Tom Harkin: Fiscal Cliff Deal 'FALLS SHORT' For Middle Class Families

[bvar22]

5. THATS what I'm talking about.

Simply NOT giving the Republicans everything they want
is NOT a VICTORY.
That does NOT move the ball back to The Left.
It keeps inching it to The Right.

Where IS the Democratic Vision??!!!

If the Democrats had put some Democratic Positions On-the-Table,
I would be more than happy to start the Horse Trading.

As it stands, the Democratic position is:
How Much do we give the Republicans?

This is a shamefully pathetic position from which to Start the Dealing
considering that the President & The Democratic Party WON a HUGE Popular Mandate in November.
The Party leadership has set the table, and any "DEAL" at this point will only benefit the Republicans.

I hate to be the guy saying this,
but we are better off at this point if the Democrats do NOTHING.
The last 60 days have been a Monumental Fuck Up by the Democratic Party Leadership.
Wasted Days & Wasted Nights.

What Obama and the Democratic Party Leadership FAILED to do over the last 2 months was to put a Democratic Party Vision for the Future On-The-Table.

Instead, the Whole Fucking Debate is about what the Republicans want to do,
and How MUCH Obama is going to let them do.

This is NOT a "VICTORY" for a President who WON in November with a MANDATE from the People.
NOW, if Obama meets Boehner 1/2 Way to Plan B,
THAT will be touted as a WIN.

WHERE is the DEMOCRATIC PARTY VISION for The FUTURE?
THAT should have been On-the Table on Day ONE, the focus of all the TV Talking Heads and the focus of the National Dialog,
NOT Boehner and Plan B.

Things like:
*Lowering the Retirement Age to 62

*Raising the CAP

*EFCA

*Stop Federal Funds to Private Universities,
and DOUBLING or TRIPLING the funding for Public Universities

*Forgiveness of Student Loans

*Stop Subsidies to Oil Corporations

*MORE regulation of Wall Street

*EXPAND Medicare

*MASSIVE Jobs Programs, a la Republican President Dwight Eisenhower

*Medicare? allow Medicare to negotiate prices with Drug Companies

*Transaction Taxes for Stock Trades

*VAT Taxes or 15% Tariffs for Imported Manufactured Goods (like Europe)

*Fair Competition Regulations (Sherman Act)
that let Mom & Pop (small locally owned businesses) compete with WalMart
(Big Boxes) on a level playing field

*Not JUST let the Bush Tax Cuts expire, but go back to the Pre-Reagan Tax Rates

ALL that and MORE should have been put On-the-Table on DAY ONE.
THEN say to Boehner and the Republicans....
"OK. NOW lets talk compromise."

As it stands NOW,
with ONLY Losses for the Democratic Party possible in any "deal",
I say, NO DEAL,
and weep over another Missed Opportunity.

Oh what could have been.


[font color=firebrick size=3][center]"If we don't fight hard enough for the things we say we stand for,
at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them."
--- Paul Wellstone[/font][/center]
[center][/font]
[font size=1]photo by bvar22
Shortly before Sen Wellstone was killed[/center][/font]

[font size=5 color=firebrick]Solidarity![/font]