes in safety-net programs Except that democrats are going to want to put all that corporate welfare back into the budget (as will the republicans). So eventually a deal will get done with some meaningless tax hikes that actually won't impact revenue collections, but as compensation there will be no spending cuts so that the politicians can continue merrily spending into the apocalypse. But team blue will have its very own boob bait for bubbas, so I guess that's something. __________________ If everyone loves you you're doing it wrong. "Opium is the religion of the masses." Fred Reed The Power of 99 Press "He thinks it's going to be fun being governor. It's only fun being governor of New York if you have money to spend, and I spent it all." Nelson Rockefeller on his successor, Hugh Carey.

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