Fine tuning economic plans, 99 days before the election

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(CBS News) All Americans can agree the economy needs repairing, but how to do so is a different story. As Election Day draws closer, Republicans are focusing on working with small businesses while Democrats are talking about building up the middle class rather than the wealthy.

The House this week plans to vote on a pair of tax plans that will illustrate that divide: The GOP-led House is likely to pass a proposal to extend the Bush-era tax rates -- for everyone -- through 2013. It's expected to reject a plan that passed in the Democratic-led Senate last week to extend the tax rates for individuals making less than $200,000 per year and couples making less than $250,000 per year.

After last week's Senate vote, House Speaker John Boehner called the Democratic plan a "small business tax hike." But 99 days out from Election Day, Democrats see this as a prime opportunity to attack the GOP for what they say are misplaced priorities. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is releasing new online ads today targeting 23 GOP House incumbents on the issue, charging them of supporting millionaires over the middle class.

"Republicans want to give you, the millionaire, another tax break--all while charging seniors $6,000 more for Medicare," a narrator says in the ad, referring to cost projections of the House GOP's Medicare reform plan.

In addition to running the ads, the DCCC held "Middle Class First" grassroots events in 19 congressional districts over the weekend.

Democrats point out that, according to recent polling, the public is on their side of the issue of tax cuts. However, a Gallup poll suggests their message may not be so politically powerful: Given a list of 12 policy priorities, voters list "increasing taxes on wealthy Americans" as the least important. Creating good jobs is the most important, followed by reducing corruption in government and reducing the federal deficit.

As Democrats campaign on recalibrating the tax code, they'll point out to voters that the Bush-era tax rates were a significant contributor to the deficit. "Under House Republicans' plan, the rich would get richer, the middle class would pay the price, and the deficit would grow," DCCC Chairman Steve Israel wrote in a memo to Democratic candidates last week.

While Democrats focus on tax equity, Republicans see a more potent political message in promising to foster small businesses. Mitt Romney's presidential campaign and the Republican Party are still hammering President Obama for recent remarks that the GOP says undermined the hard work of American entrepreneurs.

"If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help," Mr. Obama said earlier this month. "There was a great teacher somewhere in your life... Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business -- you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen... The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together."

Romney and Republicans have focused this snippet of Mr. Obama's remarks: "If you've got a business -- you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen."

The Romney campaign released a new web video on Monday that features a small business owner from Ohio. "What we need is a leader who truly understands -- truly understands -- how business works," the business owner says in the ad.

Hitting on the same theme, the campaign is holding 18 "We did build this" events on Monday in 12 key states: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

[marychgo]

The GOP's "we're for small business" pitch is SOOOO phony. They CLAIM they're talking about small business owners who file as S corporations, with their businesses' profits shown as part of their gross income. But 97% of S corporation filers have Adjusted Gross Incomes BELOW $200,000 single/$250,000 filing jointly -- only 3% of these "job creators" would face higher taxes under Obama's plan.

The businesspeople the Romney campaign brings forward as surrogates make it clear just how phony the Republican meme is. Just about every example they've introduced either is much larger than what most of us think of as "small business" or built their business on government contracts or benefited from local or federal assistance in building their business. I have no problem with small businesses getting help from the rest of us...but I DO resent it when those who are profiting from that help insist that "I DID build that!" and imply that the rest of the sentence is "all by myself!"

[occupy_cbs]

Exactly! The only small business owners that willard romney and the republicans want to help, are the top 3% making millions -- certainly not the vast majority of the 97% of small business owners!

[occupy_cbs]

OK conservatrolls -- obviously we have a big difference in opinion of just who to extend the bush tax cuts to, that never created any net jobs over the past decade, or gave us higher than an average 1.7% economic growth rate -- very anemic to say the least.

But.....

We do agree that making an environment that creates jobs, will grow the economy and more people will be working and paying into the system, which also means less people on unemployment and food stamps.

So tell me, just why are the republiCONS being total obstructionists when it comes to job creating legislation like Senate Bill 3364 that 42 Senate republiCONS blocked from passage?

That would end tax breaks for companies offshoring jobs (they should never have them in the first place GOP) and give those tax breaks to companies bringing jobs back to America from overseas!

Or better yet, add the stipulation that any company creating jobs here in America gets and additional tax break!

[occupy_cbs]

Yeah_Its_Me: "he's missing the many many years that the GOP littered the tax code with loopholes for their friends."



Yes, like the tax loopholes for corporations offshoring jobs that they don't want to rescind now, since Senate Bill 3364 would fix that nasty problem the anti-American republiCONS gave us!

[occupy_cbs]

stormerF69: "SO when the largets corporations move over seas..."


Again, YOUR republiCON talking points are no different than "addicium's" republiCON talking points, since U.S. corporations are ALREADY OVERSEAS -- just like GM making and selling cars in China, since it's the biggest market in the world!

GM sells more vehicles in China than in the U.S. today! Live with it! It's a global market and has been for some time!

[occupy_cbs]

Hey stormy -- turn off the fox political network in order for you to sound at least a little bit intelligent!

[occupy_cbs]

As a matter of fact stormy, the republiCONS have been giving the largest U.S. corporations tax breaks for offshoring those middle class jobs!

[stormerF69]

For 3 years we have heard from the Democrats that the BUSH tax cuts do not work,now they work because it is an election year? Never heard so much hogwash in my life,yet Obama and Hillary can not wait to give our tax dollars to the Muslem Brotherhood terrorists.

[occupy_cbs]

FACT: We had 10-years of the bush tax cuts during the past decade, and it gave us an average 1.7% economic growth and a zero-net job creation record -- of course the bush tax cuts did not work.

If the bush tax cuts had worked just HALF as well as touted by the conservative heritage foundation stink tank, we'd be at full employment now and economic growth would be 4-5%. It's not!

[sjc_1]

That is just flaming B.S.

President Obama extended the Bush tax cuts for the rich in exchange for unemployment benefits extensions. The Republicans ruin the economy so that we need unemployment benefits extensions and then hold them hostage in exchange for tax breaks for the rich that already have a TON of money.

[TimeIsNowfor99]

Occupy, customerx, sic, yeah

You should start to post off of yahoo on case you don't already. Usually have many people who could benefit from learning a thing or two about reality. Post site works better than here also.

[occupy_cbs]

LOL! Yahoo is full of ignorant conservatrolls posting nothing but bigotry and hatred!

[sjc_1]

Thanks for the tip, but I like it here. NBC will have 1000 comments in a few hours. You sort of get lost in the crowd and the noise.

[TimeIsNowfor99]

There seems to be hope yet. Based on many of the responses that I am reading here, people are taking the time to seek out and understand the truth. It is not about Conservatism vs Liberalism. It is about politicians on both sides of the aisle catering to serve the highest bidder and then try to mask it a so etching else than that. Our best in 2012 is to clean the slate. Maybe even vote for Stein as President. Cleaning house in Congress is more important in 2012 than who wins the Presidency. Seek the truth. Drop the bipartisan bickering. It is a mere distraction of the true task at hand. Clean house. Get the right people to get integrity back in our government. Repair the leakage already done via the numerous Bills are legislative changes. Then, after all that, we can debate which political ideology should guide our future. Pointless now to do that because both sides are corrupted and have lost their way.

[occupy_cbs]

addicium: "corporate tax rates in the US are the highest in the world. It is well documented.....




............................................................that the largest U.S. corporations making billions in U.S. profits are paying little or no taxes with the current corporate tax code.

Your republican talking points have grown old and moldy!

[stormerF69]

SO when the largets corporations move over seas because we have the largest tax on profits and reinvestment money they are lying? Your koolaid drinking is way out of control.

[occupy_cbs]

stormerF69: "SO when the largets corporations move over seas..."


Again, YOUR republiCON talking points are no different than "addicium's" republiCON talking points, since U.S. corporations are ALREADY OVERSEAS -- just like GM making and selling cars in China, since it's the biggest market in the world!

GM sells more vehicles in China than in the U.S. today! Live with it!

[occupy_cbs]

seabass6251: "Obama picks and chooses who he gives tax breaks to while running up our federal debt"




Hmmmmmmm.......it appears as if you should take a night course in civics, in order to understand that tax breaks and spending are only done by congress -- not the President -- and the current drivers of our debt are lowest revenue in decades and the military-industrial complex spending that was quadrupled under bush/cheney in 8 years!

[Yeah_Its_Me]

And he's missing the many many years that the GOP littered the tax code with loopholes for their friends. Even letting lobbyists write them! Wonder how GE got a multi-million dollar tax break in '04. Well St. Nick didn't bring it to them!!

[occupy_cbs]

"he's missing the many many years that the GOP littered the tax code with loopholes for their friends."



Yes, like the tax loopholes for corporations offshoring jobs that they don't want to rescind now, since Senate Bill 3364 would fix that nasty problem the anti-American republiCONS gave us!

[occupy_cbs]

Why did all but two republicans in the Senate, vote against Senate Bill 3364 on July 19, 2012, that would have eliminated incentives for companies to move jobs overseas and create incentives to bring jobs to the United States from overseas? It was blocked by 42 Republicans; only Scott Brown and Olympia Snowe voted with Democrats to advance it.

Under current law, companies can deduct the cost of moving people and equipment overseas from their taxes. S. 3364 would have eliminated that deduction, and created a new 20 percent tax credit for all costs associated with moving overseas jobs back to America.

Why do republicans hate America and middle class Americans?



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seabass6251: "How was SB 3364 going to pay for itself?"
=====




While we can all agree that the republican congress NEVER paid for anything, and put everything on the credit card, but you're worried now about it?

It's really easy though, if you look at Senate Bill 3364, the new 20 percent tax credit for all costs associated with moving overseas jobs back to America, can be offset by ending those tax credits by those multi-nationals still offshoring job for cheap labor abroad.

Very simple!

[occupy_cbs]

occupy_cbs: "YOU are a little ankle biter, that only annoys and needs a good swift kick! Go read Senate bill 3364, and come back and tell us why republicans are not anti-American by blocking it!"


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DJ_32_1205: "OK I understand the bill, but how am I anti-American?"
=====




You really cannot understand English, and must have a terrible reading comprehension problem, since I clearly stated that it was the Senate republicans that were anti-American for blocking Senate Bill 3364.

You're not in the Senate, and while most of us believe you're a good little republican flunky, you didn't have the chance to block Senate Bill 3364.

Now, tell us why your party filibustered the bill that would have changed the tax code, and benefited patriotic American companies.

[occupy_cbs]

Under current law, companies can deduct the cost of moving people and equipment overseas from their taxes. S. 3364 would have eliminated that deduction, and created a new 20 percent tax credit for all costs associated with moving overseas jobs back to America.

Why do republicans hate America and middle class Americans?

[sjc_1]

DJ

It is logic, they are Republicans LIKE you, but they are anti American because they favor tax breaks for sending jobs out of the country. LIKE you BUT...there is the difference.