It may have felt emotionally gratifying for President Obama to embrace his populist roots and fully embrace ‘tax and spend’ liberalism in his Rose Garden speech yesterday, but the verdict from moderates everywhere has been to abandon Obama as fast as possible.
On the center left, Politico reports that moderate Democrats couldn’t distance themselves from Obama fast enough. “There’s too much discussion about raising taxes right now, not enough focus on cutting spending,” Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., said. USA Today‘s editorial board also dismissed Obama’s proposals, “Obama’s aggressive call for higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans — and his vow to veto any package that cuts Medicare but doesn’t require the rich “to pay their fair share” — guarantees that the plan will go nowhere in Congress. … [T]he plan’s flaws are troubling. It pretends that enough money can be raised simply by raising taxes on the rich. It can’t. There aren’t enough of them.”
And on the center right, Obama’s performance yesterday proved to be the last straw for The New York Times #1 Obama booster, David Brooks: “In his remarks Monday the president didn’t try to win Republicans to even some parts of his measures. He repeated the populist cries that fire up liberals but are designed to enrage moderates and conservatives. … This wasn’t a speech to get something done. This was the sort of speech that sounded better when Ted Kennedy was delivering it.”
Around the Bigs
The Washington Examiner, Liberals applaud Obama’s tax hike for millionaires: President Obama’s Rose Garden appeal for higher taxes on the rich won wide praise from activist liberal groups across the country. “For months, [we] have been urging Washington to focus on creating jobs and making our tax system work for all Americans, not just the super rich,” MoveOn.org campaign director Daniel Mintz, told The Examiner. “Today, we’re glad to see this message reach the White House.”
Bloomberg, Obama Courts Wealthy New York Donors After Tax Boost Pitch: After calling for higher taxes on the rich, Obama flew to New York for a $35,800-per-ticket fudnraiser for his reelection campaign. The fundraiser was hosted Evercore Partners Inc. CEO Ralph Schlosstein. Evercore recently advised AT&T Inc. on its $39 billion takeover of T-Mobile USA.
The New York Times, Worry About a New Wave of Layoffs: As the U.S. economy teeters on the brink of recession, many Americans fear they will soon lose their jobs. “I don’t have any more savings or anything like that,” Terrance Myricks, 21, Told The Times. “I’ll probably have to rely on unemployment, which I’d really rather not do. And that’s assuming I can even get it.”
The Washington Post, House Judiciary chair: Justice should probe Solyndra bankruptcy: House Judiciary Committee Lamar Smith, R-Texas, asked Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a special examiner to investigate why the Obama Energy Department agreed in February to release more loan money to Solyndra ehen the company was on the brink of collapse.
The New York Times, New Fields May Propel Americas to Top of Oil Companies’ Lists: Unless environmental activists make energy development impossible, the Americas are poised to be a leader in fossil fuel energy production. “This is an historic shift that’s occurring, recalling the time before World War II when the U.S. and its neighbors in the hemisphere were the world’s main source of oil,” oil historian Daniel Yergin told The Times. “To some degree, we’re going to see a new rebalancing, with the Western Hemisphere moving back to self-sufficiency.”
The Washington Examiner, Right-to-Work States best for business: According to a new survey of corporate executives performed by Development Counselors International (DCI), the states with top five economic climate’s most favorable to business are all right-to-work states.
The Wall Street Journal, New Texas Voting Map Faces Federal Challenge: The Obama Justice Department filed suit in federal court Monday, alleging that the redistricting plan Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed into law this June disenfranchised minority voters.
The Los Angeles Times, Mexico still waiting for answers on Fast and Furious gun program: Mexican officials say President Obama has kept them in the dark on the ATF’s Fast and Furious gun sting program. One Mexican state prosecutor jus recently learned that her brother was killed with assault rifles that ATF allowed into Mexico.
Righty Playbook
The Examiner‘s Phil Klein posts a chart showing why Obama’s tax-the-rich plan has no chance of reducing the deficit.
At The Corner, Mercatus’ Veronique de Rugy posts a chartshowing how much each income bracket earns and pays in taxes.
The Heritage Foundation‘s Dean Cheng details how Obama has alienated everyone on Taiwan.
Lefty Playbook
Talking Points Memo reports that Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wants the Senate to vote on Obama’s Buffett Rule: “I’d find it very useful to make some proposal along the lines that fits within the confines of the Buffett rule and put it on the floor.”
Firedoglake‘s David Dayen on Obama’s tax the rich plan: “This effectively disbands the Super Committee, as far as I can see. The Republican members are not going to vote for a tax increase. … If the Super Committee fails, we’re going to see the trigger pulled now.”
Mother Jones‘ Josh Harkinson makes his six point case for raising taxes on the rich.
