OBAMA'S FOURTH ATTEMPT..

OBAMA’S RECYCLED PROPOSALS IS HIS FOURTH ATTEMPT TO INJECT HIS REJECTED POLICIES INTO THE DEBATE OVER AMERICA’S DEBT

White House Officials Acknowledge That Obama’s Tax Proposals “Will Look Familiar Because They Have Been Previously Proposed By Obama.” “The other $700 billion, the officials said, would come from other changes in tax law. Many of those measures, they acknowledged, will look very familiar because they have previously been proposed by Obama.” (George E. Condon Jr., “Obama Proposing $1.5 Trillion In New Taxes,” National Journal, 9/18/11)

The Plan Is Obama’s “Fourth Package Of Deficit Reduction Ideas This Year” And “Is Unlikely To Pass As Proposed.” “While some pieces of Mr. Obama's plan may be agreed upon, Congress is unlikely to pass the package as proposed given Republican resistance to tax increases. Instead the plan marks the White House's opening salvo in negotiations over the next two months on how to reduce the deficit. It is the president's fourth package of deficit-reduction ideas this year.” (Carol Lee and Damian Paletta, “New Obama Deficit Plan,” The Wall Street Journal, 9/19/11)

• “‘I Think This Is Less 'Let's Be The Grownups In The Room And Start At The 50 Yard Line,' And More 'Let's Start On Our Side Of The Field’,’ Said Jared Bernstein, Former Economic Adviser To Vice President Joe Biden.” (Carol Lee and Damian Paletta, “New Obama Deficit Plan,” The Wall Street Journal, 9/19/11)

“On Capitol Hill, It’s Unclear How Seriously Obama’s Speech Will Be Received.” “On Capitol Hill, it’s unclear how seriously Obama’s speech will be received. Even Congressional Democrats were not given much advance notice, and the super committee’s job of finding at least $1.2 trillion in savings is difficult enough without voices from the White House tipping the delicate balance Democrats and Republicans must strike to avoid serious across-the-board discretionary cuts.” (Meredith Shiner, “Obama To Make $4 Trillion Pitch To Cut Deficit,” Roll Call, 9/18/11)

“Many Congressional Democrats … Say There Is Little Chance They Will Be Able To Support The Bill As A Single Entity, Citing An Array Of Elements They Cannot Abide.” “President Obama anticipated Republican resistance to his jobs program, but he is now meeting increasing pushback from his own party. Many Congressional Democrats, smarting from the fallout over the 2009 stimulus bill, say there is little chance they will be able to support the bill as a single entity, citing an array of elements they cannot abide.” (Jennifer Steinhauer, “Some Democrats Are Balking At Obama’s Jobs Bill,” The New York Times, 9/14/11)

The Nashua Telegraph: Nearly Two Years After The First Stimulus Failed “The President’s Response Is To Simply Offer More Of The Same.” “Americans were led to believe previous stimulus packages – the official initial bailout of 2009 and the more discreet payouts layered in the 2010 budget deal – would bring the unemployment rate to within a whisker of 8 percent. Nearly two years later, with the rate stuck at above 9 percent and no sign of improvement, the president’s response is to simply offer more of the same.” (Editorial, “Few Fresh Ideas In Obama Jobs Bill,” The Nashua Telegraph, 9/18/11)

Special Taxes For Millionaires Have Been Repeatedly Rejected

“In A Bit Of Political Salesmanship” Obama Will Name The New Principle After Warren Buffett Who Insists The Wealthy Pay Lower Taxes Than Middle-Income Workers. “Mr. Obama, in a bit of political salesmanship, plans to call his proposal the “Buffett Rule,” in a reference to Warren E. Buffett, the billionaire investor who has complained repeatedly that the richest Americans generally pay a smaller share of their income in federal taxes than do middle-income workers because investment gains are taxed at a lower rate than wages.” (Brian Knowlton And Jackie Calmes, “Republicans Call Obama’s Tax Plan ‘Class Warfare,’ The New York Times, 9/18/11)

• “The Proposal Could Invite Scrutiny From Some Economists Who Have Disputed Mr. Buffett’s Assertion That The Megarich Pay A Lower Tax Rate Over All.” (Brian Knowlton And Jackie Calmes, “Republicans Call Obama’s Tax Plan ‘Class Warfare,’ The New York Times, 9/18/11)
• Former Clinton OMB Director Alice Rivlin Said Of The “Buffet Rule” That “The Way To Fix The Tax Code Is To Fix The Tax Code, Not To Add Another Complication At The Margin.” (CNN, “State Of The Union,” 9/18/11)

2009: “Obama Endorsed A House Committee's Plan To Fund Part Of The New Program By Imposing A Surtax On Families Making Over $1 Million A Year …” (Josh Gerstein, “President Obama Backs Millionaire's Tax,” Politico, 7/23/09)

2010: The Senate Defeated An Attempt To Create A Millionaire’s Tax Bracket. “Senate lawmakers then defeated a separate attempt by a vote of 53-37 to raise the threshold for middle-class tax cuts to $1 million and then extend that tax level permanently.” (Corey Boles, “Obama Signals Openness To A Tax-Cut Deal,” The Wall Street Journal, 12/6/10)

• Democrat Senators Durbin, Feingold, Harkin, Lieberman And Rockefeller Voted Against The Measure. (S.Amdt 4728 To HR 4853, Roll Call #259: Motion To Invoke Cloture Rejected, 53-37, D 53-4, R 0-32, I 1-1, 12/4/11; Durbin, Feingold, Harkin, Lieberman And Rockefeller Voted Nay)

2011: In July, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) And Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) Voted Against A Defeated Motion That Would Have Expressed The Sense Of The Senate That Millionaires Pay Higher Taxes As Part Of A Deal On Deficit Reduction. (S. 1323, Roll Call #108; Motion To Invoke Cloture Rejected, 51-49, D 49-2, R 0-47, I 2-0, 7/13/11,; Nelson And Pryor Voted Nay) Source: www.gop.com