I cannot believe that the Democrats still don't have adequate talking points on the issue of extension of the Bush tax cuts.
Republicans as usual are spewing nonsensical messages about business needing the certainty of keeping the same tax rates so that they can hire. If you spend even a few seconds thinking about this you can see how much one needs to stretch their imaginations for this to even make sense. I've seen bad sci-fi movies with more verisimilitude.
Yet, when Republicans spew their nonsense the Democrats seem to be at a loss in responding. Why? It's not like this issue snuck up on them. Why doesn't every Democrat have a cheat sheet with all the facts and figures showing that the Republican talking points are lies? Why don't they have some talking points of their own?
It amazes me how the current administration and the Democrats have looked so lame and pathetic on an issue where they should be cleaning the Republican's clocks. Yes, I blame the Obama administration the most as they are the face and the leadership of the Democratic Party.
Democrats should be stressing that we have a progressive tax rate. Millionaires enjoy the same tax rate as everyone else for income under $250K. The "middle class tax cuts" would have applied to millionaires as well.
Democrats should have called the Republican's bluff by putting up a bill which took the money being spent on the tax cuts for income over $250K and applied it to a bigger tax cut for those making under $250K.
Democrats should have facts that show that the majority of "small businesses which drive the economy" are unaffected by a tax increase on income over $250K. They should be pointing out that small businesses that are affected are the ones where the owner is pulling $250K out of his business in profits since taxes apply to AGI not salary. Democrats should be pointing out that we are talking about personal income taxes and big business and even incorporated small businesses are not affected.
To be honest, I'm at the point where I'd like to see Democrats grow a spine and refuse to pass any tax cut bill which contains tax cuts for the rich. Screw Obama and his negotiated nonsense with Republicans.