Deal makers and deal breakers

As the American economy staggers into the Christmas holidays and an uncertain future, Americans by the millions remain out of work and jobs continue to be lost. Sensing (finally) the true reasons for the democrat losses in November, (failure to listen to the American people and a stagnant economy and unemployment rate) Obama has reached an agreement with the republicans on extending the Bush tax breaks, extending unemployment benefits and reducing FICA payroll deductions for one year. That proposed agreement will insure that the nation doesn't have to suffer tax increases at the worst possible time come January and it will provide unemployment benefits for millions, for another thirteen months.

Now the wild eyed ultra left of the democratic party is seeing the reality that the president has backed off and backed away from taxing Americans during a recession and these same ultra liberal democrats are literally livid about it.

I received this in email yesterday afternoon on the heals of the president's announcement.

Locutisprime
A "deal" has been announced to extend all of the Bush tax cuts--including those for millionaires. Some deal.
But the fight isn’t over. Sign the petition--oppose the deal.
In the Senate, Bernie Sanders has promised to filibuster, and Dick Durbin has said "there is a group [of progressives] that may walk."
In the House, several members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, led by Rep. Peter Welch, have already stated their opposition. The White House is so worried about support for the deal that it is sending Vice President Joe Biden to Capitol Hill to try and sell it.
The bottom line is that this is not a done deal. With the Daily Kos community voting 3-1 in opposition to the deal, we need to show our support for the progressive members of Congress who are not caving. Give them that support now by signing our petition, and sending words of encouragement. We'll deliver your signatures at the end of the week.
Keep fighting,
Chris Bowers
Campaign Director, Daily Kos

The bottom line, Barack Obama's advisers have seen the writing on the wall and determined that listening to the people and protecting the economy and creating jobs, is more important that ideological campaign promises or commitments to the uber left to tax the rich.

But the ultra left wing of the liberal/socialist/progressive democrat party is livid and they intend to wreck any deal that doesn't give them the pound of flesh that they are demanding. And that pound of flesh realized, is the (so called) rich hoisted on pikes and bled dry by 'progressive taxes,' while the left continues to spend money like there is no tomorrow.

There isn't a crisis coming in America, the crisis is here. What's wrong and what should be done can be debated until hell freezes over, but in the end it all boils down to continued job losses and a continued stagnant economy. And with inflation already being felt in the energy sectors and at the grocery check out lines, class warfare is not the preferred path that the American people see as a resolution.

Were the republicans holding the country hostage to extending the Bush tax breaks? Maybe so, but they were doing what the people mandated a month ago at the ballot box. Some liberals may continue to refuse to admit what happened, but the bottom line is this. The American people have decided that four years of an ultra liberal Nancy Pelosi led congress is enough. The American people know who is responsible for turning a blind eye to their misery and they voted the change that is now apparent in the coming republican majority in the house.

If the democrats choose to wreck this agreement and force taxes to increase by default and force over two million Americans into the streets, then they had better be prepared to deal with the aftermath.

Like it or not, Obama bartered a pretty good deal. He gave up his position and extended the tax cuts for two years (not permanently) and he gained thirteen months of unemployment benefits for two  million Americans. And he agreed to an easing of FICA taxes for one year to help all Americans.

Personally, I don't like the deal anymore than my liberal counterparts, but I long ago came to a very simple realization. Fifty percent of something, is better than one hundred percent of nothing. And you can't feed and cloth your family with ideology.

Right now, we have the option of the former and the democrats are clambering for the latter. Who will win? In the end, I am almost certain that it won't be the American people.

On a more personal note.....this is the first thing that this president has proposed, that I can agree with. And like the man said, I don't like some parts of it any more than he likes some parts of it. But It is literally the first attempt that I have seen in quite some time to truly reach any level of bipartisan agreement. And just as I suspected, the ultra left wing of the democrat party is hell bent to see it wrecked.

Maybe it is time for the people to speak once again. Maybe it's time for us to send another message to our representatives in Washington and let them know. Screw this up? And there will be hell to pay come 2012.