"it's amazing how much of this has evaded public conversation"

[babylonsister]

http://prospect.org/csnc/blogs/tapped_archive?month=05&year=2011&base_name=republicans_and_their_debthapp

Republicans and Their Debt-Happy Policies

Jamelle Bouie | May 23, 2011 | TAPPED


The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities revises its widely-used deficit chart to reflect the chief drivers debt since the beginning of last decade. The results are nearly identical:



Together, the Bush tax cuts -- and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- account for a huge chunk of current and projected public debt.

Relatedly, it's amazing how much of this has evaded public conversation over debts and deficits. With few exceptions, Republican scaremongering on the debt has come from lawmakers who wholeheartedly supported the offending policies. Both Paul Ryan and John Boehner voted for the Bush tax cuts, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Medicare Part D and deregulatory policies that contributed to the financial collapse. As director of OMB under President Bush, not only was Mitch Daniels chief advocate for the president's tax cuts, but he consistently lowballed the cost of the Iraq War, promising a $60 billion adventure instead of a trillion dollar quagmire. And now, we're treated to a host of Republican proposals that promise to increase debt over the next decade, cut taxes for the wealthy, and reduce the social safety net to tatters.

Actual budget seriousness has evaded the Republican Party for at least a decade, if not more, but this has yet to make a dent in the public consciousness. It's baffling.

[Cali_Democrat]

1. Yet Obama extended the Bush tax cuts....

...and is continuing to spend billions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Can we really consider these to be Republican polices only when Obama is supporting the same polices? This is why it was so vital to let the tax cuts expire. How can we attack Republicans on the deficit when the Dems pursued the same policies?

Now the resulting deficit will be pinned on Obama. I warned about this late last year....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x544299

*sigh*

[FrenchieCat]

2. That statement is so fucking twisted to deny the reality till it sounds like a GOP pundit said it...

Yes, the MIDDLE CLASS TAX CUTS were extended, and under these trying economic time, they needed to be....

and in order to get that done, Pres. Obama traded what he wanted for what the Republicans insisted on; for the Rich folks tax cuts to be extended as well. Pres. Obama had no choice but to agree, or else folks would have gone nuts in terms of what they would be paying right this minute, instead of what was negotiated.

As for the Wars, I believe that Iraq has shrunk by about 100,000 troups (and so the expense has been cut as well) under Obama in the 2.4 years he has been in office....
and after 8 years of Aghanistan under Bush...yes, Pres. Obama focused AS HE SAID HE WOULD, and Bin Laden is now dead.

But of course, reality don't mean shit when one has an agenda, if one can generalize without regard to the facts of the details.

Looking at this country and how folks do what you just did, makes me really kind of hope Republicans take it all over soon.....and then I'll just sit back and watch how fucked up everyone will really be feeling. So myopic folks are. They act like the Presidency is a fucking instant happy meal, and will cover up half of the facts just so they can fucking be right! How pathetic.

[AndiMer]

4. +1

[Curmudgeoness]

5. There is a time when you have to draw a line in the sand.

And allowing all tax cuts to expire would have been the way to go on this. Obama should have yelled like hell about keeping the middle class tax cuts in place and letting them expire for the wealthy. And if the Republicans did not want to do that and continued on the course they had chosen, the whole pile of shit could have been dumped in their laps. As it is, the OP is correct. This will all be pinned on Obama. I do not believe that we should have made a deal with the devil on this. And I have no doubt that if we would have allowed all tax cuts to expire because the Republicans would not play ball with us, then they would have had so much grief over it that they would have caved. The wealthy are few, and have few sympathizers. The middle class is a huge voting bloc that they do not want to stir up.

Instead, we have an ever increasing debt that will bite the Democrats in the ass. You know that the Democrats will be blamed for this debt mess. The Republicans are already doing it, and the noise from them will not lessen. This will be their battle cry to take over.

[FrenchieCat]

7. What you are saying is for political expediency that would have brought you satisfaction,

and in the meantime, far as you're concerned,
Pres. Obama was supposed to say fuck the middle class and the unemployed....."ain't my fault"?

Fuck that.

Easy to say what you are saying based on what happened already.
but I know based on experience that if the opposite was true,
and Obama would have allowed the middle class tax cuts to expire,
you'd most likely be saying the exact reverse of what you are saying here.
Super convenient for you....but fortunately, Pres. Obama's decision was not only about you, but instead, about you and me and millions of others.

[Curmudgeoness]

9. That is not what I am saying. I am saying

that the Republicans are talking big, but in the end, if the tax cuts expired for everyone, the uproar would have been against them and they would have made a correction. That is what they do best. They talk really big about what is not negotiable, and when the polls show they are screwed, they reverse themselves. It would have happened that way, I am sure. But we will never know that. I do not believe for a minute that all tax cuts would have expired and they would have stuck to that.

And you do not know what I would have said if the tax cuts would have expired, so do not try to second guess me. In fact, I am willing to paid taxes that are needed to protect this country and the social policies that we have. I was one who was not against the expiration of the tax cuts for all of us, it was the right thing to do. Those cuts should never have been instituted in the first place. So don't think that I would have been whining or slamming the president if they had expired.

[polmaven]

13. Does that apply

to allowing the unemployed to simply swing in the wind as well? You do know that the extension of UI benefits was likely the first consideration of why the president agreed to the extension for the tax cuts, right? Or do you simply not care about that?

[Cali_Democrat]

6. The fact remains that the tax cuts were extended

Actually it would've probably been best to let the tax cuts expire altogether. People would be unhappy, but sometimes tough choices need to be made in trying economic times. Clinton did this in the 1990's and the impact on the deficit was dramatic. Tough and unpopular choices need to be made for long term gain. Short term pain, long term gain.

As for Iraq and Afghanistan, their impact on the budget is undeniable which was the subject of the OP. We are still spending huge amounts of money there regardless of the troop draw downs.

How can it be possible to attack Republicans for being fiscally irresponsible when the same policies are currently being pursued?

[Hell-A Liberal]

8. +2

[polmaven]

12. Say it, Frenchie....

Thank you!

[CakeGrrl]

3. Do you remember WHY he did that?

It's misleading to state it like it was an isolated act of choice on the part of the President instead of CORRECTLY pointing out that he did it to keep the Republicans from yanking unemployment benefits out from under the long-term unemployed if they didn't get SOME nod to tax cuts in return.

How to avoid blackmail like that? Get Republicans out of Congress.

But don't act like Obama is supporting Bush policy.

[AndiMer]

10. Kick

[steve2470]

11. k&r nt

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

14. Thank you so much for this!! THANK YOU!!! Bookmarking thread for later... n/t