fairfaxdude Wrote:
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> I too, was hoping for a centrist focus, and
> naively hoped he could pull the bi-partisanship
> promises off. He did call the leadership in,
> listened, gave em cocktails, dinner....and they
> DISSED him. basically told him to just go fuck
> off.
He did this once or twice. His effort looked promising, but Pelosi and Reid stuffed it. They all have inflated egos and the blame does not rest squarely with Boehner and Cantor.
>
> At some point, he had to get to work (as if he
> hadnt been running things since November, while
> Dubya played "monkey in the middle" and hid from
> view).
I would agree to some extent. But his mind-numbing travel / speech schedule bothers me.
>
> Im no huge fan of the Pelosis and Reids either,
> but when you have utter douchebags like Boehner
> and Cantor leading a fevered daily anti-Obama
> charge, at some point you gotta say FUCK EM and
> get on with the day.
>
> Actually, Im not even sure I get the
> "not-centrist" arguement, since his budget that
> just got passed was effectively the same one Dubya
> projected ( plus several hundred billion in TAX
> BREAKS). Yes, TAX BREAKS. and btw, Lil-Bonehr on
> TV talking about the "Republican Budget
> Alternative" was the biggest political joke of
> post-election coverage. What a fucking dolt!
Most of those tax breaks are farcical for the average WORKING Joe. Like the whopping $800 less that you will pay a year in withholding. Oh and by the way, those revised withholding tables will haunt you next April. The business tax breaks like depreciation acceleration are helpful, but they are only a deferral. Once Bush's cuts expire in 2010, all these small business owners whose choice of entity is an LLC or partnership, are going to have the rug pulled out from under their feet. Especially if Obama is successful in limiting the tax benefit for itemized deductions to a 28% rate. He has added lots of credits, but you generally have to spend money on capital improvements to get those. I'm not sure how many people will be able to take advantage of them. Don't even get me going on ALT MIN tax. Odds are, you paid it this year. It is always interesting to see how "tax breaks" affect the alt min tax ... quite often they don't ... you're still paying it. Also, if you look at his budget, take a gander at his increase in excise taxes. They will nickel and dime everyone. Not just the rich. What we need is a serious tax code overhaul. Obama has unfortunately made it that much more difficult for the average individual to prepare his own taxes.
He is going to increase non defense government spending. I doubt anyone really doubts this. I tried to find a reasonably partisan article and I think this just about qualifies.
http://www.cato.org/pubs/tbb/tbb_0311_55.pdf
and I like this one too
http://www.cato.org/pubs/tbb/tbb_56.pdf
>
> Im just thinkin out loud here...what IF the
> Lil-Bonerhs and Cant-counts of the Republican
> party actually HAD an idea....other than traveling
> all the way to Arlington VA to hold a town hall
> mtg? We can only imagine.
Indeed.