Accomplishments in the Lame Duck Congress
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-12-20/accomplishments-lame-duck-congress
The lame duck Congress tackles a series of high-stakes legislative issues. Join us to talk about what has been accomplished, its effect on the president's agenda and how the White House and incoming Congress might work together.
Guests
Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editor and Publisher of the Nation, writes a weekly column for The Washington Post.
Matt Bai
national political columnist for The New York Times; author of "The Argument: Billionaires, Bloggers and the Battle to Remake Democratic Politics."
David Keene
chairman of the American Conservative Union and a columnist for The Hill.
Comments
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The recent decision by Judge Hudson in Va has called into question the constitutional authority of the individual mandate for health insurance. Judge Hudson cites the interstate commerce clause and then proceeds into legal convolutions that I cannot follow.
After reading about this on a cnn opinion website I was left to wonder if there is room in commerce clause to actually flip this individual mandate issue around: Does the law force me to pay for an individual who does not want to get insurance? Put another way, if insurance is made affordable why would the uninsured get to opt out just so we the insured are forced to pay for them? It is not as if avoiding insurance premuims prevents anyone from becoming sick.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/12/14/bonnie.health.law.ruling/index.htm...
President Obama, not bothering to consult members of his own party, gave away massive amounts of money to the rich but completely ignored the 99ers – those unfortunate folks who ran out of their unemployment insurance and are now out of luck.
There is a reporter on CNN who is following and reporting on the plight of the 99ers. More reporters should be doing the same thing.
Mr. Obama remains well above the rest, he has shown patience and grace and a genuine attempt to achieve his agenda in a way that could be supported by all. This is what reasonable and informed voters have wanted since the G.W. Bush administration bullied their way into Washington and proceeded to turn this country on it's head with an illegal war and tax cuts for the rich. Within the next two years, I assure you, he will be regarded as one of the most important leaders in American history.
Mr. Obama remains well above the rest, he has shown patience and grace and a genuine attempt to achieve his agenda in a way that could be supported by all. This is what reasonable and informed voters have wanted since the G.W. Bush administration bullied their way into Washington and proceeded to turn this country on it's head with an illegal war and tax cuts for the rich. Within the next two years, I assure you, he will be regarded as one of the most important leaders in American history.
Let's remind the self-deceived conservatives about "the will of the people", First: conservatives represent a distinct minority of American citizens...Second: Less than one-third of the American electorate even voted this past election and the republicans only won by 2 or 3 percentage points (with a few exceptions in some extreme states) which means that only one sixth of the nation made the change in congress that will infect us going forward. Third: In the presidential election of 2008, a REAL "will of the people" spoke and it still remains intact and supports our good President and does NOT support the nonsense that continuously seeps from the right. And concerning the party of NO regarding the first responders and their shameful non-support of real citizens in action..."you can support a republican, but a republican will never support you". Keep repeating this one over and over as you walk to the voting booth the next time around.
James Kloppenberg (Harvard historian) has made a very good case for Obama the skeptic, Obama the pragmatist -- a president who is wary of the purists at both ends of the political spectrum. I'm standing in line for Kloppenberg's book; I hope hope other liberals and progressives will read it, too. As a progressive with "purist" tendencies, I found that it took the protests, not to say the whines, of two fellow progressives to shake me up and change my mind. I heard myself and didn't like it!
For a start, the president did not "give away massive amounts of money to the rich but completely ignored the 99ers." He is forced to work -- with rare exceptions -- as part of a team that includes people like Mitch McConnell and John Boehner. The context in which he achieves legislation as he can is very important.
One clue to the reason for the dismay of many on the left with Obama is that they paid not much attention to what he laid out in writing in "Audacity" and "Dreams". It's all there -- a clear anticipation of his presidency. We have a right to feel a little cheated thanks to the tendency of his campaigners to present him as a liberal, a progressive even with a tendency towards progressive "purism." He urged collaboration on the part of the left no less than the right as he moved away from the ardor and politics of his campaign in his inaugural address. He turned to us and urged us to work, actively, to change minds. Caught up in recession and other worries, we abandoned him if not our criticisms of him.
Democrats who feel cheated by this president should take the time to get "into the weeds," take a harder look at what he has managed to accomplish. He couldn't have pulled off what he has -- an extraordinary record for the first two years of his presidency. We need to recognize that he couldn't possibly have done so much had he not been willing to work with (and persuade) the hard, often ignorant and angry, extremists in Congress.
Who is this David Keene guy and where did he come from? I just don't think this morning's discussion is enriched by Mr. Keene's outlandish viewpoint and rhetoric. Not the high level discussion I have come to expect from Ms. Rehm's excellent program.
Whether magazine editors are out of touch has nothing to do with our elected officials. My dog is out of touch with the needs of the American public but I wouldn't compare him to our expectations of those who are allegedly working for us.
As for some sort of conspiracy on the part of the right. Well frankly, admitting to such makes more sense to me. The only other valid answer is that our elected officials are just plain ol' incompetent. At least if there was a conspiracy we could give them credit for actually setting out to do something and then accomplish it.
Regardless, we're left by be lead by a bunch of bumbling buffoons. In the meantime, as mentioned, the coffers of the major corporations are filling up. Yes, the debt is a big issue. But why aren't the major corporations steeping up to do what needs to be done? The deficit isn't right but what are our alternatives at this point? It's obvious that the well to do are content with not trying to help out.
I am at a complete loss for the defense of extending the Bush tax cuts, especially for the wealthy top 2%. The conservative panelist talks about how we need the tax cuts for the wealthy to reinvest and raise capital.
But we've had 8 years of this same tax cut, which is a key to our deficit - not the bailouts - and look where we are. We are worse off today after these tax cuts, not better.
While our economic situation is certainly complicated, practicing the same policies that helped get us in this mess makes no common sense.
The 99s will be renamed the 155s with the 13-month extension of unemployment benefits. These people should be given something to do in return for government support. The country would benefit from getting somethings addressed and these people would benefit from keeping some of their skills active. After 155+ weeks, they risk being seen as skill-less.
Giving away money to the rich is a strange way of characterizing allowing people to keep more of what they make.
Criticizing corporations for being prudent says a lot about why our politicians are able to get away with wonton spending on feel-good projects that mortgage our future.
I am not an economist, but it seems that the companies that recieved so much of the stimulus money did not use it to hire workers. As this recession has dragged on, it is clear to those begging for jobs that the companies have the resources, but they are holding their cards.
It would've been an effective clause in the stimulus package that the companies that recieved the money would have to spend certain percentages on new hires by a certain date.
Just from Christmas shopping, one can tell how much the price of everyday items has increased. It is astounding to think that in a time when so many people are hurting that even food costs so much more. I'd say that companies out there are doing everything they can to cover their own rumps, at the expense of the consumer.
And I was so glad to hear someone mention the current tax code. Having grown up surrounded by high earners, it is clear that the weatlhy are not paying their taxes already. With deductions, and even off-shore bank accounts, these people are employing teams of tax professionals to get out of paying. Corporations are doing the same. It is a shame to put so much of the burden on the poor and middle class, who do not have those resources.
APR and everyone: You trust what you observe and find it at odds with government and business statistics and measures. The government sees no inflation at the consumer level. They tell us unemployment is under 10%. Anyone out in the economy can observe these are BIG LIES. There are more hungry and homeless and exploited workers every day. Ownership and income are being vacuumed upward to the wealthiest.
Elite business has taken over government and operates it through appointment and bribery. Extraction of wealth at an accelerating rate is the primary aim. There are no bigger idiots than the proto-fascist Teapartiers who worship the Oligarchy.
Fascism is here. All the rhetoric against humanitarian action and socialist tendencies is their line of propaganda. Their product is debt, forced on everyone. Only energy disruption or environmental collapse can stop their onslaught upon humanity now. Fuel will go up through $4... $5 with all profit to energy cartels and no taxation to fund alternative energy. It's coming on in the New Year. And then, you will not believe the astronomical food prices by June. The people in charge don't care. Our environment is becoming a death camp turned inside out. Trust your experience, not TV and NPR.
I agree, soling, that our economic (not to mention financial) system is complicated, and that the so-called bailouts aren't to blame for the deficit.
The two wars Bush Jr. started are at least as much to blame for the deficit as the tax cuts.
But, I disagree with you (and virtually every other journalist, opinionator, and politician that has weighed in on this topic in the past few months) that ALL those that are in the top 2% - eg. those married couples earning $250,000 or more - are wealthy or rich.
My wife and I were married in January 2010, and we should gross $251,000 this year. We each make far, far less than the $200,000 a single person would need to make to be considered "rich." I was forced to short-sell my house before we married, because the real estate market where I lived fell by more than 40%.
We live in my wife's 2-bedroom, less than 1,200-square-foot condo, where we will to remain until the housing market regains enough to enable us to recoup my wife's $40,000 cash downpayment. We can't afford to buy a house in my stepdaughter's school district.
We have combined a very modest retirement nest egg, basic Japanese cars (luckily paid for), evermore expensive health insurance through my wife's employer, and have taken a 3-day vacation 90 minutes away since we married. We had less than 25 people at our wedding.
We don't spend beyond our means, and are grateful to be employed, housed, and able to afford healthy food. But, we are NOT rich, or even wealthy. We both worked for Obama's campaign, but also believe deeply that we should not be paying the same tax rate as Warren Buffet, or even Mr. Obama. Mr. Buffet agrees with us, but Mr. Obama does not.
Just thought I'd send a note from the 2%.
I was not familiar with any of these three guests, but the inclusion of David Keene was inspired. He epitomized the attitude of those inside the Beltway who are in total denial of facts, who have no interest in anything but serving their financial masters -- and he added his very own snide, patronizing delivery.
Change of subject.
I've been wondering if the DR staff pays any attention to the feedback we post. My goal is to reach the staff, much more than be read by other listeners. But I have a feeling that after each show is done, all the effort goes into planning future shows, with no time for reflection on what just happened, that we are just talking to ourselves.
borah-blogger, two things.
First, if you are making $250k as a couple and you claim to be "struggling" you are doing something VERY wrong with your finances. Quite simply, i believe you are not being honest.
Second, if repealing the wildly disastrous Bush tax cuts on those making over $200k had gone as a majority of Americans wanted, those making over that amount would pay the higher tax rate on ONLY income above that level. In your "example" you would pay the lower rate on the first $250k then the higher rate on that $1. Its called a progressive tax rate. Factually, the Repubs were fighting for lower rates on all income above $200k because everything below that would be taxed at the lower rate. Yes, everyone would see lower taxes on all income below $200k, and if you make $201k you pay 4% more on that 1k. Thats it. Why do not more people understand this simple fact?
As a regular listener I've been tempted to weigh in a number of times, but it was not until today that I felt compelled to write in. Please consider very carefully before inviting David Keene back on the show. Snarky, I think describes most of his comments. And how dare he vilify runaway spending without offering that the costs of the current wars under the Bush administration were kept out of the annual budget bill.
It pained me to hear David Keene parrot the spin that the extension of tax cuts is not a tax cut, but a maintaining of the prevailing tax rate. If his employer were to tell him he'd be taking a temporary pay cut for a year, then at the end of the year, the employer told him he'd have to continue that pay cut, I sincerely doubt Mr. Keene would say his pay was not being cut again. And if his pay were restored, he certainly wouldn't claim he'd gotten a pay raise!
I like to hear voices on all sides of an argument, but Mr. Keene does not support his positions well. Perhaps he's too fond of preaching to the choir.
No disrespect but it turned my stomach to hear David Keene. His argument that the rich need more money in order to create jobs is not only absurd but daring and insulting. Companies are sitting on huge piles of cash they have accumulated overworking the flew employees left who work the equivalent of two people for fear of being let go, waiting for demand to come back. Giving these companies and wealthy individuals more cash is not going to make them invest. On top of that research shows that the greatest source of job generation these days is not the established large corporations whose executives will get even more cash as a result of this tax deal, but the new start ups and the smaller businesses. Also David's claiming Wall Street and the corporate powers should not have to pay more for being 'successful' is outrageous because their success in most cases has been from doing away with our productive economy and turning it into a casino financial-based economy where illegal and risky toxic products and practices such as CDOs, deregulation and mere corruption have wrecked the economy on a number of occasions including the 2008 global world financial meltdown. The people who drive or support these criminal politics and policies should be treated as such, criminals. I admire the composure Katrina showed with such individual. I would not have been so kind.
Overlooked in today's program was the blocked passage of the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act last week. This legislation could have helped thousands of girls around the world escape early and forced marriage. The Senate acted on it for what it was--nonpartisan legislation--and passed it unanimously, but the House blocked it, largely because of a GOP whip alert from Committee on Foreign Affairs Ranking Member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) saying that she, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), and Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) all opposed it. Why on earth would they imperil the lives of young girls? They brought the abortion issue into it, even though the act mentioned neither abortion nor health. Nor did it contain any new funding, so the argument that we must take care of our own here at home first--even if you buy that--is equally defunct. This is a humanitarian issue. Quite simply, because of these House Republicans (see the list at http://bit.ly/evSJdp), the U.S. has sent a shameful message to the world.
I only heard the last part of this broadcast and agree that the tax code needs revision. One thing worth noting is that, for the numbers of American expats living, working and earning income abroad, the Bush administration made a tax grab 4 years ago that not only makes our already worldwide income tax liability, already singular in a 1st world economy, more difficult for citizens to deal with, less advantageous for citizens to work abroad and also makes Americans much more expensive to employ outside the US in comparison to Brits, Canadians, Aussies, Kiwis, Europeans, etc. This must change. The benefits of having Americans involved in private industry abroad are too numerous to go in to but making it more difficult and basically penalizing Americans from a tax perspective for making this choice is a bad decision.
Right off the bat, David Keene comes in with nothing but well-flogged Republican talking points, repeating that the people have spoken, that the president doesn't listen, and trying to prove that politicians during this session should kick their feet up and forget about what they were elected to do.
This session is no different than any other session. Politicians are paid to fulfill their complete term, not just 95% of it.
"The people" were polled and were found to hold disfavor for both parties, that these last elections had little to do with any perceived Republican program (which never was articulated).
And according to polls, the vast majority of Americans did not agree with the tax cut for the wealthiest. "The people" did not support basically what is the major 'platform' of the Republican party this season.
We are tired of these ad-men, these lobbyists, these liars!
Hey cyclebaby or bear:
Since when do conservatives represent a minority. There were 63 congressional seats won by the Republicans in November. Second Obama won by 6% of the popular vote in 2008. 3% more African Americans and 3% more came out to vote while more Republicans stayed home.
"Nonsense", what do you mean? Obama has created a more divided party not just with the opposition but his own liberal base.
As far the "Party of No", what deference did it make. He passed the Recovery Act and Health Care Act with no Republicans.
Sorry bud but your last statement is in the minority point of view. Keep trying.
John Doe: I though that Rasmansan showed 56% of the population favor the new tax cut bill.
Ruben: Obviously you do not know about Economics. Most Starts Up fail. An investor or "rich person" needs the tax breaks to invest to take a risk on his own money for a new business venture. Why risk money if you cannot make it work.
We had a person from Vermont state here that employing people is a tax break and why don't companies do more of this. What if the product or service has a static demand? Are you going to hire somebody if you donot need their labor?
Don't forget, 70% of the American Worker is invested in the market. Do you not think that those dividends made by those companies help the worker in his 401K or IRA?
What about the trillion that the Government has wasted over 40 years or the printing of money without the capital to back it up?
GirlfromMaine:
How about the true cost of Health Care Reform? We do not even know the final bill. It was done for a purpose to not let the American people the true cost. Why do you think the Republicans won 63 new seats?
Please don't give us this BS about these wars. They were need due to the bombing and Hussian.
borah:
Your story about your financial situation baffles people like myself. Do you realize that during the last Bush presidency that a majority of people making over $100,000 first time was greatest it has ever been.
Yet educated and financial people like you still stand by a Democratic Congress and President that have stated you are not paying enough taxes. You probably live in on the East or NE where taxes are high and this effects the cost of goods and services.
You are the perfect example in where you live that $251,000 is still a struggle. Make you wonder why Texas is the fastest growing state in the country during this recession.
My wife and I make $100,000 and live in a 2800 sq ft house. We have both kids in private school.
Just maybe this Republican tax cut is a blessing for you. Do you think that Buffet would support an "Asset Tax"?
David Keene wants to turn this show into an episode of "Fox & Friends." David, you are obviously capable of making well-reasoned arguments, so do your best to stick to the issues without reverting to juvenile attacks. I don't want my journalists to be satirists or comedians -- leave that to Jon Stewart.
As a fairly new listener... I'm relieved to discover (from comments posted here) -- this particular show, i.e., the spewings, AND juvenile behavior, of David Keene -- are an anomaly.