DeFazio says he'll "make the president act like a Democrat"
Kari Chisholm
Congressman Peter DeFazio says that Democrats in Congress lost in the 2010 elections "because we never pushed back, no matter how wrong [President Obama] was or how off-base he was."
Specifically, DeFazio is calling out Obama for extending the Bush tax cuts in December. Speaking yesterday to MSNBC's Cenk Uygur:
"Remember, the president did run on that, and he did cave on it in December. ..."
“We should say, they don’t get a single Democratic vote till they stop pretending that you can somehow achieve fiscal responsibility without revenues. We could cut the deficit in half if we just let [the Bush tax cuts] expire.”
There's more from The Hill and the Huffington Post.
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3:29 p.m.
Apr 12, '11
More posturing from DeFazio. He can't make anyone do anything. He postured about getting rid of Nancy Pelosi, but was unwilling to run himself. DeFazio is simply not a player. He's a loudmouth who speaks only for himself.
10:20 p.m.
Apr 12, '11
Give it a rest Bill. He said the Progressive caucus would try to make Obama act like democrat...that's what they are supposed to do. DeFazio has been one of the strongest progressive voices in DC and has been RIGHT on the big issues from deregulation to Iraq. Not to mention he was one of only about 75 reps to vote against DOMA. Vision, integrity, and a spine. Representatives only have so much power and speaking out in favor of bold progressive public policy is quite important...it would be nice if we had a President that did the same. And who cares that he didn't run for speaker? If DeFazio is a "loudmouth" what would you call yourself?
11:28 a.m.
Apr 13, '11
Anytime someone criticizes Obama, I can count on you rushing to his defense. I notice though that this time you aren't defending Obama. You are merely going after Defazio. Regardless of who said this, I am just glad that someone with a microphone on the left has the guts to say the emperor has no clothes. Obama needs pressure from the left, not tireless apologists.
9:47 p.m.
Apr 13, '11
Actually, he speaks for me, too. Obama doesn't. Progressive need more loudmouths. It's the only way we can be heard over the deafening silence that is the Democratic Party.
3:47 p.m.
Apr 12, '11
Tomorrow, after listening to Barry's plans for Social Security and Medicare, please tell us who has the best chance of being known by historians as the world champion liar and hypocrite. Goldman-Sachs flunky Obama will win this award; is Nancy still the speaker?
Funny how many fans of Alan Simpson show up on BO.
3:51 p.m.
Apr 12, '11
Full disclosure: my firm built DeFazio's campaign website. I speak only for myself.
4:31 p.m.
Apr 12, '11
Personally, I don't see how the government can continue offering the same level of services without 1) significantly raising taxes 2) drastically cut spending 3) or a combination of both.
10:25 p.m.
Apr 12, '11
No problem. Cut defense, corporate welfare, raise taxes back to Clinton era levels for the rich and super rich. Create some wall street taxes o financial transactions like DeFazio has proposed.
4:49 p.m.
Apr 12, '11
DeFazio says he'll "make the president act like a Democrat"
It's about time someone does.
9:34 p.m.
Apr 12, '11
In response to Jason Carr it must be asked, "What do you mean by services?" If you mean Medicare part D it was unfunded. If you mean wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and elsewhere it was unfunded. By that I mean borrowed.
If you mean Social Security then you must return to the origin of the problem in the Reagan Administration and his tax cuts which were passed as long as deficits did not grow. His premise was trickle down commonly embraced to this day and known as Supply Side economics. To insure that deficits could not become a factor legislation was passed known as the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act which mandated cuts if revenues did not cover expenditures. In other words if Supply Side was a fraud.
It turns out that it was a fraud and in order to avoid the politically unpopular cuts Alan Greenspan proposed raising FICA withholding rates and including it in the General Fund. Regan accepted this shell game and therefore everyone working and paying into Social Security since Reagan began this scam has paid in advance for their Social Security benefits. W/h rates were raised seven times.
Fast forward to today and John Boehner and the Republicans want to default on Social Security and fund endless war. The Pentagon budget is twice what it was in 2001.
11:42 a.m.
Apr 13, '11
We'd be a lot better off with DeFazio as president, rather than Obama.
If DeFazio were president, the top economic advisors would be Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz.
9:30 p.m.
Apr 14, '11
DeFazio doesn't even have the guts to run for majority leader, much less president. He didn't have the guts to run for the Senate in '08 either. I repeat.. DeFazio is just a big mouth, lots of hot air and no substance. Actions speak louder than words.
10:13 a.m.
Apr 18, '11
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/215918_10150158097778490_506788489_6435217_2427867_s.jpg
10:14 a.m.
Apr 18, '11
Stupid FB. Try this.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150158097778490&set=a.423752398489.192029.506788489&type=1&ref=nf