Obama: GOP Holding Tax Cuts "Hostage"

Updated at 5:42 p.m. ET

President Obama is applauding two Republican senators who voted for a small business bill and says he'd welcome that kind of cooperation on the divisive issue of extending tax cuts for the middle class.

Mr. Obama thanked Republicans George Voinovich of Ohio and George LeMieux of Florida for voting to move the bill closer to final passage. Speaking in the Rose Garden after a Cabinet meeting Wednesday, Mr. Obama urged lawmakers to approve an extension of Bush-era tax cuts for middle class families making less than $250,000 a year.

Mr. Obama says Republicans should stop holding those tax cuts "hostage."

"They want to hold these middle class tax cuts hostage until they get an additional tax cut for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans," Mr. Obama said. "We simply can't afford that."

Republicans are insisting that tax cuts be extended for higher-income wage earners, too. Taxes for everyone will rise next year unless Congress acts.

More Tax Plan Coverage

Obama on Middle Class Tax Relief
Boehner Back on Message over Bush Tax Cuts
Senate Republicans Have Plan for Tax Cuts
Democrats Divided Over Obama Tax Cut Plan
Senate Republicans Vow No Tax Hike on Rich
Obama Says His Policies Have Stabilized Economy
Geithner Welcomes GOP Support for Tax Plan
The Feed: Tax Cut Compromise?

[mgsorens]

Wow! Earth to CBS. There was no filibuster or an attempted filibuster or even a threat of a filibuster on the small business bill! There is no bill yet written to extend the Bush Tax Cuts.

So, how the heck can the headline be "...GOP Holding Tax Cuts "Hostage"?"

[jayroy007]

Obama is not cutting taxes...he's thinking about extending the BUSH TAX CUTS...Obama would take credit for a warm turd after a stray dog passed him if he could claim it was a new fertilizer.

[JustYourAverageReader]

This will be a test of the old "money talks" - or not. I think if the tax cuts are extended for the "middle class families making less than $250,000 a year" and not those above that, this will show that the majority speak. If not, it will show that those who voted against it or wish to extend for those above $250K, may just be considering loss of campaign donations rather than consideration of the troubled majority. Hopefully we get a role call on this. Please all do write to your legislators.

[starving1968-3]

by Empire--George September 16, 2010 4:36 PM EDT
by starving1968-3 September 16, 2010 4:30 PM EDT

Yo, don't flatter yourself.....If I didn't have proof of one of my opinions, I would tell you that it was an opinion and not a provable fact.....frankly, Starvin' Marvin' I stopped providing proof of anything to you, the moment you rejected every proof I've provided so what's the point. if every source I provide will be discredited or not sufficiently liberal according to you sychophants.






It's not hard to discredit Beck or Limbaugh, since they spout mostly BS. Your problem is that you repeat their easily debunked nonsense, and I sit here looking at actual proof from government websites, quotes, or whatever. You attempt to parrot liars, and HATE when you get called out on it.

That's why you can't offer any substantial backup to your obviously false statements.

[slappy-jones]

And why he always runs from the tough questions.

[maxketter]

no barak your the 1 holding the tax cuts hostage. Your statement alone scares the taxpayers of this country. "I know better ways to spend that money". Time to take a vacation and come back in 2013 to the new incoming president because you are the Worst president in 100 years

[010sonny]

Glenn Beck defining progressive as though it is a negative entity as he does with the word socialism. Continues to retard to past examples without expressing how to benefit from the observations of past agendas and how to apply them in the present for beneficial opportunities.
Socialism, I fail to comprehend his problem other than his abilities to properly define it as he fails with the terminology of progression. Society by its existence prescribes to socialism as their means of interrelating. All societies incorporate socialism! Road ways, Police, Military, Fire Dept, and so on and so on.
His idea of progression? What $700 billion more to the Elitist with your socialism taxes?
The man is a walking contradiction!
Now Rove.. A Busch remnant of financial failure is now one of FOX?s elite! This people follow as their source of wisdom?
Article exemplifies historical passages of how particular scenarios where addressed and acted upon for what they considered as the most efficient means of evolving this government. Making and correcting errors as they progressed. Just as of today. To learn from this and apply what we have learned from history is only logical if it is for a progressive evolution. To infer that what we must retard back to agendas that were not efficient to the continuation of the societies evolution is illogical. World and exterior entities have come and gone. Consideration as to their effects on our society is demanded of those in the present to ascertain future development of society. Its relation and means to compete with foreign competition is to take in the state of all forces that are in interrelation. Consider the demise of Monarchies from 1789 [French Revolution] through to WW1. WW2 the solidification of the demise of Monarchies. Empires, and ideologies of illiberal structures, presented with their demise as forthcoming. Note fall of Berlin wall as the acceptance of communist that their system failed. They are now seeking to encapsulate the liberalism of international free trade which promotes democratic scenarios and agendas. World of today has and is evolving to a point of unification through the processes of liberalized markets. War becomes unprofitable! Education, health and financial stability will be the determining factors as to the positions the various competitors will acquire to hold power. Thus; this is not the time to retard to a small government or laggard positions.
Advancement, forward progression is the moral imperative for the future, if we are to have a say in it.

[010sonny]

Dear nmmrng; No not markets that promote liberalism but the other way around. Liberalism of free markets promotes democratic ideologies. Example North Korea and or Cuba when faced with starvation they allow free markets to pick up the slack. Then dictators know that a free international market would destroy their monarchy principles they reign them back in as the free markets begin to produce more than their system can compete with. Democratic evolution then becomes the standard required ideology for distribution of services. History has exposed the failures of monarchies, dictatorship, communist, imperialism and so on. Not that we should let our vigilance down for there are forces that will seek to raise an ideology for their own personnel benefits. Evolution is at present advocating democratic principles through liberalized free markets.
As populace gains education, their values will change from ?I live to work. --- I work to live? Again advocating that distributions of wealth and benefits will in time advance to an equilibrium. That is not to say that all will be equal. Their will be divisions. The only true equalizer that we can come to realize is death.

[apuan777]

If we get rid of income tax, a lot of debate goes out the window and the government can't control our unfair tax system to meet their spending.

[apuan777]

Only a Democrat would think that tax adds to debt!

[bigmac456]

The headline is deceptive. There are no tax "cuts" offered by anybody here. We're talking about maintaining the status quo or increasing taxes for the "wealthy", which is mostly made up of small business owners. Nobody, including Obama, believes this will help the economy. But who cares, he'll blame Boehner next year.

[Lifeson2112]

If a tax rate goes up, that is a tax increase by definition. Obama is trying to raise taxes. Whether it be by inaction and letting the previous cuts expire or just by outright raising them, he is trying to raise taxes.

[slappy-jones]

by Nmmrng
The HCR is just raising cost on everyone who is already paying for insurance. My family's premium has already been raised this year by about a $1,000.

=========

Exactly WHO is responsible for that?? I'll give you a hint: not HCR.

[slappy-jones]

Ahh - so you admit it's actually your insurance company raising the rates on you.

Who cares what excuse they use? They are just excuses.

[slappy-jones]

Explain how it "only made it worse" and contributed to your $1,000 premium raise.

So place the blame where it belongs - your insurance company.

You really are doing very poorly this morning.