Before we rant and rave anymore, can we please look at the deal Obama struck by the numbers?
$360 Billion -- tax cuts on income under $250,000
$450 Billion -- unemployment and Obama's middle-class tax cuts
$120 Billion -- tax cuts for the rich Republicans wanted
By my math, $930 Billion total.
On the Republican side: $120 Billion.
On Obama's side: $810 Billion.
He got nearly $8 for every $1 he gave them. That's the deal he struck. A 2nd stimulus plan.
I hate the idea of extending tax cuts for the filthy rich. I can't believe Republicans would even fight for it, much less not have any shame about it. I think they should be strung up by their thumbs for us to throw rotten veggies and fruit at them, just for fun, they're so stupid and obnoxious.
But Obama (and many of us, I would guess) are worried about the economy. He had said we needed a second stimulus, but couldn't get anywhere with the Republicans on that. And he's worried about the unemployed, people who are barely hanging on right now.
Could he have gotten more? I don't know. None of us really knows.
But I bet if we'd let the Senate vote on middle-class tax cuts alone, let that go down, as it did, called the Republicans a bunch of dirty names, all well-justified, and then sent Obama in to negotiate with those heartless, Godless worms, if he'd come out and gotten this deal:
$8 for us to every $1 for the greedy bastards
We would have thought he'd won and won big. We would have celebrated. Hated the price, those rich people's tax cuts, but applauded the deal in the end.
All we missed was the name-calling and the fight, people.
He was two steps ahead of us, saw a chance to get a 2nd stimulus plan, and took it.
He made it look easy, like he didn't fight hard enough, because he doesn't call people names and pout and roar. But he did get the job done.
We wanted the fight. I understand. I'd like to blacken a few Republican eyes.
But 8-1 is nothing to sneeze at.
Numbers from an article in the New York Times
Before you rant and rave anymore, please, also, give Obama 4 minutes to explain why he did what he did. Video is HERE
As an added bonus, the link includes a form you can use to send your comments on the tax cut deal to the White House. So if you're still furious after watching the video, you'll be in the right place to complain.