The radicals, i.e. town meeting attendees, were out in force in Nebraska yesterday, asking one of their senators, Republican Mike Johanns, for
just a little bit of sanity. It was not forthcoming.
As the Lincoln Journal Star reported, “many of the loudest voices and waving fingers urged Johanns to include tax increases — particularly applied to the wealthiest Americans — as part of the solution to debt reduction“:
“The wealthy just hoard the cash.”
“The old tax rates worked well for the economy under Clinton.”
“Quit listening to the scare tactics, all the crap in the media.”
Jennifer Wendelin, who waited to be recognized by Johanns before voicing her opinion, said additional revenue has to be part of the debt reduction solution along with spending cuts.
“Big corporations and the rich have to pay their fair share,” she said after the meeting had concluded. “If we have to bite the bullet, they do, too.
“We can’t be forced to shoulder the entire burden,” she said.
For his part, Johanns “continued to oppose an end to the Bush-era tax cuts.
When Nebraska is waxing nostalgic for President Bill Clinton, you know that the entire country is ready for some smart economic policy. Nebraskans, like the rest of non-tea party America recognizes that this mess doesn't get fixed without real shared sacrifice.
Back in December, President Obama told the nation that he knew they had his back in fighting against extending the Bush tax cuts:
"Because the fact of the matter is, the American people already agree with me. There are polls showing right now that the American people for the most part think it's a bad idea to provide tax cuts to the wealthy.
"But the issue is not me persuading the American people—they're already there. The issue is, how do I persuade the Republicans in the Senate who are currently blocking that position? I have not been able to budge them.
He still hasn't budged them. As the above exchange between Johanns and his constituents shows, they will not be persuaded. They have to be forced. It's time for the president and for congressional Democrats to stand with the American people. If that means a presidential veto of a plan that doesn't include the end of the inequity in our tax system, so be it.
