Did people bother to read what Obama was proposing before they voted?

[Peacetrain]

There seems to be so much angst the last few days about everything Obama is doing or not doing.

The latest is the tax cuts for the wealthy. Obama was running on letting them expire. To read some of the post here and on the front page, you have the feeling some did not understand that. That somehow Obama has lied to them.

Now Obama has done everything he ran on. Now if you disagree with what he ran on, that is a different story. But Obama so far, is doing exactly what he said he would do.


(June 2008)
(Reuters) - The U.S. presidential election in November will be a contest between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.



http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN0342387320080604

Following is a summary of their tax and budget proposals:

TAXES

McCain would continue President George W. Bush's 2001 and 2003 tax cuts that he initially opposed. Those tax cuts are set to expire at the end of 2010. He advocates cutting the corporate tax rate to 25 percent from 35 percent and he would allow businesses to immediately write off capital expenses.

McCain advocates a simpler tax system with two tax rates and a generous standard deduction. He would double the deduction for dependents to $7,000 to help those trying to raise a family, and phase out the alternative minimum tax, which threatens to ensnare millions of middle class taxpayers along with the wealthy.

He has proposed a suspending federal gas tax during the summer.

Obama would let tax cuts for the wealthy expire. For the middle class, he proposes a $500-per-person tax credit, or $1,000 per family, to offset payroll taxes. He would eliminate taxes for elderly people making less than $50,000. He advocates simplifying the tax-filing process.

[SnoopDog]

1. This is from Obama's Agenda...

"Reversing' to me means a proactive response - not letting the tax cuts expire.


The Obama-Biden Plan
Barack Obama has been a strong advocate for sound budget practices and the reduction of wasteful spending in Washington. He is committed to fiscal transparency and accountability and ensuring that all new tax cuts and spending commitments are paid for without burdening our children and grandchildren with excessive debt. As president, Obama will fight to modernize government policies to secure and expand the middle class. He will keep taxes low for middle class and low-income families while also making the necessary investments to grow the American economy.

Restore Fiscal Discipline to Washington
Reinstate PAYGO Rules: Obama and Biden believe that a critical step in restoring fiscal discipline is enforcing pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) budgeting rules which require new spending commitments or tax changes to be paid for by cuts to other programs or new revenue.
Reverse Tax Cuts for the Wealthy: Obama and Biden will protect tax cuts for poor and middle class families, but they will reverse most of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest taxpayers.

[dkf]

3. But why actively reverse it when you can let it expire?

Its like spoiling for a fight when you don't need to have one.

[SnoopDog]

7. Because...

We need the money now to pay for those 'new jobs for building schools and roads and for new energy sources'...

[dkf]

8. I bet tax revenue will be in a free fall anyway.

And who has capital gains? Those are gone.

Increasing taxes will freak out Wall Street when it really doesn't need to collapse more than 50% thank you.

[SnoopDog]

11. Are you assuming most of that revenue is from capital gains?

The upper management folks receive wages too - those people making $250k and greater...

[dkf]

13. Increasing it by 3 percentage points...is that really the fight we want

to have?

If we pass it in 2009 when will it take effect anyway? Are these things retroactive? If not it will take effect in 2010, same thing. One year...3 percentage points. Big huge ideological fight and accusations of being a marxist. Not worth it.

[Peacetrain]

14. SUCH a GOOD point dkf...

It actually is a matter of months between budget proposals and the tax cuts expiring. Why waste all our ammo when we need every big gun we have for health care and Iraq troop pull down. Besides he said he was going to let them expire. That was what he and McCain were going hammer and tongs about. He has not broke his word yet, why start with this :)

[Peacetrain]

4. Yes, that is what is going to happen

The tax cuts will not be renewed. McCain ran on renewing those cuts, and Obama ran against it. The time frame from Obama's first budget proposal going in and the tax cut expirations is a matter of months.

He is not going to have them put back in for reconsideration and extension

[Uzybone]

5. You must be new to politics

word games are the name of the game. Its why republicans can call letting tax cuts expire as tax increases.

[SnoopDog]

9. Oh, really...

Thanks - I was just born yesterday and already can type on the typewriter connected to the TV.

Sorry, Word games or not - this sounds like Obama's first broken campaign promise - something I was 'hoping' he would not do.

'Yes we can' fool the people...once again.

(And just to be clear - I do have hope in Obama - he is not even president yet and I will wait till he is - I will do what ever I can to help - and I will criticize him when I feel it is right).

[Cleita]

2. I did, which is why I voted for neither him nor Hillary Clinton until

he was the last candidate standing and I had to vote for him. Of course the issue that makes it or breaks it for me is health care not taxes. That being said, I'm not surprised with his choices. They probably will backfire on him in some ways, but I have faith he will learn on the job because he is intelligent and seems honest and will put this country back. I dunno within a year, I feel some of those players today will be replaced with others more suitable to bringing America back to it's former lost status or least somewhere better than where we are today.

[Peacetrain]

6. Yep he has not done anything so far that he said he would not do.

Health Care is going to be a battle and a half. I think he is saving his reserves for that battle and Iraq troop pull down.

[Dawgs]

10. Uh, my argument is 'quit the crying until he actually becomes President'.

I'm sick of these wackos crying about some stupid thing that Obama himself never said.

[JDwho]

12. Yo? Did I miss Obama's innauguration?

[gblady]

15. it's so frustrating....

...but I guess, it's also the fun....
of spending time reading the DU banter...

People just want to believe what they want to believe.
To Hell with the truth of the matter.

This is what he has been saying all along, allow them to expire in 2010...
...said it over and over and over...

the media is doing a spin to get folks riled...
...mission accomplished here at DU...

[JDwho]

16. Exactly. No one has been misled.

Perhaps they didn't pay attention to the finer details. But, the tax breaks will certainly expire, and that's only one of the things we have to look forward to...

[Deemers]

17. Yes

I think pretty much every voted was educated this year...via the media.

[NashVegas]

19. Who Has the Time to Pay Attention to Details

When there were Primary flame fests to be had, and later fun to be had with Palin?

[Peacetrain]

20. True gblady, true it is part of the banter.. but it drives me bazonkers

some days :hi:.. I want to come in and say "google is your friend" about ohh.. three or four times a day, which is how many times I will check in and read articles.

~sigh~since I first heard him in July of 2007 in Iowa, that is exactly what he has been saying, and how our own side can get itself so lathered up with misinformation.. ayyyy yiii yiii

[alwysdrunk]

18. A lot of DUers heard what they wanted to hear

People here act like he promised to take all of the wealth of the rich and start doling it out on Jan 21st.

People here hear what they want to hear a lot now that I think about it.

[Peacetrain]

21. Yep, and then if you point that out, you are stifling dissent

:banghead:

how dealing with facts is stifling dissent is beyond me,

[Clio the Leo]

22. I wish I could set my watch to him, he's been that reliable.....

... I realize it's EXTREMLY early in the game, but so far, so good.