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Pelosi to Obama: Repeal Bush Tax Cuts
Nancy Pelosi had a message for the president-elect today. The House Speaker wants the Bush tax cuts for wealthy individuals, which Barack Obama had been hinting he would let expire in 2010 rather than proactively repeal, gone for good -- and quickly.
"Put me down as clearly as you possibly can as one who wants to have those tax cuts for the wealthiest in America repealed," Pelosi told reporters in the Capitol today. On her way to her weekly press conference, she made the point more overtly to the Politico.
Repealing the cuts for those making between $250,000 and $300,000 per year and above would be Pelosi's preference. Looks like there's a new bargaining chip on the table for the stimulus bill.
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Good for you, Madame Speaker. I have always been disposed to like you, so if you wish to move in a fashion which will restore my ability to respect you, I for one will be pleased as punch.
That said, I have to say that while I have long thought the Bush tax cuts to be bad public policy, and therefore think that their rescission would be good public policy, that I cannot expect you are going to find a lot of enthusiasm in your ranks for this measure. That said, the mark of a real leader is that s/he makes such hard changes occur, so here's hoping you that you pull this off.
January 8, 2009 1:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think this is going to be a hard sell, but with all the concern trolling coming out of Fake Tan and Micky about the debt to future generations, this is an excellent time to talk about repealing tax cuts. It's only sensible, isn't it?
January 8, 2009 1:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Noooo... Haven't you heard? Those tax cuts actually make the deficit SMALLER by stimulating economic growth. It's the magic of supply side economics.
January 8, 2009 1:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
And if that argument won't fly, we'll start hearing about how the Democrats want a "class war", and why that would be very very very very bad for America.
January 8, 2009 1:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank heaven for those Bush tax cuts. We need more of the same. Without those tax cuts we'd be looking at trillion dollar deficits and a horrible economy right now.
What? Wait...
January 8, 2009 2:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sure, if this is a case of Speaker Pelosi heeding the maxim that "the best defense is a good offense," then my hat is off to her. I am not really voicing a criticism here, so much as a note of thorough-going astonishment.
January 8, 2009 2:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is "Fake Tan" your own original nickname for Boehner, or did you pick it up from someone else? One way or the other, I like it. :-)
January 8, 2009 2:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Co-sign. I've been trying to decide if his skin is actually a little darker than the PE's. :-)
January 8, 2009 3:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think I made it up--when I think of Boehner, that's immediately what I think. His skin looks like he bathes in that bad tan stuff that used to be around in the 70s.
I say "think" because it's also possible I read it somewhere but don't remember that experience.
(Gotta sneak cognitive psychology in whenever possible...)
January 8, 2009 3:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good for her. I've always thought she gets an unfair share of the opprobrium that really ought to go much more to the Week Reid.
January 8, 2009 1:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good on her. Between this and some of the things in the new House rules package that came out yesterday, I might have to start liking her.
January 8, 2009 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ditto, ditto, ditto and damn straight.
Stop worrying about the repugs, Barry - if you don't watch it, your allies are going to lap you on this.
January 8, 2009 1:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Finally Pelosi says something worthwhile.
January 8, 2009 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's my CongressSpeaker!
January 8, 2009 1:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bravo, Ms. Pelosi!
January 8, 2009 1:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
What's happening is that the GOP is saying no way on a stimulus bill >1 trillion dollars because it will leave the cost to future generations and Pelosi is saying well to help so that future generations won't have to pay as much is to repeal Bush's tax cuts.
Should be interesting to see what happens.
January 8, 2009 1:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Go Pelosi!
January 8, 2009 2:38 PM | Reply | Permalink