Senate and House GOP playing good cop/bad cop to block unemployment and payroll tax cut extension?

[Anonymous]

We know that only a few weeks ago, the GOP at all levels was against these extensions because they benefit the majority of the population as opposed to the 0.1% they work for and also because it would help avert (or at least reduce the impact of) the recession we are headed for in 2012 just ahead of the election.

Pardon me if I'm stating the obvious (or correct me if I'm wrong), but it seems to me like the Senate and House GOP agreed on a plan whereby the Senate Republicans would only agree to a two-month extension, so that the House GOP could then come back and say that, oh no, anything less than a year will short-change the American public, in order to make sure the measure should not pass in the end.

[Anonymous]

Any other time I would say you're right - on this one with the 89-10 split (or whatever) in the Senate, I think that the House has just gone off the deep-end and R Senators are pissed they voted on something that they may not be 100% behind for the sake of compromise only to have yahoo house members take them over a cliff anyway.

[takoma]

I agree with 11:25. Quite often, incompetence is to blame for what looks like conspiracy.

[Anonymous]

I think the house is a mess and the senate gop was acting responsibly.

I said it last summer. Boehner can't control his party. He's nor just using the tea Partiers for leverage. He honestly can't get them in line.

[takoma]

Anonymous wrote:I think the house is a mess and the senate gop was acting responsibly.

I said it last summer. Boehner can't control his party. He's nor just using the tea Partiers for leverage. He honestly can't get them in line

The odd thing here is that he doesn't need them. The Dems will vote for the Senate bill, and given how many Senate GOP voted for it, if given the option to vote as they wish, surely enough House GOP would join their Dem colleagues to pass it. It's Boehner's choice to play patsy to the tea party,

[Anonymous]

That would be true if this was the last time he needed them. Because it has the potential for party schism. Then he either steps down or resigns himself to a coalition of centrists which is not his personal political persuasion.

[Anonymous]

Obama = we NEED a year extension on the payroll tax holiday to prevent a great depression (or some such metaphor)
GOP House = okay, here is a year paid for with the Keystone XL pipeline

Dem Senate = no way Mr. President and GOP House, the best we can do is 2 months, take it or leave it.

Obama = we need a year

GOP House = (admittedly after mixed weekend signals) Ok Mr. President, we agree, 1 year is what is needed, this 2 month thing is the inability of the Senate to make hard choices.

Obama - I didn't mean a year, go for 2 months, I demand it of the GOP House...

Come on folks, both sides are complete buffoons in this process, and any attempt to blame one or the other side and hold their's blameless is totally propaganda and intellectual dishonesty.

[Anonymous]

^^ The GOP version was not paid for 'with' the Keystone XL pipeline, it was 'paid for' plus included the Keystone XL pipeline - in-artfully said in the original post

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Obama = we NEED a year extension on the payroll tax holiday to prevent a great depression (or some such metaphor)
GOP House = okay, here is a year paid for with the Keystone XL pipeline

Dem Senate = no way Mr. President and GOP House, the best we can do is 2 months, take it or leave it.

Obama = we need a year

GOP House = (admittedly after mixed weekend signals) Ok Mr. President, we agree, 1 year is what is needed, this 2 month thing is the inability of the Senate to make hard choices.

Obama - I didn't mean a year, go for 2 months, I demand it of the GOP House...

Come on folks, both sides are complete buffoons in this process, and any attempt to blame one or the other side and hold their's blameless is totally propaganda and intellectual dishonesty.

Spin, spin, spin wheel, spin, but you can't make reality out of nothing.

The House bill is failing because they loaded that thing up like Santa's sleigh full of their Christmas wishes. If this was about extending or not extending the payroll tax holiday - and that alone - we'd all be done.

Stop drinking the Kool Aid, your lips are purple and everyone can see it.

[Anonymous]

The republican are for taxes increases on the working people.

[Anonymous]

The tax and spend = Republicans. WHF...

[Anonymous]

Whoa wait -- so the House GOP is expected to pass what the Preisdent wants? Or what the Democraticly lead Senate wants? They did it their way (rightfully so), their conferees are appointed get in their an negotiate.

This isn't rocket science.

[Anonymous]

This is the same old republicans. If we don't get everything we want, we are going to take our ball and go home. I hope the Dems call these clown's bluff. Let the republicans raise taxes on everyone.

[Anonymous]

What the Senate and the President have to pass everything the republicans want? Please....

[Anonymous]

OP here. So I was getting into my car yesterday evening and turned on NPR in the middle of a segment on the payroll tax issue and they were quoting these people saying something like "$40 is nothing to some people but it is a huge amount of money to me. It's the gas that gets me to work that week. It's x number of meals. Take $40 away from me and you would just about put me under."

Apart from the gut churning feeling of knowing there are millions of people living in panic at the thought of losing $40 (a week?), I didn't hear the beginning and I was wondering where that $40 figure came from? Anybody know?