Tuesday, December 20, 2011

When Does a Vote For a $1,000 Tax Cut Become A Vote for A $1,000 Tax Hike? Only In the 10th Dem World of Fuzzy Campaign Math (UPDATED x2)

So, you might ask, since when is holding out for a $1,000 tax cut instead of settling for a $167 tax cut actually a vote to raise taxes on middle class families by $1,000?

You might want to ask Democratic congressional hopeful John Tree.

From a John Tree e-mail asking for $10 for his campaign fund to defeat that horrible, tea party sympathizing Bob Dold:

Friend,
 
It's unbelievable.  In the midst of this very tough economy, Congressman Bob Dold voted this morning to raise taxes on middle-class Illinois families.
 
On Saturday, the U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly - Democrats and Republicans - for a bipartisan compromise on the payroll tax cut and extending unemployment benefits.
 
Congressman Dold could have shown some courage and broken with the Tea Party crowd that runs the House Republican leadership and voted for a bipartisan payroll tax cut extension. Instead, Dold voted to raise taxes on middle-class families by an average of $1000, just in time for the holidays.



Really, Mr. Tree? Let's read Congressman Dold's explanation of this vote:


Dear Friend,

As you may have heard there is a debate going on in Congress today about extending the payroll tax cut for working American families. The President asked Congress for a one year extension on the payroll tax cut and that is what I supported. Last week the House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation that provides a one year payroll tax cut and protects seniors' health care for the next two years by ensuring doctors in the Medicare program don't have their reimbursements cut by more than 27 percent. The Senate in turn passed a measure to cut taxes and protect seniors for only the next sixty days. I voted today to take this bill to conference to work out the differences.  

Under the House plan an American worker making $50,000 is certain to receive a tax cut of $1,000 next year. While under the bill passed by the Senate on Saturday that same worker would only be guaranteed a $167 tax cut. Another feature of the House legislation is a pay freeze for congressional members. The Senate didn't include this key provision in their bill. 

Now the Senate is refusing to take the bill to conference to work out the two sides differences and is refusing to come back to Washington before the end of the year.


Hmm... I guess you, the voter, can take a look at the position taken by each campaign and decide who you are going to support. That's what makes our Democracy great. But, I would suggest to you that Tree's position that not supporting the Senate's temporary $167 tax cut is not the same as voting for a $1,000 tax hike. It's much more logical to use that same logic against Tree's position and point out that the Senate, if they did nothing more, would be supporting a $833 tax hike for the year, compared to the House cut of $1,000. This kind of disingenuous manipulation of the facts is something that most 10th District voters are smart enough to see right through.

By the way, I went over to the Tree website to see what his press release on this issue stated, and I noticed that Tree has completely reworked his biography to make his relationship with his current (second) wife and the parentage of his children clear. I can only assume this is in response to our previous post questioning his original vague language on the subject, since Tree brought it up on his website in the first place.

While you have to give Tree credit for tacitly admitting his misleading language by fixing it to address our concerns, I do have to say that such actions only encourage me...

UPDATED: The Daily Herald spoke to Congressman Dold and asked him if the vote to have a formal negotiation with the Senate on the payroll tax issue was a political "punt." According to the DH:

He said "absolutely not."

"I think what we don't want to do is say we're going to do (the payroll tax extension) for two months." He called that "a punt" instead.

The article continues:

Dold said he's spent time talking to Kirk - his predecessor in the 10th Congressional District in northern Cook and Lake Counties - about the deal.

"We have notices that we are ready to come back at any time," Dold said.

"It is the right policy because one of the lessons of Europe is that you can't run retirement security programs without contributions to retirement security," Kirk told C-SPAN. "Seniors have enough to worry about as it is without the Congress voting on a bipartisan basis to undermine contributions to Social Security."

UPDATED x2: Seems like Greg Hinz at Crain's is drinking the Dem Kool-aid on this one.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

The House of Representatives voted to extend the payroll tax holiday for an entire year, while the Senate voted to extend it only 2 months. Congressman Dold voted to extend the payroll tax for an entire year, while presumably, Brad Schneider and John Tree would have voted to extend it only for 2 months. Thus, the appropriate question to Tree and Schneider is: why would they support a 2 month extension over a 12 month extension if they so strongly believe that payroll tax holiday is critical for job growth?

Anonymous said...

Because there is a controversial pipeline tied to the bill.
A pipeline the GOP is trying to ram down the throats of Americans (without much publicity) especially those whose backyards may be affected.

Anonymous said...

The pipeline is in both bills, sweetie.

Now that you know this fact, I urge you to try to answer this question again:

why would John & Brad support a 2 month extension (that included the Pipeline provision) over a 12 month extension (that included the pipeline provision) if they so strongly believe that payroll tax holiday is critical for job growth?

Don Castella said...

Many analysts have pointed out that a two-month extension is entirely unworkable and just a talking point by Dems who think they can use it to falsely ridicule Republicans.

Anonymous said...

Don, you have identified the only logical answer to the question. Dems prefer a 2-month extension to a 1-year extension because they like to fight this issue. The ywould rather score cheap political points than do whats' right for America. There is no honorable reason for them to prefer a 2-month extension.

Of note, JOhn Tree and Brad Schneider jumped all over this despicable talking point, but Ilya Sheyman has remianed silent. I think it is because of the three, only Ilya actually cares about people, while the other two merely want to play politics.

Dold is a whiner said...

Boehner wanted a compromise. Reid and McConnell worked out a compromise and passed it w/ about 90 bipartisan votes in the Senate.

Now Boehner and Dold want to move the goalposts. Again.

Stop whining GOP.

If this tax cut was for millionaires y'all would be fighting tooth and nail to extend it like you did last year.

But this is for little people in the middle class so instead Dold and the GOP play games.

PS -- Not even GOP states out west like Nebraska want that toxic sludge piped through their backyards. And if the GOP was really so worried about energy-sector jobs why do they keep trying to slash green tech funding which would employ many times more Americans than 1 pipe??

You guys just ooze hypocrisy don't you.

No wonder your approval ratings are plunging while Obama's are going up.

Dold is a whiner said...

Don and Don's friend: The GOP forced the 2-month extension on the Dems.

GOP had several chances to vote for a 1-year extension but kept fighting it.

Boehner wanted a compromise. Reid caved in and worked w/ McConnell on the 2-month compromise.

And about 90 Senators GOPs and Dems voted for it.

Now the Tea Party and Dold are trying to move those goal posts. Again.

Dold is a whiner said...

Ha ha!

Even the right-wing Wall Street Journal is blasting the Tea Party in the House.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/la-pn-house-gop-payroll-tax-cut-extension-20111221,0,4741549.story

Y'all need to stop playing games and ignoring facts.

Reality has a tendency to bite you in the rear.

Anonymous said...

The Dems do a lot of name calling, but none of the rabid name callers can answer this question:
Why would someone support a 2 month extension (that included the Pipeline provision) over a 12 month extension (that included the pipeline provision) if they so strongly believe that payroll tax holiday is critical for job growth?

Anonymous said...

Why do that not have an answer to the question, because the only answer is that the Dems are more interested in futhering political battles than passing legislation that will create jobs. It is so simplpe, and with time more and more people will understand this. I suspect that Harry Reid will send in his negotiators when he senses that the American public is catching on to his political games. Probably after Chirstmas.

Dold is a whiner said...

Funny.

Nobody here calls anyone names.

Grow up.

Hey the words "Keystone Pipeline" are "mentioned" in both bills. Whadda ya know.

But you really need to stop lying by pretending that both bills are the same when it comes to forcing Republican states to host the toxic pipeline when they don't want it.

The Tea Party House bill that anti-environment Dold voted for tries to let the House play the part of President by forcing the Keystone Canada-to-China pipeline to be built.

We have 1 Commander-in-Chief. We don't need 435 more.

On the other hand the Senate GOP-Dem compromise just says they'll talk about compromising on it which is what Boehner said he wanted to do in the first place.

But that was last week.

Now suddenly y'all went back on your word.

Whiners.

Riddle me this: why did Boehner say he didn't want a 1-year extension then said he did then said he wanted a few months for a time-out to "compromise" now says he doesn't.

What's next?

Will the Tea Party demand a tax cut for millionaires paid for by a tax hike on the middle class?

I wouldn't put it past you cats.

Then Dold can vote against it before he votes for it like he does on every hare-brained Tea Party idea.

Dold is a whiner said...

Harry Reid already negotiated with Mitch McConnell after John Boehner threw a hissy fit last week and demanded this compromise.

The negotiations are done. Boehner got what he wanted.

Now suddenly he's reneging on the negotiation just like he's been doing all year long.

Even the Senate GOP and right-wing rags like WSJ are getting fed up with the House Republicans childish antics.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204791104577110573867064702.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

Anonymous said...

To show how absolutely delusional he is a guy who calls himself "Dold is a Whiner" claims that he is not calling anyone names. Dude, all I want you to do is answer the question below, and the longer you do not, only proves more and more that the 2-month Senate band-aid bill is all politics no substance.

Why would someone support a 2 month extension (that included the Pipeline provision) over a 12 month extension (that included the pipeline provision) if they so strongly believe that payroll tax holiday is critical for job growth?

Dold and Anonymous Are Whiners said...

Why would someone support a 2 month extension (that included the Pipeline provision) over a 12 month extension (that included the pipeline provision) if they so strongly believe that payroll tax holiday is critical for job growth?

Ask John Boehner and the House GOP why they proposed that compromise.

Ask Mitch McConnell and the Senate GOP why they voted for it.

Ask right-wing rags like the Wall Street Journal why they are backing the 2-month compromise.

As for the Senate Dems they quite plainly said they voted for it in order to give Congress (both Dem and GOP) more time to compromise on the full extension.

That was all already answered in national media. Ain't my fault you aren't willing to read.

And the quip about nobody here calling anyone names was sarcasm since y'all enjoy coming up with classics like Pup and Communist.

For how big a joke the Lake GOP has turned itself into you'd think its biggest whiners would get sarcasm.

Dold and Falbe Are Whiners said...

Hey Falbe. Wall Street Journal drank the Senate GOP (or is it Dem) KoolAid too.

Oops on you.

Team America said...

Everyone's entitled to their opinion.

Even you.

That is, at least on this blog. Most folks don't get as fair a shake on the left-winger blogs.

Anonymous said...

So, the answer to the question as to why you prefer a 2-month extension to a 1-year extension is because we need more time to negotiate.

Why not negotiate right now? Nothing is preventing a reconcilliation on this issue. All that has to happen is for Harry Ried to send his team over to iron out the differences.

Why does it have to be in February, why can't we do it right now and do whats' right for the American people.

"Dold is a Whiner" you have no real answer because there is no real answer except that it is in the Democrats best political interest to have political conflicts than real solutions that can help our country recover economically.

Anonymous said...

greg hinz lives in boystown, he is a democrat to the left of obama why dold is kissing his ellen is beyond me.

I really think dold made a huge mistake in not hiring any of the chiefs or even some of the stronger braves from the team kirk tribe to run his tribe and teach his people how to hunt, fight, and build teepees. He's not doing enough to court/suck up to the independents and democrats that vote republican who Mark was so good at stealing from the democrats. He sounds too much like a generic republican (in competitive districts you're not supposed to follow conference talking points) running in a district like hultgren's and not enough like a game changing cross over vote getter in the mold of a kirk or an olympia snowe.

On the plus side he's running against 4 incompetent amateurs-which helps.

Merry Christmas and happy kwanza.

FOKLAES

Anonymous said...

foklaes. maybe the dems are tired of the indiangiver repubs saying they want a compromise and then pulling out the rug at the last minute EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

now even the senate repubs are tired of it to.

Anonymous said...

i think its funny that you kids are spinning even harder the lower the tea party goes.

can't you see thru your own bs?

Dold and FOKLAES and Anonymous Sweetie Are Childish Whiners said...

FOKLAES
-or is it Shore?
-or is it Lil Fokker?
-or is it Goodman?

Just wondering.

You gave your buds a good LOL w/ this quip "why dold is kissing his ellen"

But you forgot all the Anonymouses decided there's no name calling allowed anymore. Anonymous sez so. Sorry buddy.

You see Lil Fokker they are all growed up now so they have no use for your childish name calling.

Then again Anonymous hasn't explained why she's childish enough to lie about a toxic pipeline that not even Republicans want in their own states. Or why she's childish enough to support anti-environment Toxic Bob Dold when he goes and votes to kill green technology w/ more jobs while also voting for toxic dirty fuels w/ fewer jobs.

Why is that sweetie?

Toxic Bob Dold is a whiner said...

Anonymous Sweetie Sez ""Dold is a Whiner" you have no real answer because there is no real answer except that it is in the Democrats best political interest to have political conflicts than real solutions that can help our country recover economically."


You nailed it!

GOP ideas for asinine compromises like this are indeed in the Dems' best political interests.

Here's hoping that you and the Tea Party and Toxic Bob Dold the Pipeline Promoter keep up your whiny lame-brained antics.