Obama to "raise" taxes on the middle class...

[southsider2k5]

Drudge uses overly dramatic headlines to draw attention to minor articles. I reference the headline that Obama's people were going door to door in Texas to take guns. The story was about law enforcement looking for Mexican gun runners.

 

The article's title might have been overstating the facts.

 

I have to laugh at you saying that, and looking at your signature.

[Jenksismyhero]

Short of completely unfunding our operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and eliminating all discretionary spending, or ending Medicare, there really isn't much choice.

 

Come on, he has no choice? How about getting out of Iraq/Afghanistan like he promised he would do? How about reforming Medicare/Medicaid entitlements, revamping welfare, etc. There's a ton of spending he could cut, it's just not a popular thing to do.

[HuskyCaucasian]

I have to laugh at you saying that, and looking at your signature.

There is a difference between a movement/idea and deliberately misleading article headlines.

But this is a conversation for another day.

 

(Additionally, the signature will be updated soon because I got an e-mail on Saturday saying the site is closing down next week)

[Balta1701]

Come on, he has no choice? How about getting out of Iraq/Afghanistan like he promised he would do? How about reforming Medicare/Medicaid entitlements, revamping welfare, etc. There's a ton of spending he could cut, it's just not a popular thing to do.

Revamping Welfare? Um, they did that 10 years ago.

 

Getting out of Iraq? That'll be done this year.

 

He promised to "Win" in Afghanistan, not to get out of it.

 

We've been told that reforming Medicare/Medicaid = Nazism and Communism and so we're not allowed to do that and it can't possibly save money no matter how many studies say it will.

 

The idea that there's a lot of un-cut discretionary spending out there is a flat out myth that pols use to get elected every cycle because it's easy to believe that the money being spent that I don't directly see myself is wasted. About the only place that's true is in the DOD, and as we all know, defense spending doesn't count.

[BigSqwert]

He cut NASA spending.

[BigSqwert]

And inherited a record deficit.

[Balta1701]

And inherited a record deficit.

Which is still smaller than it should be.

 

The long-term deficit problem continues to be the fact that health care spending is going up at 3-5 times the yearly rate of inflation.

[Rex Kickass]

Come on, he has no choice? How about getting out of Iraq/Afghanistan like he promised he would do? How about reforming Medicare/Medicaid entitlements, revamping welfare, etc. There's a ton of spending he could cut, it's just not a popular thing to do.

 

How many Republican votes you think he would get for revamping Medicare/Medicaid?

 

 

[Balta1701]

How many Republican votes you think he would get for revamping Medicare/Medicaid?

Frankly, I don't think he'd get any of their votes for it if he followed their policy exactly and tried to end the whole thing.

[Jenksismyhero]

If the alternative is raising taxes then I think it's an easier sell. I mean, I forgot the Republican party is just a bunch of hillbillies who act by the word of God and can't think for themselves, but I'd imagine most would be in favor of cutting costs in national programs versus having to pay an extra 5% or more in taxes...

 

I also find it hilarious that you guys don't think there is wasteful spending in government that can be cut, and that all of his spending has been/will be justified. Obama is the messiah though that can do no wrong.

 

[BigSqwert]

I see you received your daily edition of Fox news talking points.

[Jenksismyhero]

Yep, cause only conservatives do that!

[NorthSideSox72]

LOL at the premature Drudge bait.

Figures. As I pointed out, it contained at least a couple, and maybe many, factual errors. It was also highly slanted. It was basically an editorial piece.

 

 

[BigSqwert]

The news service Reuters withdrew a story last night titled "Backdoor taxes to hit middle class" after the White House reached out and pointed out "errors of fact."

 

The story, which claimed the White House's deficit reduction plan relies on raising taxes against the middle class by allowing tax cuts to expire, was withdrawn at about 8 p.m. Monday, according to Yahoo timestamps. The original story ran at 4 p.m. The withdrawal promises a replacement story later this week.

 

"The story went out, and it shouldn't have gone out," said Courtney Dolan, a spokeswoman for Reuters. "It had significant errors of fact."

 

She would not elaborate on the specific errors, but said Reuters will "address those specific points that were incorrect."

 

"The White House did contact us and point out errors of fact," she added.

 

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

 

The story was running at the top of the Drudge Report's front page this morning (here's the archived page) until White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton tweeted about the withdrawal:

FYI - Reuter

s

ha

s

withdrawn the

s

tory at the top of the Drudge Report. Chec

k

it out here:

http://bit.ly/cy

k

iPJ

Minutes later, Drudge added a link to the withdrawal.

 

The story, written by Terri Cullen, claims that allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire will hurt the middle class.

While the admini

s

tration i

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focu

s

ing it

s

propo

s

al on eliminating tax brea

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s

for individual

s

who earn $250,000 a year or more, middle-cla

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familie

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will face a

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lew of the

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e bac

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door increa

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e

s

.

Cullen was hired as Reuters' wealth management editor this month. She had worked for the Wall Street Journal Online for 13 years, helping to launch it and then working as an editor and author of the "Fiscally Fit" column.

 

Her story also says middle-class families may have already been hurt.

 

"Millions of middle-class households already may be facing higher taxes in 2010 because Congress has failed to extend tax breaks that expired on January 1, most notably a 'patch' that limited the impact of the alternative minimum tax," Cullen wrote.

 

"Without annual legislation to renew the patch this year, the AMT could affect an estimated 25 million taxpayers with incomes as low as $33,750 (or $45,000 for joint filers)," the story continues.

 

LINK

[Jenksismyhero]

LINK

 

I'm interested to see how exactly this article is changed and what is wrong. Obama pledges to do certain things, that doesn't mean it's been done yet. As of right now the 4k lifetime education credit or whatever its called WILL end. Just because he's proposed to double that doesn't mean it's going to happen. She admits that pending legislation, these cuts will end. How is that incorrect?

[BigSqwert]

I'm interested to see how exactly this article is changed and what is wrong. Obama pledges to do certain things, that doesn't mean it's been done yet. As of right now the 4k lifetime education credit or whatever its called WILL end. Just because he's proposed to double that doesn't mean it's going to happen. She admits that pending legislation, these cuts will end. How is that incorrect?

 

So you're blaming him that the 4K credit is expiring? How is that his fault?

[NorthSideSox72]

LINK

Yeah, the AMT part is wrong as well, they already passed the patch. That article was truly garbage.

 

[Texsox]

I guess it depends on which brackets we're talking about here, but this article suggests it's going to include every tax bracket, including getting rid of the 10%. So, even if you make 40k, enjoy paying an extra 5% to the government to help pay for absolutely nothing.

 

 

Like paying for the Iraq war?

[Balta1701]

Like paying for the Iraq war?

Spending on Defense doesn't count.

[Jenksismyhero]

Spending on Defense doesn't count.

 

Clearly defense spending isn't going anywhere, but there are costs that can be cut within the defense/security budget. You hear stories all the time about the Pentagon ordering up planes/weapons that are never going to be used. Absolute waste.

[NorthSideSox72]

Clearly defense spending isn't going anywhere, but there are costs that can be cut within the defense/security budget. You hear stories all the time about the Pentagon ordering up planes/weapons that are never going to be used. Absolute waste.

Which Obama has proposed to cut, with the agreement of people at the Pentagon even, and the same Republicans in Congress complaining about government spending make a stink about it.

 

[kapkomet]

I have an idea. Let's fund billions into SEIU, NEA, etc. Then, let's propose that we cut everything else so Republicans look like assholes! YEA!

[Texsox]

Clearly defense spending isn't going anywhere, but there are costs that can be cut within the defense/security budget. You hear stories all the time about the Pentagon ordering up planes/weapons that are never going to be used. Absolute waste.

Yeah, it does suck when we don't have somewhere to use this stuff. Thankfully we have Iraq and Afghanistan for now.

[Y2HH]

Yeah, it does suck when we don't have somewhere to use this stuff. Thankfully we have Iraq and Afghanistan for now.

 

Planes are also used to deliver aid/food/resources to developing 3rd world countries in dire need.

 

Do you not want us to have planes so we can't do this?

 

Would you rather we let everyone starve to death in Haiti because having planes may mean they're also used for war?

 

 

You've been Texed.

Edited February 3, 2010 by Y2HH

[Balta1701]

Would you rather we let everyone starve to death in Haiti because having planes may mean they're also used for war?

How many F-22's are being used for Haiti relief?