Obama Tries To Relieve Criticism Of Tax Cut Compromise, Secure Deal
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President Obama, seeking support for a proposed bipartisan deal that would exchange the extension of tax cuts for unemployment benefits, addressed the public Tuesday afternoon from the White House:
"We're going to keep on having this battle, but in the meantime I'm not here to play games with the American people. My job is to get the American economy moving."
The deal, announced Monday, would extend for two years the Bush tax cuts, due to expire at year's end, for all Americans. This includes wealthy Americans, whom Obama and the Democrats had hoped to exclude from the extension.
In exchange, unemployment benefits will be extended for 13 months. Benefits have already begun to expire for hundreds of thousands of jobless Americans.
Congressional liberals have expressed disgust for the proposed compromise. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders said Monday:
"I will do whatever I can on this. This is a very, very bad agreement. I think we've got to hold tough on this, hold firm on this and not concede to Republicans who...have absolutely no inclination to compromise. They want it all for their rich friends."
Obama renewed his opposition to tax breaks for the wealthy, but said economic and political realities require an immediate deal.
"I know there were some who would hae preferred a protracted political fight," he said. "This will help economic growth and this will help job growth over the next several months."
He continued:
"This a situation in which tens of millions of people would be immediately damaged [if middle class tax cuts and unemployment benefits lapse] when the economy is just beginning to recover."
Obama said he will attempt to defeat tax cuts for the wealth in two years when they lapse again, but acknowledged:
"We can't get my preferred option through the Senate right now."
He expressed his usual willingness to negotiate, defending the strength of flexibility at length, but said the GOP wouldn't budge on the tax issue:
"On the Republican side, this is their holy grail, these tax cuts for the wealthy."
Pressed by reporters to explain his concessions in the face of liberal opposition and outrage, the President responded:
"I think it's very important not to negotiate with hostage takers, unless the hostage gets harmed." In likening the American economy to a GOP hostage, Obama has set the stage for at least the next two years of debate. He will find out soon if his party will back him.
