Hill Hallways: McConnell on Boehner's tax cut position
Editors note: Watch for more real time dispatches from the hallways on Capitol Hill as CNN's correspondents and producers cover the machinations of Congress. As always, the CNN Political Ticker is your source for up-to-the-minute political news- now even more so.
1030 a.m. ET: I just ran into Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell and asked him if he thinks House Minority Leader John Boehner gave up the GOP negotiating position on extending all Bush era tax cuts by admitting that he would vote for an extension only for those making $250,000 and below.
McConnell didn't answer directly, but what he did say was certainly revealing.
"Well you know my position, and I made it clear again yesterday. The effort we are going to make here in the Senate is going to be to extend the current tax rates permanently, and we'll have that debate here in the Senate and hopefully prevail," said McConnell.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats clearly think they need more time to game out their strategy. CNN is told that in addition to the Democrats weekly caucus lunch where this will be a hot topic, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is engaged in a series of meetings trying to gauge exactly where his divided caucus is on this issue, and how to proceed. Senate Democrats have given themselves a bit of time to hash out their strategy by scheduling the Defense Authorization bill for next week, which includes a repeal of the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy on gays in the military.
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Well I hope this time they make the Republicans put on a real filibuster instead of just cave to a threat. Make them explain why, in this case but no other, it is a good idea to add a trillion dollars to the deficit! Their jobs argument is an obvious fail or we would have jobs aplenty after 8 years of tax cuts. The money needs to be in the hands of the consumers, not in the Cayman Islands banks of the rich.
Translation: All of the GOP members will vote against the middle class tax cut, even John of Orange Boner. Can the GOP spell hypocrite? The GOP does not represent the middle class and the democrats should prove the point by bringing the middle class tax cut to a vote.
Vote NO in NOvember to the party of NO.
Don't let the DemocRATS play this socialist class warfare game anymore. Just about every economist in the world, several DemocRATic Senators and even Obozo's former head of the budget office says raising taxes during a recession endangers the recovery.
I'm beginning to get the feeling that the Obozo fools are either really really dumb or intentionally driving this country deeper in the ground. either way THEY HAVE TO GO!