Democratic senators come out against Obama’s tax cuts for corporations.
By on Jan 8th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Democratic senators come out against Obama’s tax cuts for corporations.
In a closed-door meeting of the Senate Finance Committee today, Democratic Sens. John Kerry, Kent Conrad, and Ron Wyden expressed their skepticism of Barack Obama’s $3,000 tax credit proposal for companies that hire or retrain workers, arguing that it wouldn’t do much to create jobs. The Wonk Room’s Pat Garofalo has the details.
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John Kerry should have been preparing to be sworn in for his second term.
Conyers Raps Obama Surgeon General Pick
January 8th, 2009 at 6:37 pmDemocratic senators come out against Obama’s tax cuts for corporations.»
– - Members of his own party disagreeing with the President isn’t exactly what Team Obama had in mind with Change You Can Believe In.
January 8th, 2009 at 6:38 pmAs much of an Obama backer as I usually am, I think they could afford to let that one go. I suspect it might end up creating a corporate incentive for higher employee turnover.
January 8th, 2009 at 6:39 pmIt’s a concession to the Republicans. As stupid as it is, it will reduce the risk of not getting passed, or getting passed full of pork.
It’s sure going to take some time to get used to having a smart President.
January 8th, 2009 at 6:40 pmFor those with the “he hasn’t taken office yet” talking point, well, the Congress has some stuff before them. He doesn’t need to take office in order to be criticized, not anymore. Sanjay Gupta may please the teenyboppers but doesn’t offer a damn thing for health care. All he would do is set up a clash between a great nominee in Daschle. I, for one, am not waiting for Obama to grow a rose out of a pile of dung.
January 8th, 2009 at 6:43 pmIn from Amy Goodman: “Continuity We Can Believe In.”
January 8th, 2009 at 6:45 pmbaby steps. It took us 8 years to get to the bottom of this hole and all of business is not evil. The man is an unemployed non-entity, officially, for another 12 days. And if he is the man we hope he is, he will ask for things.
For my money, I think he has more up his sleeve than most people think. We are used to a hammer.
January 8th, 2009 at 6:46 pmThey are rich, what do they care about us? If the economy falls off the cliff, they will just blame everybody else anyway. Same old sh!t, different day.
January 8th, 2009 at 6:47 pm666lattes Says:
It’s a concession to the Republicans. As stupid as it is, it will reduce the risk of not getting passed, or getting passed full of pork.
Enough with the corporate tax cuts. A concession for the sake of a concession is not sound policy. If the policy won’t work, don’t give the American people what they didn’t vote for. Tax cuts in general do. not. create. jobs.
January 8th, 2009 at 6:48 pmSaddler Says:
John Kerry should have been preparing to be sworn in for his second term.
Now,Sadd, wouldn’t a real liberal/progressive be saying. “Al Gore would be in his lame duck session, and with a good economy, good relations around the world and preparing to hand over a country at peace to the next President.”?
January 8th, 2009 at 6:49 pmThese aren’t exactly lefty Senators either, where is Obama positioning himself exactly?
January 8th, 2009 at 6:50 pmI didn’t vote for magic tricks, Hood. Lay it out before the American people and certainly don’t offer Rick Warren a spot on a grand stage.
January 8th, 2009 at 6:51 pmDemocratic Sens. John Kerry, Kent Conrad, and Ron Wyden
Anyone know how these guys voted on the oil company tax breaks?
January 8th, 2009 at 6:51 pmActually, IMHO I am not too keen on more business and corporate tax. What we need is more infrastructure repair and upgrade, tax incentives or even grants for alternative energy along with tax cuts for working people. These type of things will create new jobs, improve our country, and get the economy going.
January 8th, 2009 at 7:01 pmmake that “Actually, IMHO I am not too keen on more business and corporate tax cuts.”
January 8th, 2009 at 7:03 pmPat Garofalo has the details. You mean the guy with no economics degree of any kind authoritatively writing on economic issues for TP?
January 8th, 2009 at 7:08 pmWhat about homeless people and people who can’t work — disabled, laid off, etc? A tax cut won’t help them, I recommend a second round of stimulus checks, this time to people making below $50,000 a year, in addition to the infrastructure upgrades and also aid to community organizations and programs to shelter individuals and set them on a secure path.
January 8th, 2009 at 7:09 pmYes, we really want this congress to dictate the stimulus package. I mean, they did such a great job the past 2 years after all.
The Dem caucus shouts their opinions out to anyone listening with a pen, paper and recorder. Then they say it’s too early to pass judgement. Well … which is it??
January 8th, 2009 at 7:12 pmSuggestion to Mr. Obama: limit that tax break to companies with fewer than 100 employees.
January 8th, 2009 at 7:22 pmSaddler Says:
What about homeless people and people who can’t work — disabled, laid off, etc?
Turning around the VA from the disaster the Republinuts have made of it and make them stop denying claims illegally. That would help a large amount of the homeless and disabled right there, just by making the VA do its freeking job.
Social security needs to be raised to meet some semblance of a standard of living, and make them stop rejections that are following the law. This is supposed to be part ofthe safety net not only fopr the elderly, but also for parentless children, the disabled.
Instead of giving money to the religious right scaliwags, actually help fund the people who know best the plight of the homeless, those people helping the homeless now. I volunteer at a homeless shelter when I have time, that is one of the front lines on the war we should really be fighting now, the war on poverty.
January 8th, 2009 at 7:24 pmSaddler,
I’m curious; did you ever care who past Presidents appointed to Surgeon General? Can you even name the current Surgeon General without looking it up? Did you really care who did the invocation for past inaugurations? Were you outraged when Reverend Billy Graham performed Clinton’s invocation in 1997, or was it a non-issue in the grand scheme of things?
I’m not saying you can’t criticize Obama (I personally didn’t like keeping Gates as Sec of Defense, and I hope it is only temporary as rumored), but some of the criticism seems like nit-picking in my opinion.
The economic recovery plan IS a major issue, but I’m withholding judgement until we see the actual plan. As that article above pointed out, Summers took the complaints from these Democratic Senators very seriously. The plan is still being formulated.
January 8th, 2009 at 7:26 pmIf Obama gives the store away, what is the good of that (McSame would have done that). He should slap the RepubliCons around. After Bush is out, he should have the Justice Department start slapping RepubliCons in jail.
January 8th, 2009 at 7:27 pmWouldn’t it be extremely easy for a company to say “We are thinking of laying off workers, but if you give us tax breaks—we won’t”?
January 8th, 2009 at 7:29 pmKerry and all the Senior Democrats will test Obama but one ace Obama has that Kerry doesn’t have. Yes the majority of the American people of the support of people all over the World. John Kerry lost the election and knowing now that John Edwards had a child that Administration would have fallen flat anyway as the Republicans would have been all over a VP with a baby. Bush/Cheney would have just stepped in without changing shoes. Obama/Biden will have to use Rahm to let the Democrats know all the secrets are available on a and needed basis. It’s hard for old people to see young people in charge.
January 8th, 2009 at 7:32 pmBrianFL Says:
Might be careful there. Ol’ Sadd might accuse you of being a Reaganite or a bluedog or something.
But I’m a “blue dog”, “gulf invader” “Conservative” acording to Sadd, so what do I know? heh
January 8th, 2009 at 7:35 pmNow BrianFL thinks I’m not supposed to care about every aspect of my Government and its conduct. It’s just a taxpayer-funded position, the Surgeon General, so what?
We have the internet these days. Arrangements we might not have cared about fifteen years ago are zeroed in these days. Obama set high very expectations and people like me are out to make sure he didn’t pad his resume. Some of you were insistent he had a trick up his sleeve with the selection of bigot Rick Warren — but he didn’t indicate that by giving his supporters the ethics talk, “disagree without being disagreeable.” No, Mr. President-elect, you’re expected to answer our questions, not brush those off who put you in office.
So BrianFL, I care more than ever about the government because (a) people have put their foot down in believing that the government should do its job and (b) politicians should stick to their word. It goes w/o saying that, in addition the internet, Bush’s disregard for the office heightened everyone’s awareness.
January 8th, 2009 at 7:50 pmTax breaks for creating jobs here instead of shipping the jobs overseas is a terrific idea. Giving a tax break to create a job when there is no work wouldn’t make sense and Kerry’s response didn’t make sense. I had to hold my nose when I voted for Kerry in 2004. Nothing has changed about the man.
January 8th, 2009 at 8:10 pmThe enablers of Bush’s criminal policies should be receiving a ’shoe’ of their ugly faces! The Democrats were voted in with the madate to finish the WAR. End this rampant corruption and the destruction of the constitution.
Democrats, keep on protecting the Corporations, the military industry complex, give yourselves another rise, and one day, you wake up to the USA’s bankrupcy.
YOUTUBE Chalmers Johnson!!!!!
January 8th, 2009 at 9:22 pmThe last thing I was in the mood to hear this evening was Obama’s tax cuts for corporations.
crap.
January 8th, 2009 at 9:47 pmSkepticism is not a vote. Wait for the package and watch like a hawk how they vote.
Will the Blue Dogs join with Repugs to continue eight years of Bush corporafornication? Stay tuned.
January 8th, 2009 at 11:52 pmI think the problem with Obama is that he is an appeaser. He wants everyone to like him. He thinks pandering to the neoliberals and the neocons will get him a nice gold star for his forehead–this was made manifest not only by his pick of psycho xtian fundy, Rick Warren to provide the invocation, but his selection of schmucks like Vilsak and Summers.
Tax cuts? What a load of CRAP. What we NEED is national healthcare like HR 676.
But Obama has shown his hand. And he doesn’t give a crap about anyone but his own precious ego. And he’ll sell us down the river ALMOST as fast as the McSame/Palindrone juggernaut of death would have.
January 9th, 2009 at 6:34 amI’m with these Democratic Senators. Obama has thrown these business bones into the package to attract Republican support in his stated attempt to get 80 votes in the Senate for passage. The costs for this Obama proposal exceeds the benefits and I believe that is what the Senators are saying.
January 9th, 2009 at 8:17 amI feel, as some have mentioned, that Obama put this tax break in to appease republicans. That said, I feel he is smart enough to know that the Democratic majority on the Hill would and rightly should shoot this idea down. I don’t think that came as any surprise to Obama, in fact he probably expected as much. He gets the political capital with Repubs for offering an olive branch to corporations and the Dems on the Hill get some capital by flexing their political muscle in saying that this won’t fly with the American citizens. Win/win. Did we already forget the Richardson story from earlier this week? Obama appoints him with full knowlege that the inevitable investigation may force him out. Obama gets points for nominating him. It’s Richardson’s own problem that caused him to not accept the job. Another (albeit minor) political win for Obama. We have all seen throughout the election cycle just what a shrewd politician he is and as I have said before he’s probably one hell of a chess player. He’s already proven to have outmaneuvered the Clintons and the RNC. Cut the man some slack and let him work.
January 9th, 2009 at 8:49 amThis contrived “dissent” is only a smoke screen designed to make it appear actual debate is occurring while failed new deal policies are bulldozed through congress.
January 10th, 2009 at 10:07 am