Opposition to Obama’s Tax Hikes Increases
And it’s about time:
President Barack Obama’s call to raise taxes on high earners and greenhouse gas polluters met fierce opposition Tuesday from congressional Republicans and also a few Democrats. “I would never want to adversely affect anything that is charitable or good,” Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, said of Obama’s call to limit high-income taxpayers’ itemized deductions for charitable donations and mortgage interest.
Republicans said the president’s plan to charge fees to industries that spew greenhouse gases amounts to a stealthy tax increase for all Americans that will far exceed the new $400 annual tax cut for workers that he wants to extend beyond 2010.
“The president’s budget increases taxes on every American, and does so during a recession,” said Rep. Dave Camp of Michigan, the top Republican on the Ways and Means Committee.
Ironically enough, Republicans may accomplish a lot by taking a bipartisan approach to the problem. They aren’t the only members of Congress ignored by President Obama and his buddies Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. Blue Dog Democrats are left in the cold as well and not happy about it either, which could become rather problematic for them when they’re up for reelection. They’re Blue Dog Democrats for a reason: their constituents are pretty moderate. They are often reasonably hawkish and, especially, fiscal conservative. These Congressmen are putting their careers on the line if they support expensive plans that do little to nothing to stimulate the economy but simply aim at reforming society.
In other words, this is the time for people like Senator John McCain to stand up and take the lead: reach out to Blue Dog Democrats, talk to them whenever possible, give them something they want, and put pressure on Obama – Obama will compromise if forced to.
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