Washington — Speaker-elect John Boehner told reporters this morning that the Democrats should “stop beating around the bush” and extend all of the Bush-era tax cuts, instead of taking votes on half-measures. Boehner’s comment comes hours before the House votes on a Democrat-sponsored package of more limited tax cuts, which is mostly viewed on the Hill as a political statement.
Boehner added that the Democrats’ maneuver was akin to “chicken crap. . . . This is nonsense.” He said he had an “honest” conversation at the White House with Obama earlier this week, but is unhappy about how Democrats are already playing games with an eye toward 2012.
“The election was one month ago,” Boehner said. “We’re 23 months from the next election and the political games have already started, trying to set up the next election.”
If Democrats don’t extend the Bush-era tax rates during the lame duck, Boehner pledged, come January, that the “new majority will.”
"If Democrats don’t extend the Bush-era tax rates during the lame duck, Boehner pledged, come January, that the “new majority will.”"
So then why the outrage Boehner? pass the middle tax cut now and then in January pass the other one...if you are so sure. The faux indignation at procedural shenanigans is silly.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe reason that it matters is because the procedure to roll taxes back afterward is much problematic to the '11 budget. In other words, if they have one tax policy put in place now, and then have to introduce new tax policy after the '11 budget (which the dems have failed to complete), then it is a whole different beast and requires some very laborious and tricky legislation.....
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Chicken ****"
Well I think last time he used a different word after chicken. So at least he's getting better. But I think as Speaker he should be a bit more dignified.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf the GOP goes along with passing only the middle class tax cut now, Obama will veto any attempt to enact the same cuts for upper income earners in January. The Democrats are hell-bent on redistributing wealth. Or as Obama put it in a rare moment of candor: "Spread the wealth."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt's not fake indignation. The Titanic is sinking and the democrats are re-arranging the deck chairs.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAt this point, are we really concerned about the speaker looking "dignified"? There is nothing dignified about the way Democrats are running our country into the ground.
It's about time someone spoke the plain truth, instead of all the ludicrous dancing around that got us here to begin with.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWell said Lesley.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAgree fully with comments on whether we are worried about phony dignity on the part of the future speaker. The second work in the chicken phrase indeed starts with an "s" and as a fed up voter, I have NO problem with plain speak. It is very freshing and his comments are accurate.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseJustalurker,
Dang buddy, I'd like a sell a house to you. I could throw in all kinds of fine print and "procedural shenanigans" and you'd still sign the contract without even looking at it, wouldn't you?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBut don't you have to pass it first so you can see what's in it???
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI like to think of the lame duck session as the Japanese Zeros are flying overhead and the Dems are still playing in the band.
(Tora, Tora, Tora reference).
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMike j- When Boehner forswears to never use a procedural trick to box out the democrats I'll be right there with him on the righteous indignation. As I'll be waiting until the twelfth of never for that to happen, I'll simply stand by my comment. Stop whining about procedure and vote. If he believes what he says...that he has the votes for the 250k+, well do it then.
In any event, until the Republicans offer up a budget not dependent primarily on borrowing from the Chinese to pay for tax cuts, I'm fairly certain we're all doomed. As someone put it earlier. It's all just rearranging deck chairs.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGo Boehner!
Dems are up to their political tricks. Obama says he is ready for across the board tax relief extension. Then Pelosi and Hoyer pull this "chicken cr_p" stunt. If Obama was serious about working with the new majority then he should prove it by petitioning the dems to include the tax break for everyone.
Games. That's all they know to do. A few weeks from now they wont be getting anything they want for the next two whole years because they broke their word.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBoehner is right - their only leverage to pass an extension on the Bush tax cuts is to do it all at once.
If they break it up now, they will have no leverage in the future.
We have a crazy set of people in power today that wants to hurt the job creators and extend unemployment benefits to the people who need jobs.
Why not put millions of Americans back to work instead of trying to give them a free hand-out?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTo suggest that "tax cuts must be paid for" is to suggest that all income belongs to the government in the first place, and those who work for it have only a second claim.
Lurker, this is not right.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePolarbear- So you are comfortable borrowing from china to finance another 700 billion in tax cuts? We have 2 trillion dollar wars going on. Our grandparents sacrificed much to win their wars, we're told to go out run up credit card debt instead.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSmoke Lurker, nothing but smoke ---
"So you support the theft of $700 billion from private individuals for no other purpose than a fool hearty income redistribution scam?"
See, I can do that too.
If you would like to get into a discussion on how to reduce government spending we could start with Congressman Ryan's roadmap.
Somehow, something tells me you would rather discuss something else.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePolar- I would love to. Unfortunately the republicans don't. Because that would require..you know...making hard and unpopular choices. And who wants to do that? One might risk getting primaried if the do that.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseLet's get this straight: The government forcing people to hand over less of what they earn (a.k.a. "tax cut") does not need to be "financed." It is the SPENDING that needs to be financed. But the whole misconception is very telling of the way libs think; recently some lib group (moveon or OFA) sent out an email deploring the tax cuts saying the tax cuts were a "giveaway" to rich people and the government should not be "bailing the rich out." Imagine that: keeping more of what you earn is a "giveaway" and a "bailout.". Wow. How far the left has sunk.
What's funny is it seems to be a giveaway when you keep more of what you earn, but "spreading the wealth around" and giving money to people who didn't earn it isn't a giveaway nor bailout.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseLimited government for all affairs, both domestic and foreign.
Mr. Boehner,
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAs a conservative, I am saddened to watch what conservative politicians do with conservative principles. If you have the votes and the conservative argument to support more tax cuts, do it with your majority in January. Until then, stop playing politics and take the middle class tax cuts. Remember, us tea party folk don't like political games that end in gridlock. Follow the lead of Ron Paul. I can see that the old GOP guard needs to be purged from the party. First they keep earmarks; and, now they screw up tax relief. Sarah Palin, HELP!!