The American Spectator : President Obama's Tax Piracy

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President Obama's Tax Piracy

By Peter Ferrara on 10.6.10 @ 6:08AM

A double-dip recession policy worthy of Baghdad Bob and Jonestown's Jim Jones.

Starting on January 1, 2011, President Obama's economic recovery policy will begin the implementation of comprehensive, across the board, tax rate increases for every major federal tax. The full breathtaking scope of those tax increases, and how they will harm every family in America, is discussed in my latest work, President Obama's Tax Piracy, published as part of Encounter's Broadside series. That series now includes 17 publications by such outstanding authors as Steve Moore on economic policy, John Bolton on national defense and American sovereignty, Betsy McCaughey on Obamacare, Michael Ledeen on Obama's betrayal of Israel, Michael Mukasey on terrorism, Roy Spencer on "global warming," and John Fund on Obama's election fraud, all in the tradition of Thomas Paine's Common Sense pamphlets.

Among the bonehead increases that beckon to shove the economy back into recession is a nearly 20% increase in the top two income tax rates, counting the phase-out of deductions and exemptions. The top capital gains tax rate is scheduled to soar by nearly 60%, counting the application of Obamacare's new 3.8% tax on investment income. The tax rate on dividends is scheduled to nearly triple, from 15% to 43.4%, counting the new Obamacare tax as well. The Obamacare legislation also increased the Medicare HI payroll tax rate by 62% for the nation's employers and investors. On our current course, the death tax will rise from the grave next year with a 55% top rate.

At least that was the plan. But the Democrat Congress left town without ever making good on candidate Obama's pledge to the American people in 2008 to avoid any tax increase on those making less than $250,000 a year, by extending all of the Bush tax cuts for everyone below that income level. That means under current law federal income taxes will now increase next year for virtually every American. The bottom income tax rate of 10% will soar by 50% to 15%, and every other income tax rate will rise by a similar amount. The child tax credit will be slashed by 50% from $1,000 per child to $500 per child. The marriage penalty will also rise from the grave to tax more heavily those who are married rather than those who are just living together.

A family of four earning $50,000 per year will pay more than $2,100 in higher taxes. A single mom earning $36,000 per year will pay over $1,100 more in taxes.
Married senior citizens earning $40,000 per year will pay more than $1,400 in higher taxes.

If you have been listening to President Obama's rhetoric, you would be thinking how could failing to extend the Bush tax cuts result in all these tax increases on everybody, since Bush supposedly cut taxes only for the rich. That is why you should not be listening to President Obama's misleading, manipulative, deceptive rhetoric.

Baghdad Bob Economics

In case you have forgotten Baghdad Bob, he was the Saddam Hussein propaganda minister who called a press conference just before American forces entered Baghdad in 1991 to announce that those forces had been massacred in the desert by Saddam's military machine. With Saddam gone, Baghdad Bob now has a new gig. He is in charge of economic and tax policy propaganda for the Democrat party.

You can see the results of his work on national television all of the time. Joy Reid, Keith Boykin, and Christian Weller show up to argue that cutting tax rates for employers and investors causes recessions and economic calamity, such as the financial crisis. Indeed, President Obama is saying the same thing all the time with his rhetoric about "the failed policies of the past" that "got us into this mess."

That's not even Keynesian economics. Rather than John Maynard Keynes, or even Karl Marx, that economic "logic" follows more in the tradition of Jim Jones, and the Jonestown school of economic policy. Joy Reid adds to this body of work her "argument" that increasing real savings and investment for retirement would only cause another bubble in the markets. Reid was voted Netroots Blogger of the Year, which shows how much deep trouble our country is in as long the people identifying themselves as Progressives are anywhere near the levers of government power.

I explain in my Broadside publication how President Obama has consistently followed exactly the opposite of every plank of Reaganomics. As a consequence, we can rightly expect that America will now suffer exactly the opposite results, unless those economic policies are quickly overturned by new Congressional majorities.

In 1983, President Reagan's third year, his tax rate cuts became fully effective, and real GDP zoomed upward over the first 4 quarters of recovery by 7.7%. That recovery flowered into a generation-long, 25-year economic boom, interrupted only by two short, shallow recessions, following President Bush's budget deal increasing tax rates in 1990, and the 9/11 terror attack in 2001.

Art Laffer and Steve Moore have rightly called this Reagan boom "the greatest period of wealth creation in the history of the planet." Indeed, more wealth was created in America during this 25 year boom, from 1983 to 2007, than in all the prior 200 years of American history, from George Washington to Jimmy Carter, combined. That is why Steve Forbes has rightly called it an "economic Golden Age."

The mirror image opposite of this economic performance would be the natural, logical result of following the mirror image opposite of Reagan's economic program, including the counterproductive incentive effects of Obama's comprehensive federal tax rate increases, the costs and burdens of Obama's reregulation hitting next year, and the continued drain of private sector resources due to President Obama's supposedly stimulative spending increases and deficits. Laffer explains:

[W]hen the U.S. economy comes to 2011, the train's going to come off the tracks…. The tax boundary that will occur on January 1, 2011 tells me that GDP growth in 2010 will be some 6% to 8% higher than GDP growth in 2011. A year on year decline from trend of some 6% to 8% in GDP growth would represent a larger collapse than occurred in 2008 and early 2009.

We see signs of that already even in this year's economy, which, again just the opposite of Reagan's performance, should be the peak economic year in President Obama's reign of error. Economic growth is in a tailspin, falling from 5% in the fourth quarter of 2009, to 3.7% in the first quarter this year, to 1.6% in the second quarter. Unemployment is rising again, with the economy continuing to lose jobs every month. The stock market has been long stalled, mired 30% below its record highs over 14000 in the Dow. This weak economy couldn't be a worse time to raise Federal tax rates across the board. With President Obama's current economic policies, the probability of a renewed, double-dip recession is over 100%.

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About the Author

Peter Ferrara is Senior Fellow at the Carleson Center for Public Policy, Director of Entitlement and Budget Policy for the Heartland Institute, and General Counsel of the American Civil Rights Union. He served in the White House Office of Policy Development under President Reagan, and as Associate Deputy Attorney General of the United States under the first President Bush. He is the author of America’s Ticking Bankruptcy Bomb, now available from HarperCollins.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (112) | Leave a comment

Deborah D| 10.6.10 @ 6:35AM

Thanks, Mr. Ferarra, for this cold slap of reality. It truly is amazing that we have a president whose main concern is punishing those who actually pay his salary and keep the economy going. If our country can survive the next two years of this presidency, it will be due to Divine Intervention. The Republicans can only do so much. Let's hope the election is a rout that can overturn a presidential veto. One can dream. How do we survive an anti-American president?

Shamus| 10.6.10 @ 8:12AM

It would take 67 votes to override a veto in the Senate. Democrats would need to vote against Obama in order to do this. But if Obama continues to make himself unpopular, this is within the realm of possibility.

Nelson H.| 10.6.10 @ 8:49AM

No, Shamus, it isn't within the realm of possibility. Just imagine the deals that would have to be cut with the Democrats to secure that 67th vote. When the chips are down politicians sitting on the fence demand exorbitant concessions. We've seen this over and over again.

Shamus| 10.6.10 @ 9:18AM

Sure, it's low probability, but not impossible.

As Samuel Johnson noted, there's nothing like the prospect of a hanging to focus the mind. If we experience more economic oppression issuing forth from Washington, the public may become even more enraged. Unlike Obama, most politicians actually want to keep their jobs.

Cincinnatius| 10.6.10 @ 1:40PM

I think the operative word in your quote is "hanging". Until we actually start using the procedure (past due in my mind) I tend to believe that those in Washington will continue to behave in exactly the same insane ways that they have in the past. We are in a helluva mess! If the American people don't get really smart/tuned in, really quickly, then the show's over.

TR| 10.6.10 @ 11:18AM

Shamus, as much as I would like to agree with your hopeful thought, it just will never happen. The current crop of politicians called democrats are ideology driven and could not care in the least about what is good for the nation. They base their existence on what they consider "fair" not what is actually true. It does not matter if less taxes come in or if the nation plunges deeper into this depression we are living through. It only matters that the "rich" are soaked for everything they can take. They are jealousy driven. If your neighblr has one item you can't afford, the neighbor must be punished. Very Soviet Union of them.

The only hope at this time is for the informed electorate to remove EVERY democrat from office. They are marxist in ideology and a grave danger to our survival.

Remember when ObaMao was campaigning in '08 when he was presented evidence that tax cuts lead to greater tax revenue, he clearly said that it didn't matter, it was fairness he wanted. Fairness being "redistribution" of an earners money to a non-producer. Yet he was elected. Unless this nation wakes up, we are doomed.

2112| 10.6.10 @ 12:25PM

The strategy for combating the President and his zombie hoard is actually quite simple - make him a "veto" machine.

The Republicans can move their agenda and educate the population by sending small easy to understand bills to the President. Make him veto good, common sense, legislation every week and he will become the most reviled man in America. Since he is unstable this will also be hilarious to watch. For instance, it may be better for a variety of reasons to dissect Obamacare in front of the public by repealing it one miserable ill-conceived, unconstitutional provision at a time. Simply repealing it en masse will be covered by the media as mere partisan tit-for-tat. It may also not be possible. If we win, great. If he vetos a bill, we still win in the public mind if the legislation is popular.

Give us up or down votes on everything. The individual mandate, "death boards", inheritance taxes, etc., etc., etc. Never let up. Put him and the Socialists on the "voting" ropes. The next legislative session doesn't have to be entirely gridlock. Republicans can do a lot of good and provide endless educational entertainment for the next two years.

bobF| 10.6.10 @ 5:01PM

I really like this idea. Keep each bill very short and simple, the antithesis of what the dems have been doing with their 'comprehensive' bills that no one can possibly have read or understand. A veto machine indeed!

Stevie| 10.6.10 @ 5:25PM

Great idea but we have to hold the Republicans feet to the fire. I don't think it's going to take much more to make Obama the most reviled man in America.

BackToBasics| 10.6.10 @ 6:15PM

Most reviled by 50%, most loved by 33%, still in the middle or don't care, 17%. No matter how bad a Dem President is, he can always manage to get 40-42% of the vote. This is the moron percentage in our country and it has been at this level for about 40 years. If we go into a 1930's style depression in the next 2 years, Obam (or Hillary Clinton) will lose but I bet heor she still gets 40%.

RobLACa| 10.7.10 @ 11:41AM

This is the greatest idea. Inform the public of the facts exposing the democrat's perpetual fraud and their cohorts in the Media. They need to be humiliated and shamed if that is even possible. This will also combat the liberal run public schools who have been molesting the minds of children with democrat propaganda for years. Democrats want to force their perverted sex education on children the moment they begin to crawl. At the same time they should be eduacated and informed about the democrat party of predators, who salivate and can't wait to molest their minds. This will protect them from the liberal professors and the liberal Media who will be attempting to rape their ears in the future.

Ya, I want every last one of the perpetrators of the democrats perpetual fraud exposed and destroyed.

J.C.Read| 10.14.10 @ 3:09PM

Did you want every last republican who ran this country into the economic toilet exposed? No, probably because you’re racist ass is one of them. The one thing the Republican Party has mastered is getting hard working Americans to believe that they have something in common with that party. Smaller government hurts you, especially now. The majority of you who respond to this trash are probably on some kind of unemployment extension and are part of the 41 million Americans receiving food stamps. Rest assured your asses will be hungry and broke if you continue along this ignorant path.

rosina| 10.8.10 @ 3:48PM

This sounds the correct way to go.
Hope the 'new' style republicans and teaparty candidates are reading this.
It should be submitted to them.

SECREV| 10.7.10 @ 11:38AM

No. Dems are not going to help you override an Obama veto. In fact this fact about GOP's utter inability override a veto even if they win all senate seats up for election in Nov2010 is what kept the dems going in their legislative spree and executive agency 'regulation' spree. They knew/know exactly where they are going, AND they know exactly how to render the anticipated GOP majority in Congress useless. The O is ready to takeover all agenda-enacting to executive branch, and dems in congress (senate, particularly) will keep the GOP assault at bay. By NOV2012, your republic will be dissolved (along with the Congress). O will literally be the new hitler. Only this one will destroy 'his own country' rather than destroy others.

GeorgeMasonIV| 10.8.10 @ 4:04PM

Admiral Yammamoto, 1941:
"There will be a rifle behind each blade of grass."

This is why the 2nd Amendment follows the first. Any American Hitler will be short lived.

john| 10.8.10 @ 10:09AM

New rules are enacted in the Senate each year and it is time for a rule that would require a simple majority on any legistation, including a Presidential veto.

Jim| 10.8.10 @ 6:06PM

Sorry, John, without a Constitutional Ammendment it cannot be done. Article One, section seven, paragraph two, U.S. Constitution requires a two-thirds majority of those present and voting in both houses of Congress to override a Presidential vetoe.

Booger| 10.6.10 @ 11:42AM

From the desk of President B. Hussein Obama:

Dear Ms. Deborah D.,

Once again I find Myself maligned by the readers of this despicable magazine. Once the fairness doctrine, net neutrality and the people's airwaves are fully implemented, I shall no longer be forced to tolerate such recriminations. In the meantime, however, I will deign to reply to your blasphemous questions. Please try to keep up as best you can with your feeble mind.
I assure you, the pittance you contribute to my salary is quite small. I am well-provided for by means other than the pitiful paycheck I receive for my unappreciated public service as President for Life. In point of fact, my rather "non-traditional" compensation package is quite generous, well beyond anything your pathetic efforts could provide. I have a contractual guarantee for these benefits in perpetuity, negotiated on my behalf by my attorney, Mr. D. Mephistopheles, whom my good friend and mentor the Rev. J. Wright was kind enough to introduce me to.
Furthermore, how dare you accuse Me of being "anti-American"? Have I not spent years toiling away in public service, as a law professor, community organizer, and elected official? Just because your idea of "Amerikkka" does not match my Divine Wisdom does not make me "anti-America". If anything, it is America which is anti-Obama, and thus it is America which must change its ways, not me. The sooner you bitter clingers in the hinterlands realize this, the better it will be for you.
As to this matter of "Divine Intervention": Well of course I, your President for Life, will continue to intervene in your affairs. Quite frankly I find it baffling that at one moment you deride My patriotism, then in the next you request My intervention. Perhaps you should seek psychiatric help in this matter. Or you could simply continue to pray to Me, whichever works better for you.
The Republicans? Oh, that's a laugher. My friendly attorney D. Mephistopheles has assured me that large numbers of their leadership have compensation packages quite similar to my own which he negotiated on their behalf.
How do you survive? Obey. Obey. Obey. You need to get used to the idea. My good friend and adviser, one H. Chavez, has shown me a clear path to continuing My Leadership in perpetuity, to the great blessing of this benighted nation. I will bring the light. Trust and Obey Me, and perhaps I will be merciful in spite of your previous unfaithfulness.

Your President for Life,

B. Hussein Obama

Deborah D| 10.6.10 @ 1:04PM

Hahahaha, Booger! Thanks for the chuckle...good humor always has an element of truth to it. That's the scary part!

And, Mr. President -- please quit deluding yourself. You are not The One I've Been Waiting For! That is truly above your paygrade.

Ned| 10.6.10 @ 4:57PM

Hey, Hussein-boy... that whizzing sound past your ear was the clue you haven't got going RIGHT over your head.

If need be, we can have Booger 'splain some more.

Bite me, Barry.

bubba| 10.11.10 @ 6:27AM

hussein.........

congratulations on your recent achievement. you have surpassed jimmy whats his name as the WORST president in the history of the united states.

hussein........a one term president. you heard it here first.

f| 10.10.10 @ 10:05AM

We survived Bush. I'm sure we can survive anything. Especially fools like you who seem to think that there income is an act of divinity. If the party of no would participate in the governing process rather than act like they are acting through Gods will, just maybe we could flourish. You my dear, are to spoiled and stupid to deserve the life you live.

logmank| 10.6.10 @ 6:40AM

The catastrophic results outlined by Mr. Ferrara are exactly the results that Obowmao intends. Don't be fooled into believing that these are "mistakes". Obowmao intends to bring the United States to its knees. The coming of the next depression is only one plank of his plan to do so.

Diego Sierra| 10.6.10 @ 8:08AM

So Obama is actually trying to destroy the economy?

I've often wondered about this, as it's hard to imagine that anyone could actually be so stupid as to try his policies.

If Obama's real goal is to put the country in the ditch, then he's been quite effective. But is he doing this on his own hook, or is he working for some other group (like Muslims or Communists)?

TR| 10.6.10 @ 11:21AM

Just read "Rules for Radicals" and "The Communist Manifesto". ObaMao's actions are straight out of these instruction manuals.

He desires to collapse the economy so he can fast-track his father's dream of communism in the US.

This is transparent and only requires a little fact checking to see it.

CMI| 10.7.10 @ 1:13PM

Believe it. Read "The Roots of Obama's Rage" by Dinesh DeSouza. Obama is an anti-colonialist and he does want to bring America to its knees.

FU| 10.10.10 @ 10:08AM

You are a wingnut who needs help. Please go to the nearest psychiatric hospital and check yourself in before you go viral.

J Kelley| 10.6.10 @ 10:52AM

All of Obamo's background points to him not liking this Country. They could not be so stupid to believe their soultion would work. So it must be they are doing this on purpose. If we can make a hugh change in November, perhaps the remaining Dems will be able to see Nov. 2012 from their house and overturn Obama's veto. If not we will have to go all out in 2012.

Ken (Old Texican)| 10.6.10 @ 7:18AM

Logmank,
Obama and crew can't bring America to its knees!

They can make us poorer...for a while...but when the young people wake up and have to move back in with their parents...I think it will be one heck of an enema for the communists, (pardon the shorthand).

Al Adab| 10.6.10 @ 11:30AM

They can indeed make us poorer. In fact they fully intend this current economy to represent the new baseline for measurement of economic activity. They find the current status quo acceptable. Their union buddies are working with bailout money; government employees and NGO tax funded hiring stays high while those greedy capitalists who start businesses and build jobs can just do without. Change is definately coming. Let us all hope that a U-turn is possible.

figus janus| 10.6.10 @ 7:34AM

This is what Imam Obama wants. He wants America on its knees giving back to the world what it stole from the poor. The UN controlled world is his goal. So third world countries can feel better about themselves.
Save food and medicine at home boys and girls. Its going to get rough out here in the U.S. Stand by to Stand by.

Brian Mc| 10.6.10 @ 7:35AM

And we see that 91% of a 'certain portion' of the American populace wholeheartedly agree with the alien's policies...this is what is truly scary. I suspect they have forgotten the old recommendation which states, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods".

In their eyes, it's payback time and their glee at this debacle that is decimating the Republic is mind-numbing.

Petronius| 10.6.10 @ 8:06AM

The bottom feeders never learned and never will. And 3/4 of the land area of a certain continent will forever remain a hellhole like our inner cities because it's inhabitants would rather rob and kill than work.
The worst aspect of this administration is the fact that they care more for emotional vindication and gratifying their egos than they do about drawing their next breath. I asked one of the hardcore Dems in my office how ruining the lives of his betters improved his. He blurted, "I feel better!"
I said that I will believe him when I can pay my bills by "Feeling."

buckeyeman| 10.6.10 @ 9:55AM

"they have forgotten the old recommendation which states, 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods'''

Brian, that is not an "old recommendation". That is the Tenth COMMANDMENT

TR| 10.6.10 @ 11:29AM

buckeyeman, the actions of the democrats shows them to ba a political party completely based on sin. Their reason for existence is to violate the 10th Commandment. They use it every day, they whip up their minions to covet from their neighbor. They also use their power to push a lie called "choice" to violate the 6th Commandment "Thou shall not murder".

How any clear and rational human could support the democrat party is beyond my comprehension. Two commandments that are broken in their platform. Murder babies and covet your neighbors property. A Party Of Sin. Period.

Texas Mom 2010| 10.6.10 @ 12:39PM

Not supposed to 'covet your neighbor's ASS' either, do you think that is why the dems symbol is an ass? Just wondering... ;)

Al Adab| 10.6.10 @ 12:55PM

Here's sugar for you momma. Keep posting.
:) X

TR| 10.6.10 @ 1:54PM

Love ya, Texas Mom!

Brian Mc| 10.7.10 @ 7:08AM

Gee, thanks, buckeyeman...I never would have guessed if you hadn't been here to correct my tongue in cheek error...

olainfree| 10.6.10 @ 7:38AM

When the government money printing presses go into overdrive, we will reprise Mugabe's destruction. When more industries and financial sectors fall into the clutches of the federal government, we will imitate Chavez's destruction.

Have these people never learned what had happened to Argentina when a central command government devastated a flourishing nation?

Deborah D| 10.6.10 @ 8:35AM

I believe the answer to your question is, "Yes." They know. That's what they want. As hard as that is to believe, you'd better believe it. It's about control. It's about taking the U.S. down many pegs. It's about taking from us and giving to the rest of the world. In Obama's mind, it's payback, and he doesn't care who he hurts along the way. (Pay attention, Dems, he doesn't give a rat's patootie about you. As is evident by all the things he's pushed Congress to do as they go down in flames at the polls. He's on a mission, and only he really knows what that mission is, but it doesn't involve raising up the United States of America.)

Clinton nee Publius| 10.6.10 @ 8:24AM

I just finished my updated economic forecasting. I expect employment to contract this year by another 2.5 million jobs and real GDP to contract by 3.7% for 2011. The real killer comes in 2012 - His Majesty's election year. Another 1.8 million jobs lost and real GDP to contract by 2.1%.

If you thought 2009 was bad...

If you thought 2010 was bad...

Penalizing savings and investment is the exact recipe that killed the Soviet Union, China - and in a more recent context, Venezuela and Spain. This is going to be the biggest economic disaster in the history of the modern era.

To believe the new tax plan will work, you have to believe:

1. Increasing taxes creates jobs - even though it never has in the history of our republic.

2. Government spending is efficient - even though it has never been efficient in the history of our republic (Christ, last year we had an additional $1.4 trillion in discretionary "economic stimulus" spending and the new output was less than $580 billion - nowhere close to a 1:1 and we were told it would create $1.55 to $1.59 in new output).

Get set for trickle up poverty.

Ned| 10.6.10 @ 5:17PM

"Government spending is efficient..." - to answer the folks stating that ridiculous point of view, simply mention that it costs $1.40 to collect $1 in tax revenue - not including the actual dollar of tax. So, to put $1 in the hands of bureaucrats to waste, it takes $2.40 out the real economy. Now that's "efficient".

MtTopPatriot| 10.6.10 @ 8:35AM

This isn't ideology, inept or misguided economic policy, or politics of a majority, it is a conscious premeditated attempt to undermine the prosperity and security of this country via economic terrorism.
It is part and parcel of a doctrine of destruction of our Republic in order to change it into a political entity ripe for the picking, enabling a crazed political class to swoop in on America like a flock of vultures on road kill and rip it to tiny pieces.

Mel Torme| 10.6.10 @ 8:47AM

Mr. Ferrara, good on ya for getting the numbers right. I think the shock for most people won't be until the spring of 2012, as that's when people (or their computers or tax guys) will be preparing those returns for 2011. That is, unless they changed their W-4's sometime in 2011.

Many people are running on credit right now, as in a negative savings rate, and they couldn't even afford to modify their tax withdrawal amounts to account for this big tax increase on their 2011 pay (this is what the W-4 form is about, BTW). That means that sometime, let's call it 4/15/11 (not catchy like some dates, but that's the date), there will be a reckoning for the finances of millions of families. Extensions will be filed, which cost even a few bucks more, as many, maybe a majority of Americans, pay someone to figure out how badly they have been screwed by Fedzilla. Then, at the end of the extension, say late 2012, all these taxpayers will still not have the money to pay. What then? We will already be in a greater depression then, than now.

Call me crazy, but maybe this is the exact scenario that the Mayan priests envisioned way back when, in the Mayan Daze, as The End in 2012. Yes, I know, how could they have forseen the whole Infernal Revenue Code, you ask. I say, if they could have forseen Woodrow Wilson, FDR, and the 1960's then that prophecy should have been a piece of cake.

BTW, I like that "Jonestown School of Economics" crack! It's a long way from Austria to Chicago to Jonestown (from Beer to Bratwurst to Kool-Aid).

Rmm| 10.6.10 @ 8:55AM

I hate to say this but,
could we see a replay of JFK !

TR| 10.6.10 @ 11:32AM

Please do not even say something like that even if in jest. This wanna be dictator has enormous power and obedient minions. You could face arrest for voicing this. Just VOTE them out.

SpiralArchitect| 10.6.10 @ 4:38PM

So True.

The POTUS job is incredibly stressful... a coronary would be a terrible thing to have happen to Robin Hood.

Yes, that is who he sees himself as, Robin Hood. He wants to be the Tooth Farie and Santa Clause as well.

That is, Robin Hood takes from those bad Americans and delivers to the all deserving people that should get entitlements and so forth.

The Tooth Farie and Santa Clause are equally loved for bestowing gifts upon people.

All three are cherished and ledgendary. Heroic for their deeds to help so many.

The citizenry are merely the enslaved elf workers and pulled teeth not to mention the evildoers of Nottingham ( the 'haves').

RCV| 10.6.10 @ 10:39PM

That is a truly nauseating comment. If TAS has a moderator, you should be banned from the site permanently.

Tim*| 10.7.10 @ 3:12AM

Uh Oh ! LawBoy demands censorship

Captain Renault , " I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here! "

RCV| 10.7.10 @ 12:21PM

Yes, Tim, advocacy of the assassination of the President is beyond the bounds.

Rudy| 10.7.10 @ 5:59PM

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants. It is it's natural manure.

Thomas Jefferson

What do you suppose this means?

RCV| 10.8.10 @ 11:23AM

It means that, in tyrannical systems, where people are not self-governing and don't have resort to the ballot box to change their governance, they have the right to armed rebellion. Where they do have such peaceful alternatives, but are just too damn lazy to get off their asses and work for electoral change, or their ideas are so lame that the People reject them, if they resort to arms they ought to be locked up for a very long time.

Terry| 10.8.10 @ 11:49AM

Whoa... slow down guys...

If Rmm is referring to JFK's assassination, then I agree wholeheartedly with you... that's completely and totally out of bounds.

However, if he's referring to JFK's *fiscal* policies, then I stand with him. I also hate to say it... I've never voted for a democrat in anything other than a local election, but I'd gladly take JFK and Camelot again rather than Sir Mordred.

Mimi| 10.6.10 @ 8:55AM

The President, and those who surround him should should go to economics school for a week...and quick! They all appear to have no logical, formalized, or paradoxical thinking. They think, but not in a creative way! If this is not true.... and is purposeful economic destruction.....then we're really in BIG TROUBLE.

Mimi| 10.6.10 @ 9:02AM

What I'm saying is: HE'S STUCK ON STUPID or need to spend more time with his family..RESIGN or for the sake of the country, be IMPEACHED R/T incompetence!

Texas Mom 2010| 10.6.10 @ 12:43PM

Nooooooooooo! That would bring us Vice President Pelosi!!!'!!!!!!!!! I need more Zantac just at the thought.

SpiralArchitect| 10.6.10 @ 4:43PM

The Speaker reamins put unless the POTUS & the VP are no longer in office, by whatever means.

The VP would move up and select a new VP as I understsand the progression.

Terry| 10.8.10 @ 11:52AM

Does the name "Gerald Ford" ring a bell...

Terry| 10.8.10 @ 11:55AM

Sorry... should have replied to T-Mom.

25th Amendment

Section 2. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.

Kat| 10.10.10 @ 9:50AM

Perhaps all Americans should go to economic school....this country appears to love to spend spend spend without restraint. I wouldn't say it's the President's fault or any President for that matter.

But then again we refuse to make our politicians responsible for their actions by not forcing them to enforce laws and keep promises. We as a country are at fault....not simply a single President and their Congress

Diego42| 10.6.10 @ 8:57AM

Mr. Ferrara: Thank you very much for your careful analysis of the Obama administration's disastrous tax policy, and of the likely effects of that policy on the economy. One quibble: No event can have a probability greater than 100%--as you claim for the probability of a double-dip recession--because 100% probability represents absolute certainty.

Though I believe there's a very high probability of a double-dip recession if Obama and the Democrats succeed in raising taxes in January, 2011, even that it is not a certainty. Thus its probability is less than 100%.

mulp| 10.7.10 @ 3:42PM

Right, not only did Obama not repeal the Bush tax cuts, he decided they weren't enough and added his own tax cuts in the 2009 ARA law.

As Republicans aren't talking about making the Obama tax cuts permanent with cut the taxes of 80% of all workers (Making Work Pay tax credit), the Republicans are pushing to keep the tax cuts on the rich while hiking taxes on workers.

But Federal tax revenue since Obama has been in office is under 15% of GDP, 25% lower than the over 20% of GDP in 1998-2000 when unemployment was well under 5%. The last time tax revenue was this low was 1950...

So if he government is letting tax payers keep 5% more of what they produce so they can create jobs, where are all the jobs the tax payers were supposed to create spending their money wiser than government?

bluecollarbytes| 10.6.10 @ 9:09AM

In the early 90s I kidded my dad, saying -eventually the govt will simply require all monies sent directly to it, with earners sending in 'income-request' forms. With news that Britain is actually thinking about doing this, can we be that far behind? I don't think Americans would stand for it. But we still head in that general direction.

Redstateboy| 10.6.10 @ 9:21AM

Limbaugh lit up the Lame-stream-media yesterday by calling Hussien and "Jackass" when it comes to Economics. Of course the Liber-uls are outraged!! How can anyone dare call the President of the United States a "Jackass" they'll demand!! It's the term "Jackass" they object to.. Not to Hussien being an Economic illiterate.. that's besides the point they'll Scream.. but Rush has once again pointed the discussion to where it should be by employing a provocative statement.

dw| 10.6.10 @ 3:41PM

Rush should not insult jackasses like that. They have feelings too.

tubergrower| 10.7.10 @ 12:06PM

Comrades ... no reason to be upset. After all, the national symbol for the Democratic party is the "JACKASS"! Obama is simply the head JACKASS. If you don't like the term, change your symbol

Shamus| 10.6.10 @ 9:30AM

If they receive income only from their government, does this make all British people serfs of the crown?

fantum| 10.6.10 @ 9:35AM

Limbaugh later apologized for his "jackass" remark... TO JACKASSES!

fantum| 10.6.10 @ 9:44AM

Obama's SNEAKY TAX!
http://www.standard.net/node/44797

Democrats: UP YOURS AMERICA!
Democrats: Yes, we can... Bow to Islam!
Democrats: Yes, we can... Divide America!
Democrats: Yes, we can... Increase taxes!
Democrats: Yes, we can... Support corruption!
Democrats: Yes, we can... Take over the banks!
Democrats: Yes, we can... Ignore our Oath of Office!
Democrats: Yes, we can... Spend money we don't have!
Democrats: Yes, we can... Stand in unemployment lines!
Democrats: Yes, we can... Build a Mosque at ground zero!
Democrats: Yes, we can... Wipe our azz on the Constitution!
Democrats: Yes, we can... Nationalize American businesses!
Democrats: Yes, we can... Support the invasion from Mexico!

Democrats - Up Yours America...
http://usataxpayer.org/url.asp?Show=38078964

Stan Redmond| 10.6.10 @ 10:39AM

These tax increases are bad.

Wait until the taxes come due after the Obamacare frontloading ends. Mandated insurance with outrageously high premiums will FORCE anyone with a low cost plan or the young and healthy to pay out their $500 a month of so taking that money out of the economy. The 1099 requirement for ALL business expenses will take countless billions out of the economy in lost productivity. Cap and trade, New CAFE standards, and all the new parasitic taxes "as deemed by the secretary" (that is written in to these new monstrous health care and financial laws).

There will be a brief blip that will help democrats in Novemeber as businesses scramble to make all their new machinery purchases before these odious new taxes take effect. Once that's done though 2011 will be a very cold year. And guess what. Obama can blame the republicans. Obama has stated he wishes to break the "rich" and make it more fair. He stated his tax policy is not about economic growth but "fairness." But I really do think that him and Pelosi are truly stupid. That is a dangerous combination and we all will be forced to eat the huge excremement sandwich they are serving up.

George S| 10.6.10 @ 11:03AM

"Moreover, if those tax rate increases do produce a double-dip recession, then revenues will collapse, and the deficit will soar to 2½ trillion."

... which is exactly what Obama is counting on as he vetoes any extension of the tax cuts because there will be a Republican congress in place when it happens. They blinked with TARP; how tough will they resist Obama when the excrement hits?

Also, with a 2.5 trillion deficit, every president elected after 2012 will become a caretaker of a welfare state instead of the chief executive of a Republic. Their time will be 100% occupied trying to figure out where to borrow money and how to raise revenue. Limited government? Never again. A people in debt for generations have the obligation to pay or else the currency collapses (all this debt is backed up your labor, your child's labor and your grandchild's), which results in the breakdown of law and order as everyone fends for themselves. Enter martial law, exit Constitution. This is the endgame all along.

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 10.6.10 @ 11:21AM

The stock market is in the last throes of fiscal insanity. Soon, the fables of the ruling class will unfold, there won't be a happy ending and those who believed in change will find that change has come. They will have been changed into government mules.

Intelligent Design| 10.6.10 @ 12:42PM

Obama and his fellow Democrats have told us for several years that the Bush tax cuts only benefited the "rich". So how is it that some Democrats are now talking about extending the Bush tax cuts beyond their expiration date in January 2011, for everyone except the rich? How can the 2001-2003 tax cuts be extended for the non-rich if they never had their taxes cut in the first place? Could it be that the Democrats have been telling outrageous lies about our taxes, and Obamacare, and the deficit, and the national debt, and ........

Tim*| 10.6.10 @ 12:43PM

Obama is attempting to Tax Punish The HENRY's : High Earners Not Rich Yet ,who earn between $250,000 & $500,000 .

Oldefarte| 10.6.10 @ 1:26PM

Peter's excellent analysis results in only one conclusion, and that is exactly what Obama told to Joe the Plumber before the 11/08 election regarding his/Obama's desire for WEALTH REDISTRIBUTION. The fact that capital gains and dividend income will be increasingly taxed is evidence that Obama wants to punish the middle and upper income earners [who only have stocks, bonds, property, and other investments subject to such taxes]. His preferred lower level income earners [or non earners] do not have such investments and therefore will not be subject to capital gains/dividend taxes. When Obama says MIDDLE INCOME, he is disguising his intended meaning of lower wage earners [his recent argument with Milton Freidman etc concerning the ability to BUY TV'S is illustrative of his thought process]. His welfarecare is a diect example of this, as it provides health insurance to the previously uninsurable 30 million at the expense/detriment of thos of us who have always had [and paid for] health insurance. To attempt to explain Obama's reasoning is useless, as his whole modus operende is WEALTH REDISTRIBUTION or THEFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

davelnaf| 10.6.10 @ 1:29PM

The dems desperately want to get their hands on as much of everyone else’s money as possible. This way they “control the people.” They will fight conservatives and anyone that opposes them all the way to the barricades, which is the length their desperate, control freak mentality is willing to take them.

This November should be the beginning of the end of the Democratic Party. They can reconstitute as something else and stop masquerading as a responsible party they very definitely are not. My own suggestions for new names for their party is unprintable.

Louis Jenkins| 10.6.10 @ 1:48PM

Well people, we stand at the point of no return. This election will be a do or die proposition. Do we re-elect the same ol' same ol', or do we give Congress the middle finger? It sounds as though we're on the verge of positive ground, but we won't know for sure until the day after the election. Do not sleep! Do not slumber! Less than one month to a day of rejoicing, or Armagedon. The choice is ours. Let us not remain passive.

Tom Harmon| 10.6.10 @ 4:26PM

"back into recession"

I don't believe we have ever left this recession.

Most people in flyover country have seen NO recovery.

RightIsWrong| 10.6.10 @ 5:23PM

Where's the proof that these tax breaks created anything but a whole lot of debt the past ten years they were in place? Republicans still cling to Reagan voodoo economic plan that tax cuts magically pay for themselves, but unlike the 80's we have seen that tax cuts for the top two percent only hurt the middle class, those are the facts.

George True| 10.6.10 @ 5:44PM

".....those are the facts."

I don't know where you get your "facts" from sir, but what you cited above are most assuredly NOT the actual facts of the matter.

The fact is, the tax cut that "the rich" got under the Bush tax cuts was a small fraction of the tax cuts the middle class and low earners received. Individuals and working families earning between $40-70K per year got about a 40% reduction in their federal withholding tax. When you factor in the elimination of the marriage penalty and enhancements in the earned income tax credits, some families had their taxes literally cut in half. And low income earners had their taxes wiped out altogether.

By contrast, "the rich" got a 3.9 percent reduction in their tax rate. So their rate of taxation was reduced less than one tenth as much as the rate of taxation on middle income earners was reduced.

So explain to me exactly how this "hurt the middle class" as you claimed? You are entitled to your own opinion as to whether the Bush tax cuts were a good thing or not, but you are NOT entitled to your own facts.

Ken (Old Texican)| 10.6.10 @ 5:51PM

RightisWrong

You are too dumb to comment here, and we have no cure for your stupidity. Sorry.

carnot| 10.6.10 @ 8:23PM

"that tax cuts magically pay for themselves"

Florida University my friend.

George S| 10.6.10 @ 8:39PM

Your argument only holds water if, between 2000 and 2010, federal tax receipts decreased as a result of tax cuts -- and spending remained the same. However, if you look at the historical record, you will see that spending has increased every single year from 2000 to 2010.

Let's start with FY2000. Spending was 1.7 trillion.

Tax receipts went down from 2001 to 2003 and started climbing from 2004 to 2008. During 2007 and 2008 the treasury took in 2.5 trillion each year-- the most ever -- but Congress spent 2.7 trillion in each of those years, again the most ever. So if spending stayed the same between 2001 and 2008, there would have been a trillion dollar surplus in 2008. With the tax cuts.

See for yourself...
http://www.taxpolicycenter.org.....?Docid=200

Now where is your "proof"?

Norseman| 10.7.10 @ 10:24AM

There you go with those pesky facts again. I notice that Right is Wrong has not come up with any facts of his own. That is how liberals operate. They blindly follow their left wing talking points and never provide any facts to back it up. We are waiting for your proof Right is Wrong.

Oldefarte| 10.7.10 @ 1:15PM

Right, You're either completely ignorant of economics and finance or you're a political operative of Obama/Holder operating out of the Justice Dept. First, the deficit/debt was/is caused by liberal Democrats historically not willing to reduce governmental expenses [ie welfare], and therefore tax reductions add to the existing deficit/debt. Second, the top income earners ['rich'in your/Obama's terms] multiply income/wealth by using their money to employ people through their companies, buy needed equipment, build plants, make investments,etc. The money that their employees, contractors, investment vehicles, merchants,etc receive from same is further spent/spread by their doing likewise [and on and on throughout the lower rungs of the cycle]. The opposing view that government spending creates income/wealth is ludicrous and stupid, since those recieving same to not multiply anything and only spend/buy what is given to them by the government [and the cycle ends at that point and goes no further]. Government spending is only welfare and is financed by wealth redistributing/stealing others incomes [who have EARNED it] to those who do not EARN IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Leon| 10.8.10 @ 10:44PM

Right is wrong for one thing tax cuts don't have to be paid for by anyone it simply means that they don't have as much to throw away, I mean that literally. I know you do not know anything about history but the Regan tax cuts resulted in a net increase in revenue. Not very many people get jobs from poor people so why is it smart to tax the rich? You are probably on welfare and are not in the middle class anyway. You probably voted for this economic imbecile as well. When he brings the US to it's destruction where is your check coming from then?

Perusha| 10.6.10 @ 6:44PM

I'm old enough to remember when a coke and a phone call cost a dime each, and, this is when I was around 18. The old farts I worked with in my father's butcher shop used to moan about how they used to cost a penny when they were MY age.

So, after all the years since I was born, the standard measure of GDP, the "dollar", along with all the other fiat currencies, has always proven itself to be an illusion. Therefore, while I always appreciate the hard numbers analyses by well taught wise guys like Don Luskin and Peter Ferrara, for quite a while I've gotten more and more bored by the whole shebang.

Let's face it---Americans and the other lucky humans living in places that are reaping the fruits of the incredible growth in materialistic productivity are far past real life or death concerns.

Look around, and keep in mind that in a short ten years 75% of us in the USA will be either overweight or obese!

So, one way or the other, bodily reality will not forever be mocked. Think about it---

even our "heroes" in the pundocracy, who are fighting against the attempted takeover of America by both the Islamo-fascists and the Obama crowd, surely fill the fat bill, to a GROSS extent!

Limbaugh, Gingrich, Rove, Hannity, you name them, as smart as they may be and as glib as they may be, they are simply too extremely uneducated and/or undisciplined to take care to eat wisely, THEMSELVES.

It always amazed and amused me to observe a Bill Buckley, as he demonstrated such witty erudition, that when it came to his own well being, he was just an ordinary American, who couldn't help but eat and drink the regular Standard American Diet---SAD.

Well, much as even an old cynic like yours truly is getting "hopeful" about the possibly radical election results this cycle, just wandering around in public is quite enough to mellow me out.

Take good care of yourselves, in all ways, since this country indeed still is rich enough to provide more than an adequate amount of goods.

Besides, everybody who has ever lived has died, so what true use is politics?

Wilfred| 10.6.10 @ 10:17PM

"Baghdad Bob" made a fool of himself in front of all the world in 2003 during the 2nd Gulf War, not in 1991 during the 1st.

Yosemeti Sam| 10.7.10 @ 1:56AM

And taxing piracy was traditionally rewarded by the - yardarm!

Katie| 10.7.10 @ 8:00AM

President Obama's policies have created a probability of a double dip recession of "over 100%"??????

Sorry, probabilities range from zero to 100%. There is no such thing as a probability of "over 100%." This error detracts just a tad from the author's effort to present himself as knowledgeable about economics.

carnot| 10.7.10 @ 9:24AM

ummm...hyperbole?

Norseman| 10.7.10 @ 10:47AM

This is the best that you can come up with? How about if you get off your high horse and try and refute these facts instead of deflecting the debate.

AMT idiOts| 10.7.10 @ 8:13AM

I've got news for any of you that are not parasites sucking the financial lifeblood out of that corpse also known as the good ole US of A. A lot of you people are going to see a 20+% increase in your income taxes THIS year since our inept Congress and Obama (a.k.a. "the idiOts") did not renew the AMT exemption from $45K to $71K (which they did do for 2009, BTW.) My own tax bill for 2010 will go up by 22% over what it otherwise would have been this year since the idiOts did not pass the higher AMT extension. For all you class warriors,my wife and I make well south of $200K (let alone $250K). Half of my next dollar of income is now hit with income taxes at the margin (48%). Why kill myself and why hire more people at my company with disincentives like this?

Norseman| 10.7.10 @ 10:20AM

"If the impending tax rate increases become reality, we will see a full scale capital and currency rout worthy of the banana republic that President Obama is making out of America."

Exactly what Obama is intentionally trying to do. What is sad are the amount of Kool-aid drinkers that are going along with the nonsense. I hope and pray that the Dims get routed next month and we can begin to reverse this devastating attack on our way of life.

Charles Cipolla| 10.7.10 @ 10:25AM

He says this as if it were a good thing...

"I go on to explain in the Broadside how Reagan and the Republicans actually abolished income taxes for the poor and the "working class," and almost completely abolished them for the middle class, defined as the middle 20% of income earners, specifying exactly what taxes were cut and when to accomplish this, again before President Obama was even elected."

And thus it was the Republicans who sowed the seeds of our doom. When the poor, the "working class", and large segments of the "middle class" pay no taxes, they have no stake in the system. That group is almost a statistical majority.

Government services have become rights bestowed by ever entrenched establishment politicians of both parties.

Thankfully they don't vote in large numbers, but they will when we smaller government types start tinkering with the system.

Isoroku Yamamoto is credited with saying he feared he had "awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve."

Just wait until you start trying to take away their "free s-hit" from the government. They'll vote, all 47% of them.

Unless the vast majority of Americans are paying directly into the system they will never have enough interest to make any significant change to the status quo.

mulp| 10.7.10 @ 3:27PM

"To believe the new tax plan will work, you have to believe:
1. Increasing taxes creates jobs - even though it never has in the history of our republic."

Hmmm, let's look at 1982 through 1984:
09/03/1982 Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982
01/06/1983 Highway Revenue Act of 1982
04/20/1983 Social Security Amendments of 1983
08/12/1983 Railroad Retirement Revenue Act of 1983
07/18/1984 Deficit Reduction Act of 1984

The record is Reagan took office with unemployment at 7.6%, cut taxes and over the next 16 month unemployment soared to 10.4%, and then after the above tax hikes went into effect, unemployment decreased to 7.6% and Reagan won reelection for repeating the record of Carter in taking office at 7.6% and four years later unemployment was back to 7.6%.

Reagan hiked taxes several more times - Bruce Bartlett called Reagan's tax hikes the largest in history, and he was part of Reagan's team.

The 90s boom followed tax hikes by both HW Bush and Clinton, needed to recover from the real estate and stock market bubbles popping in the late 80s creating even greater deficits - in the decade after Reagan took office, the Federal debt quadrupled, and doubled as a burden on the economy.

On the other hand, the worse decade of job creation has been the past one and it has been marked by tax cut after tax cut:
06/07/2001 Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001
03/09/2002 Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002
05/28/2003 Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003
10/04/2004 Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004
10/22/2004 American Jobs Creation Act of 2004
05/17/2006 Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005
02/13/2008 Economic Stimulus Act of 2008
10/03/2008 Tax Extenders and Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008
02/17/2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

At best, all those tax cuts created one-third the jobs created following the Bush-Clinton tax hikes, but then the bubbles popped an the decade ends up with tax revenue as share of GDP down by 25%, budget surplus turned into deficit, and the debt doubled, and in spite of the huge cumulative tax cuts, the economy is in the toilet like after the 1981 Reagan tax cuts.

mulp| 10.7.10 @ 4:11PM

"Over the past 40 years, every time capital gains tax rates have been cut, revenues have increased, and every time capital gains tax rates have been increased, revenues have declined, as fully documented in my Broadside."

Right, every time capital gain taxes have been cut, these cuts have triggered a real estate bubble, or stock market bubble, or both, as speculators pump and dump to "wealth" paying the reduced capital gains taxes. Then the bubble pops, as in the late 80s with the stock market an real estate following the Reagan cuts to cap gains, or in NASDAQ's bubble that popped in 2000 following the Republican Congress 97 cut to cap gains taxes, and the 2007 bubbles created by the Bush cap gains cuts in 2003.

In 2000, $7 trillion in market cap was lost in a few months, and in 2007 more than $7 trillion in real estate value was lost, plus trillions more in the stock market, but you can't deduct those losses from your taxes quickly, but only over years, or even decades - lose $30,000 in the market and you get to deduct $3000 a year from ordinary income for a decade; lose $60,000 and it takes 20 years. But if you make $60,000 in one year, you pay the tax all at once.

CalMark| 10.7.10 @ 5:31PM

You apparently also logically-indefensible, emotionally demagogic economic arguments. You also apparently like socialism and high taxes.

So...tell you what, mulp: go live in Europe.

You won't be missed here. Honest. Just go.

subblya dubya| 10.9.10 @ 8:58PM

you go live in Europe you unamerican moron

Bennet Cecil| 10.7.10 @ 6:31PM

Regardless of what the marginal rates are in 2011, all Americans will soon pay a flat inflation tax. The dollar lost half of its purchasing power between 1974 and 1983 to "pay for" the great society and Vietnam war. We will suffer major stagflation soon. We have stagnation now, and when investors dump US debt and US stocks inflation will soar.

Scubbysteve| 10.8.10 @ 9:48AM

What the hell here is a surprise to anyone? Did you really think all this money could just be tossed around and taxes not go up? Get your head out of the sand. I wish you had gotten it out of the dark place BEFORE this fake aonvert to Christianity HAD gotten ELECTED. So, suck it up and enoy YOUR change.

Critical Listener| 10.8.10 @ 9:59AM

Sorry I can't stay and play...I have to go to my second job so that I can hopefully make enough to pay my taxes. Oh...so, you are a die hard Democrat....well maybe you need to get a job so that when you get your first paycheck stub....you will know what everyone else is talking about.

November elections:
EXECUTE
(choose one or both)
1) Your right to vote out...
2) As traitors to the US Constitution...
EVERY
INCUMBENT

If you or I did not follow our employers requests / wishes...we would be fired and out of a job.....time to treat the idiots in Washington like incompetent employees!

Brian Jacobs| 10.8.10 @ 12:04PM

A Republican house does not need to override a veto.

Attach an Obamacare repeal provision to an omnibus appropriations bill and let him veto it if he dares.

In the alternative, we just stop spending taxpayer money.

Obamacare Delenda Est

Popofhs| 10.8.10 @ 3:25PM

Folks,

There will be no tax breaks. Let's face it - we are an have been in a recession and instead of addressing the tax hikes this coming January, this congress has spent, spent, and spent. They are not even taking up the tax issue until after Thanksgiving. Obama will blame the republicans but Reid and Pelosi won't even bring it up for discussion. The libs on the left want tax hikes for all. Should the reps win one or both houses in congress the moderate libs who survived won't want to pass tax cuts because they know that the O will veto any tax bill put forth by republicans that doesn't play class warfare - and this is what they want because his 4 years - or perhaps 8 has put a lot of libs "life-long" power-grabbing jobs at risk. We are a republic yet the O is trying to turn us into a social democracy - and that will be our ultimate undoing. The tea party is great - but they are a little too late - too many lemmings a sleep at the wheel.

Uncle Fester| 10.9.10 @ 8:49PM

Reading these posts sends shivers down my spine. Words fail me but I'll try. How about: ignorant, uneducated, half-baked, conspiratorial, creepy, illogical, uninformed, dangerous, full of hate and hateful, partisan beyond reason. I can just see you now in your cammies infiltrating Washington with your guns and your Bibles shooting people dead in the street to prevent the new Hitler from destroying America by making people pay for the wars they once supported so enthusiastically. If America as we know it crumbles, your ignorance, hate, and violence will have will certainly play a part.

Richard Hudson| 10.9.10 @ 11:35PM

The Party Of WHINERS

Uncle Fester| 10.9.10 @ 11:58PM

Case in point. Thanks, Dick.

Kat| 10.10.10 @ 9:46AM

I'm definitely not one for more taxes however I'd like to know if anyone has an excellent plan to get this country back on track again. And I don't mean something nasty, get Republicans back in....what I mean is something worthwhile and works. If you all only have nasty things to say and not an excellent plan then perhaps some education might help.

Hortense| 10.10.10 @ 9:49AM

This can, and may be, fixed with one easy solution. Make Obama open his records and we will find he is not eligible to be president then all he did will be null and void.

After the election, contact your Reps and demand to see Obama's records! All of them!

pete k| 10.10.10 @ 10:09AM

so few people reading this will make all this and the comments irrelevant in real time america.

suck it up, tighten your pursestrings, and carry on!

weddingdress| 7.7.11 @ 5:29AM

can just see you now in your cammies infiltrating Washington with your guns and your Bibles shooting people dead in the street to prevent the new Hitler from destroying America by making people pay for the wars they once supported so enthusiastically. If America as we know it crumbles, your ignorance, hate, and violence will have will certainly play a part.