Unfair but balanced commentary on tax and budget policy, contemporary U.S. politics and culture, and whatever else happens to come up
Friday, October 29, 2010
Video of the NYU Forum on extending the Bush tax cuts
Here it is, more than an hour long but not without some amusing moments. Includes brief commentary on 1980s vs. 70s and 90s pop music, and on rejecting science versus rejecting arithmetic.
You made an excellent point regarding the game of chicken between Republicans and Democrats. It will be interesting to see how this game plays out given the new No Compromise platform by some members of the Republican Party. I wonder if some Democrats are thinking to themselves they can quietly get a compromise on a spending program in exchange for a tax cut.
One point that went unmentioned was the Republicans success at blaming the Democrats for "letting The Bush Tax Cuts expire." Why isn't there any finger pointing at the Congress that passed EGTRRA, particularly the Senate, for making the tax cuts temporary instead of permanent. Some commentators suggest there could have been circumstances that would have led to 60 votes in the Senate.
Public ignorance about the insider details is so great that Democrats got the blame for Republican obstructionism. So no surprise that they succeeded in painting expiration of the tax cuts as a Democratic plot to raise taxes (which WSJ editorials, for example, pretty much expressly said).
You made an excellent point regarding the game of chicken between Republicans and Democrats. It will be interesting to see how this game plays out given the new No Compromise platform by some members of the Republican Party. I wonder if some Democrats are thinking to themselves they can quietly get a compromise on a spending program in exchange for a tax cut.
ReplyDeleteOne point that went unmentioned was the Republicans success at blaming the Democrats for "letting The Bush Tax Cuts expire." Why isn't there any finger pointing at the Congress that passed EGTRRA, particularly the Senate, for making the tax cuts temporary instead of permanent. Some commentators suggest there could have been circumstances that would have led to 60 votes in the Senate.
Public ignorance about the insider details is so great that Democrats got the blame for Republican obstructionism. So no surprise that they succeeded in painting expiration of the tax cuts as a Democratic plot to raise taxes (which WSJ editorials, for example, pretty much expressly said).
ReplyDelete