OBAMA ON TAX CUT DEAL: “I’D STICK TO MY GUNS IF THERE WAS NOT COLLATERAL DAMAGE.” Dec. 7, 2010
PRESIDENT OBAMA: “BUT I’M NOT WILLING TO LET WORKING FAMILIES ACROSS THIS COUNTRY BECOME COLLATERAL DAMAGE FOR POLITICAL WARFARE HERE IN WASHINGTON. THIS ISN’T AN ABSTRACT DEBATE. THIS IS REAL MONEY FOR REAL PEOPLE.”
WASHINGTON--At his press conference today President Obama explained why he was compromising with the Republicans on a two-year extension of the Bush tax cuts for the highest incomes.
"Now if there was not collateral damage, if this was just a matter of my politics, or being able to persuade the American people to my side, then I would just stick to my guns," said Obama. "This isn't an abstract debate. This is real money for real people."
"Because the fact of the matter is, the American people already agree with me. There are polls showing right now that the American people for the most part think it's a bad idea to provide tax cuts to the wealthy.
This is true. Despite House Republican leader John Boehner's assertion that Republicans would "stop all the tax hikes" a CBS News poll released Thursday found that a majority of Americans would rather see tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans expire while extending them for everyone else.
Fifty-three percent of respondents said Congress should extend the tax cuts only for Americans earning less than $250,000 a year, while just 26% said tax cuts should be extended for everyone.
The results come on the heels of two other polls that found a plurality of voters favored allowing the tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans to expire, while maintaining them for everyone else. A USA Today/Gallup poll released Wednesday found that 40% favored extending the tax cuts for everybody, while 44% favored extending only the rates up to $250,000. An AP-CNBC poll released last week showed a larger gap, with 34% supporting an extension of all the tax cuts and 50% supporting extension with the income cap.
According to the President, “The issue is, how do I persuade the Republicans in the Senate who are currently blocking that position? I have not been able to budge them. And I don't think there's any suggestion that anybody in this room thinks realistically that we can budge them right now. And in the meantime, there are a whole bunch of people being hurt, and the economy is being damaged."
Later on, Chuck Todd asked Obama how he would respond to Democratic criticism that he was rewarding the Republican strategy of intransigence.
"I've said before that I felt that the middle-class tax cuts were being held hostage to the high-end tax cuts," Obama answered. "I think it's tempting not to negotiate with hostage takers -- unless the hostage gets harmed. Then, people will question the wisdom of that strategy. In this case, the hostage was the American people, and I was not willing to see them get harmed.'
“I know there’s some people in my own party and in the other party who would rather prolong this battle even if we can’t reach a compromise,” the President said. “But I’m not willing to let working families across this country become collateral damage for political warfare here in Washington.”
WASHINGTON--At his press conference today President Obama explained why he was compromising with the Republicans on a two-year extension of the Bush tax cuts for the highest incomes.
"Now if there was not collateral damage, if this was just a matter of my politics, or being able to persuade the American people to my side, then I would just stick to my guns," said Obama. "This isn't an abstract debate. This is real money for real people."
"Because the fact of the matter is, the American people already agree with me. There are polls showing right now that the American people for the most part think it's a bad idea to provide tax cuts to the wealthy.
This is true. Despite House Republican leader John Boehner's assertion that Republicans would "stop all the tax hikes" a CBS News poll released Thursday found that a majority of Americans would rather see tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans expire while extending them for everyone else.
Fifty-three percent of respondents said Congress should extend the tax cuts only for Americans earning less than $250,000 a year, while just 26% said tax cuts should be extended for everyone.
The results come on the heels of two other polls that found a plurality of voters favored allowing the tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans to expire, while maintaining them for everyone else. A USA Today/Gallup poll released Wednesday found that 40% favored extending the tax cuts for everybody, while 44% favored extending only the rates up to $250,000. An AP-CNBC poll released last week showed a larger gap, with 34% supporting an extension of all the tax cuts and 50% supporting extension with the income cap.
According to the President, “The issue is, how do I persuade the Republicans in the Senate who are currently blocking that position? I have not been able to budge them. And I don't think there's any suggestion that anybody in this room thinks realistically that we can budge them right now. And in the meantime, there are a whole bunch of people being hurt, and the economy is being damaged."
Later on, Chuck Todd asked Obama how he would respond to Democratic criticism that he was rewarding the Republican strategy of intransigence.
"I've said before that I felt that the middle-class tax cuts were being held hostage to the high-end tax cuts," Obama answered. "I think it's tempting not to negotiate with hostage takers -- unless the hostage gets harmed. Then, people will question the wisdom of that strategy. In this case, the hostage was the American people, and I was not willing to see them get harmed.'
“I know there’s some people in my own party and in the other party who would rather prolong this battle even if we can’t reach a compromise,” the President said. “But I’m not willing to let working families across this country become collateral damage for political warfare here in Washington.”
Tough call.
Here we are seeing the difference between those people who have clear and thoughtful opinions about policy and the person who is actually responsible for deciding that policy and has to live with the consequences.
I was one of those who supported letting all the Bush Tax cuts expire--until I heard Obama's argument that he would not allow collateral damage.
He is right. This is not an abstraction. it is real money for real people.
if he forced the issue and the all the Tax cuts expired, and the unemployment insurance was not restored, it would have been disastrous for millions of families.
In my opinion, he acted like a President.
The ones we should direct our anger at is the Republicans. They should be made to pay a political price.