Dell's Original Uncoverage Logo by Antonio F. Branco, Comically Incorrect

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Is Boehner Snuggling Up To Obama On Payroll Tax Cuts??


Is Boehner Snuggling Up To Obama On Payroll Tax Cuts??


“House Speaker John Boehner, hoping to spare fellow Republicans a second embarrassing defeat over payroll tax cuts, is prepared to navigate around rebellious Tea Party-aligned lawmakers to get a deal, according to congressional aides.”



By Dell Hill

If the following report from The Chicago Tribune comes to pass, Mr. John Boehner could possibly be looking at a challenge to his position as House Speaker.

Perhaps Someone With A Spine Should Wield The Gavel?

“House Speaker John Boehner, hoping to spare fellow Republicans a second embarrassing defeat over payroll tax cuts, is prepared to navigate around rebellious Tea Party-aligned lawmakers to get a deal, according to congressional aides.

Republicans in the House of Representatives got a public drubbing from critics within and outside the party in December for initially refusing to approve a Senate plan to extend the tax break for 160 million Americans through February.

The party of lower taxes was left on the defensive, countering a barrage of criticism that its unwillingness to compromise threatened an effective tax hike on workers, potentially damaging the fragile economic recovery.

Now, with Democratic and Republican negotiators preparing for a new round of talks in the coming days to extend the payroll tax cut for the rest of the year, Republican leaders are anxious to move quickly to get a deal, aides said.

Party leaders fear another battle could distract from the more important task at hand - ousting President Barack Obama from the White House and winning majority control of the Senate in the November elections.  They also want to neutralize an issue that Democrats already are using to their advantage in the presidential and congressional campaigns.

Boehner's office would not comment on possible divisions among Republicans in the upcoming debate over the payroll tax cut or tactics to get a bill passed.  But one House Republican leadership aide told Reuters: "I think Boehner will seek a more accommodating approach to get a good percentage of Democrats to vote for it - even if it costs him a lot of House Republican freshmen."

"His instincts will be not to be so reliant on House Republican freshmen," the aide added, referring to the 85 first-term congressmen.

The freshmen, many of whom are aligned with the populist budget-slashing Tea Party movement, helped the Republican Party win control of the House in 2010 and have since proven stubbornly uncompromising in the debate over taxes and spending.

Congress has until February 29 to agree on extending the tax cut, which would give the average middle-class family about $1,000 extra a year.

Support has always been soft among Republicans for the payroll tax cut championed by Obama.  They question its effectiveness in stimulating the economy and the wisdom of using revenues intended for the Social Security retirement program.”

Read the entire article by clicking right here.

Dell’s Bottom Line:

Considering the source of the “news”, I’d consider this just one more attempt from the left to tell American voters just how awful those darned TEA baggers really are.

However, on the off chance this report proves accurate, House Speaker John Boehner would undoubtedly be out on his rear.  Not his “ear”.  His “rear”.  Right out the door, do not pass “Go”, do not take the gavel with you.  Find a comfy seat on the back bench.

TEA Party Conservatives got out the vote and helped the Republicans to a record breaking mid-term avalanche of representatives and senators.  Those “darned TEA baggers” were elected to do as their constituents told them.  And certainly nothing less than what their constituents told them to do.  If Speaker Boehner decides to cobble together a back-room deal with Obama that would effectively shut the House conservatives out, there are people standing by, ready and willing to assume the role of Speaker of the House.

I suspect that Eric Cantor and Allen West - among others - would be more than happy to escort Mr. Boehner to the back bench, where he can commiserate with Nancy Pelosi.

No comments:

Post a Comment