Your campaign buttons must be working. The Last Word's Off The Cliff campaign came up today during an interview with Rep. Chris Van Hollen on C-Span's Washington Journal.
A call-in viewer specifically asked the Democratic congressman from Maryland about the show's effort, urging lawmakers to take a bold leap to restore fairness in taxation. Addressing the issue, Van Hollen responded "we prefer to act now" but declared they are "not going to be bullied by the Republicans" either. The discussion gets going at the 25:33 marker.
With respect to the fiscal cliff, what I've said is that we prefer to act now but Republicans hold the key to this lock in their hands as soon as they decide not to hold the 98 percent hostage to the 2 percent we can move forward. But we take the idea of deficit reduction seriously, and so they've finally got to let that hostage go so to speak, so that we can move forward. And we are not going to be bullied by the Republicans in the providing another round of tax breaks for the very top when we have got to get out fiscal house in order and where we want to make sure that folks on Medicare and social security don't take a big hit in order to provide another round of tax breaks for folks at the very top. And so it's true that by law all of those tax cuts expire and so you'd be starting from a new base line, you'd be starting from scratch, but I should just emphasize again we hope we don't get to that point. But the keys to the locker in Republican hands right now and all the have to do is do what the president said, let's move forward with what we agree on, what the Republicans say they agree on which is extending tax relief to the people under $250,000.
The first showdown vote on the expiring Bush-era tax cuts is scheduled for Wednesday in Senate.
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It is July 24, and I would like to compliment you on The Last Word regarding the NRA segment of your show.
It was perfect. Just perfect. Thank you. I watch you every night and often speak of your show on Ed's blog. You are impressive. Never more so than tonight.
I hope we both are celebrating our birthdays after the sixth of November. Mine is a few days later.
I never knew you had a blog! I'm glad I found it. Keep up the excellent show. I look forward to it very much.
Obama 2012
Just have to agree with the "OFF THE CLIFF" segment, is the best way to go. I am waiting to get my button, of which I will proudly wear.
Obama 2012.
The Off the Cliff gambit by the Dems is nothing other than an attempt to hype their for show only legislation to pass only an extension of the 2001 Bush Tax Cuts, and to allow the 2003 Tax cuts (including dividend and capital gain rates) to expire. It's meant to effect an "embarrassing" (in the dems eyes only) vote by the Repubs in the Senate against extending the cuts for the lower middle class and working class income earners in the country. After November 6th, as it is clear that nothing is going to be done by the Democrats in the White House or the Senate before election day, the Dems will fold their hand with their tents and slink away. No fear!
And Obama will be singing like that rapper Cowboy with the Big and Rich country/rock group..."I played chicken with a train, train, train...I played chicken with a train." as he packs his bags and gets ready to turn over the keys to the White House in January to its new tennant. Check the bags for the WH dinnerware and the WH towells on his way out, please.
I know it was a great achievement for you to wrap your head around the "off the cliff" proposition. I'm sure it seemed very clever and sophisticated to a simple mind, as was obvious by your wonderment and giddiness at the whole "amazing" concept. Did you ever think that maybe the Republicans can just introduce their own bill that grants tax cuts to everyone? The the Repubs can just ignore the silly Dem bill and vote for their own bill and they get to not violate their pledge AND get a BETTER outcome. What a rube! Don't quit your evening job, Larry. Go back to playing marbles and leave the political chess to the big boys.
Re: bmcsex and Keith Longey,
You must be doing something right, Lawrence, to get the extremists so fired up! Good job!
Off the cliff on NYE! Let's take that fall! Show these mental midgets who the big boys really are.
Found a new avatar I really like. Check it out!
Not extreme or fired up Keith, just kind of struggling to understand how anyone would think that this is some sort of fool-proof strategy that will somehow back Republicans into a corner and trip them up. It is such a fantasy scenario that it's just plain silly. I'm scratching my head over how you can take this guy serious.