If you believe the rhetoric Carol Seiu-Porter and Paul ‘Hot Dog’ Hodes are bulwarks of the middle class lifestyle and protectors of the elderly. So what would they make of this, from a letter sent to Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday?
A number of tax cuts enacted in the past decade are due to expire at the end of this year. Our fiscal policy should be one that maximizes economic growth and private sector job creation. That is why we strongly believe that Congress should extend the current tax rates for dividend and long-term capital gains taxes…We [] have a responsibility to protect middle class families and seniors from harmful tax increases and their economic impact…
Many seniors depend on this income to supplement their fixed retirement income. A recent study found that in 2007 over 27 million tax returns had dividends qualifying for the reduced tax rate reduction. Of those returns, 61 percent were from taxpayers age 50 and older and 30 percent were from taxpayers age 65 and older.
Would they say it’s just a ploy by the authors to excuse an extension on tax cuts for the wealthy? Could we expect promises to fix it, whatever it was that needed fixing, after the fact? Or would they simply dismiss it and ignore the consequences to the elderly and those nearing retirement like they did with health insurance reform?
So what would they say if the letter was sent to Nancy Pelosi by 47 House democrats?
It was. I suspect they knew it. And they voted to ignore the risk to senior citizens, and the entire economy, that allowing tax increases poses. So why? Why not make a populist statement before the elections and improve their chances of saving some House seats by demonstrating a commitment to the interests of the people, and for the good of the economy?
They are liberals, that’s why.
The democrat leadership will sacrifice it’s own for the opportunity to strap as many social engineering bomb vests to any proposal to prevent the tax hikes during the lame duck session, and then play a great big game of chicken with the republicans, the seniors, and the economy until the end of 2010. And then they will hope that the damage they have done is so sever that two years of republicans trying to undo the damage will be rewarded with a democrat sweep back into power in 2012 because it will be Obama’s turn to thwart any effort at reducing taxes, or spending, or trimming back government, or peeling away some of the monarchical powers of the executive branch.
And unless the republicans are ready to play some serious hardball, it might just work.
So let’s play ball.
