Obama officials: no guarantee taxes won't go up on middle-class Americans

[mawilson 2,133]

It's not like Fox News didn't warn you, people.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's treasury secretary on Sunday said he cannot rule

out higher taxes to help tame an exploding budget deficit and his chief economic adviser would

not dismiss raising them on middle-class Americans as part of a health care overhaul.

As the White House sought to balance campaign rhetoric with governing, officials appeared

willing to extend unemployment benefits. With former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan

saying he is "pretty sure we've already seen the bottom" of the recession, Obama aides sought

to defend the economic stimulus and calm a jittery public.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and National Economic Council Director Larry Summers

both sidestepped questions on Obama's intentions about taxes. Geithner said the White House

was not ready to rule out a tax hike to lower the federal deficit; Summers said Obama's proposed

health care overhaul needs funding from somewhere.

"There is a lot that can happen over time, Summers said, adding that the administration believes

"it is never a good idea to absolutely rule things out, no matter what."

During his presidential campaign, Obama repeatedly vowed "you will not see any of your taxes

increase one single dime." But the simple reality remains that his ambitious overhaul of how

Americans receive health care — promised without increasing the federal deficit — must be

paid for.

"If we want an economy that's going to grow in the future, people have to understand we have to

bring those deficits down. And it's going to be difficult, hard for us to do. And the path to that is

through health care reform," Geithner said. "We're not at the point yet where we're going to make

a judgment about what it's going to take."

Selling that proposal, however, has proved tricky.

"Most private forecasters — and let's use their judgment — suggest you're going to see

unemployment start to come down maybe beginning in the second half of next year," Geithner

said, adding those same economists predict positive growth during the second half of this year.

At the same time, Geithner and other administration officials are contemplating how to ask

Congress to extend — again — unemployment benefits for the millions of Americans who have

lost their jobs in recent months. The proposal drew measured support from Sen. Jim DeMint,

R-S.C.

"We need to take care of those who are unemployed, but we also need to make sure they

get jobs," he said.

Those jobs, though, are still elusive. Greenspan said the economy is slowly coming back.

"Collapse, I think, is now off the table. We were teetering for a while," he said.

Greenspan said he doesn't think the Federal Reserve should be considering raising interest

rates to ward off inflation, although he added that the Fed will have to rein in credit and raise

rates at some point.

Obama's opponent for the presidency, Sen. John McCain, questioned whether the

administration's actions will prove beneficial for the country.

"I think it's pretty clear, if you pump trillions of dollars into the economy, you will see some

recovery," the Arizona Republican said while giving Obama credit for the improvement. "But

the long-term consequences, I think, are going to be, unfortunately, devastating unless we do

something about it."

Geithner and Greenspan appeared on ABC's "This Week." Summers appeared on NBC's "Meet

the Press" and CBS's "Face the Nation." DeMint was interviewed on "Fox News Sunday."

McCain spoke with CNN's "State of the Union."

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[dalegg 143]

If everybody who is not enrolled in health care right now has to do so under the new bill - and I'm presuming that means most will have to pay something-, or pay a penalty- doesn't that already amount to a tax increase anyway?

[mawilson 2,133]

If everybody who is not enrolled in health care right now has to do so under the new bill - and I'm presuming that means most will have to pay something-, or pay a penalty- doesn't that already amount to a tax increase anyway?

My guess is no, because it's "for your own good".

[dalegg 143]

If everybody who is not enrolled in health care right now has to do so under the new bill - and I'm presuming that means most will have to pay something-, or pay a penalty- doesn't that already amount to a tax increase anyway?

My guess is no, because it's "for your own good".

What about the other taxes we pay? Aren't those for our own good?

[Tahoma 2,292]

"Read my lips: no new taxes."

[GaryC 7]

So much for the 95% of us that will not see any tax increase. Is there a campaign promise he has kept?

[thepizzadude 26]

So much for the 95% of us that will not see any tax increase. Is there a campaign promise he has kept?

He said things were gonna change....hehehe

[GaryC 7]

So much for the 95% of us that will not see any tax increase. Is there a campaign promise he has kept?

He said things were gonna change....hehehe

Yeah, well.... Never mind.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

So much for the 95% of us that will not see any tax increase. Is there a campaign promise he has kept?

He said things were gonna change....hehehe

Yeah, well.... Never mind.

But theres still hope!

[Ban Hammer 13,641]

So much for the 95% of us that will not see any tax increase. Is there a campaign promise he has kept?

He said things were gonna change....hehehe

Yeah, well.... Never mind.

But theres still hope!

[luckytxn 2,265]

Did any Obama lovers really believe there would be no raise in taxes?

[Ban Hammer 13,641]

Did any Obama lovers really believe there would be no raise in taxes?

i'm sure many did. are they in for a harsh beotch slap from reality!

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

One of the big differences between America and those other countries that have universal health (and can afford it) is that they have significantly smaller military footprints than we do.

And that's one sacred cow no pol is willing to slaughter.

[luckytxn 2,265]

One of the big differences between America and those other countries that have universal health (and can afford it) is that they have significantly smaller military footprints than we do.

And that's one sacred cow no pol is willing to slaughter.

Bingo. Also many of these countries military are subsidized by the U.S. as we pay a huge amount in many European countries to base bases and place our military there and also put them under the protection of the U.S. Anyone outside tries to invade then they have the U.S. to deal with and no one wants that. It enables them to spend a lot less of their wealth on their military. Japan has had the most free ride on our dime besides just Canada.

I say lets just pull our forces back home worldwide. When we do that why don't we keep the taxes at the same level for awhile and that would afford us a lot of money to pay down our debt and then we can talk about what Social programs we all want and pay for it without a huge deficit.

The countries we subsidize then can finally pay their own way and find out that the cost of liberty may be higher then they thought when they have to be ready to fight for it.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The countries we subsidize then can finally pay their own way and find out that the cost of liberty may be higher then they thought when they have to be ready to fight for it.

Finally, we agree on something.