I remember watching John Boehner on CBS's Face the Nation a few weeks ago saying he would not oppose extending the middle class tax cuts without the rich ones included, if that is what came to the floor. I could not believe my luck - did I really just hear that? Bob Schieffer clearly wondered the same thing, and asked him directly if he heard directly. He asked three separate times, and each time Boehner was very clear that he would not oppose extending tax cuts for the non-rich, although it is not his preference, all Americans, blah blah blah. At the time, I blew a kiss to the teevee and said, Thank you, you gave the Democrats a gift for November -- get the middle class stuff through and make the Republicans fight for the upper-class cuts (which are actually on the income you make over the high amount, not on the whole income) as a stand-alone. Thank and Praise the Lord, I said.
What an idiot I was.
The point of my first diary ever is that I am wondering whether a hard-core, grassroots push to the Democrats would actually move them to push this issue. I believe firmly, as do many of you from the posts and diaries I see, that this is a winning issue for the Democrats and that they are not following through because of the more conservative members (such as my senator, Ben Nelson).
That said, two things need to happen in the short-term or nothing is going to happen. Democrats would lose out on voters that would move our direction if they did the right thing here. This is something people can wrap their heads around (unlike, say, health care reform).
One - the people who can pull the levers have to get this message; and 2) the message should be that we will donate to them and support them -- or show some enthusiasm if you will - in an immediate and obvious way if they will move this to the floor and act on it. They need to use a bully-stick on their members if necessary on this one. But if they do, and they get this done, we will donate immediately - like within 24 hours - to certain groups, people, whatever. I have no idea how to organize or communicate such an idea, but I would be willing to donate more money than I really have to them if they would just get this done before the election.
Would you be willing to flash-donate to candidates/groups/organizations if the Democrats could get this done? I would settle for getting through at least one of the two bodies of Congress and I would donate to only them, of course.