McCaskill, Blunt take opposing stances on taxes

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Emblematic of the stalemate in Washington, Missouri’s two U.S. senators staked out opposing positions Wednesday on whether to raise taxes on the wealthy as part of a solution to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff facing the nation’s economy.

Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill said she supports President Barack Obama’s insistence that top income-earners should face higher tax rates to help trim the U.S. deficit. But Republican Sen. Roy Blunt said he opposes increasing the tax rates for anyone.

Their opposite positions tracked the partisan divide in Washington, where the Democratic president and Republican House leaders each are calling upon the other to compromise.

The “fiscal cliff” refers to a package of automatic tax increases and spending cuts set to occur unless Congress takes action to avoid it before the end of the year. About $109 billion of annual spending cuts would be split equally between military and domestic programs, and all the tax breaks enacted under former President George W. Bush would expire. Obama reiterated his stance Wednesday that the tax breaks should be extended only for those earning less than $250,000 annually. That would allow the top tax rate to revert to 39.6 percent from the current 35 percent.

McCaskill said she supports raising taxes on the wealthy, though she left room for negotiation on whether that income threshold should be set at $250,000 or $500,000 or $1 million.

“It’s impossible to do this, to get where we need to be in terms of our debt and our deficit, without additional revenues,” McCaskill said in a conference call with reporters. “I certainly support the principle that the president is so strongly stating — that some of that needs to be with those at the very top of the economic ladder paying a little more.”

Blunt, who held a separate conference call with reporters Wednesday, said he was willing to “make that tax structure fairer and flatter” by changing or eliminating some of the existing tax deductions. But Blunt said he remained opposed to raising tax rates for anyone, the wealthy included.

“I just don’t think increasing marginal tax rates is the right thing for the economy,” Blunt said.

Blunt and McCaskill each pointed to the recent elections in support of their positions. Obama won re-election while campaigning on a need for the wealthy to pay more in taxes while Republicans who have insisted on a continuation of across-the-board tax breaks maintained control of the U.S. House.

McCaskill also won re-election last week, though her Senate race against Republican challenger Todd Akin hinged largely on other issues. Blunt was not up for re-election this year.

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Paroquet 6 months, 1 week ago

A popular bit of rhetoric for stoners used to be "blunt trauma". That's a marijuana cigarette rolled in the "blunt" wrapper".
Then we elected Matt Blunt under a Bush, and re-upped his daddy.
The comical irony of all these does not cease to confound a contemplative mind. If a Blunt runs for office, you'd have to be stoned to elect them. Which is funny considering the Blunts generally politically lean toward being hard on crime. Great. And now I can put hard-ons into the mental picnic basket and shake it up with Akin "the legitimate rapist" even making the cut to run.

On the upside, I did get my deer this morning.

connor 6 months, 1 week ago

And what did you use to harvest said deer?

Paroquet 6 months, 1 week ago

A port orford cedar shaft tipped with an obsidian arrowhead my father napped, and a bow of hackberry strung with dogbane cordage of my own make. The feathers were from my brother's turkey last spring, and bound to the arrow with sinew from last year's deer.

No sights, no lights. Me, the bow, the string, and the arrow. All which incorporated brother, father, and son.

Would you like to know what I was wearing? It has a genealogy too.

connor 6 months, 1 week ago

Funny. Archery season closed November 9th and will not open again until the 21st. Hunters are not allowed to bow hunt during the firearms portion of deer season.

mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/regulations/deer-regulations/2012-archery-deer-and-turkey-hunting-regulations

Paroquet 6 months, 1 week ago

Read-up on depredation permits.

connor 6 months, 1 week ago

Available to land owners who are sustaining crop damage after an agent visits and verifies.

The story just keeps growing doesn't it?

Paroquet 6 months, 1 week ago

That's pretty much how it went. You want to know how many raccoons I took out of season? Or groundhogs? You don't need a depredation permit for them.

I thought you styled yourself a conservative, Connor. You know, government not being able to getting all-up in your grill when minding your own business.

Told ya, mate, you're a liberal.

Having coping issues?

tonto_goldberg 6 months, 1 week ago

Reality is pretty troublesome when you had your mind made up before you got the facts.

RobHunterJohnson 6 months, 1 week ago

Remember Blunt is the smoking man as well! Rob

spelchek 6 months, 1 week ago

Who cares about taxes? Her campaign focused on keeping women's vag1nas safe from Republicans. I guess now that she tricked you into putting her in office again her real agenda can be instituted. Good luck to all Missourian's making over $200K cause Claire thinks you're rich and don't deserve as much as you used to make. See, she signed this monsterous health care law that requires tons more money that our gov't doesn't have. They have to forecefully take more of your money all the while demonizing you for sucess in life or borrow it from China.... or both. I know only half of Americans pay federal income tax and the top 2% pay 70% of that but does not matter. We need your money now more than ever because the Democrat leech base is growing and becoming more dependent every day. Goverment is not the problem, just look at the US Postal system as a prime example of government competancy. I can't wait for my health care to be that good.

TrueStory 6 months ago

Exactly

connor 6 months, 1 week ago

Yep Lap-Dog Claire comes right out supporting Obummers call for tax increases and will be on the band wagon for emission taxes as well throwing her constituents over the cliff. The Libs won't stop at 200K households either but will indirectly hit everyone with phony environmental taxes and other "specialty" taxes as well.

Wasn't it Hillary who mentioned that in America we tax everything?

Since the Libs focused on stealing the national elections and sending loot to their urban enclaves they ignore 90% of the country and guess what? Conservatives still control the house and most state legislatures so I doubt they will get their tax increases unless they attempt an end run around the Constitution through the various depts EPA and the like.

We need to let our Congress people know that they need to stand firm against McCaskill of Obamma tax increases. No increase and no raising the debt ceiling this time around. Not one bit.

JCLifer 6 months, 1 week ago

Todd Aiken needs a good spanking for allowing Claire to walk right back in.

connor 6 months, 1 week ago

NO the Lib media needs to be boycotted for "gotchya" questions and turning any moral disagreement to abortion into a war on women thing.

bluesfan13 6 months, 1 week ago

I'm pretty sure Akin lost because of his view on female anatomy, NOT his view on abortion.

Paroquet 6 months, 1 week ago

No. The GOP needs to get a candidate who is actually conservative and somewhat educated.

newone 6 months, 1 week ago

Amen!

GrumpyGus 6 months, 1 week ago

Most of those earning over $200K are business owners. They aren't paying the extra taxes, you the consumer are as they roll that business cost right on to you. What a well crafted economic plan. Liberal lawyers, is there anything they don't know? s/o

MO4LIFE 6 months, 1 week ago

Economy booming under clinton with higher taxes. Go back to Clinton Taxes and lets get this economy rolling again.

connor 6 months, 1 week ago

Go back to Clinton Era energy prices and it's easy to have a booming economy.

spelchek 6 months ago

So the president makes laws now? What kind of congress created the policies of the 90's? What kind of congress had the chance to let the Bush tax cuts expire on the rich 2 years ago but didn't? Why didn't they when it was a central theme of Obama's re-election? Why did they wait when they could have walked all over a Republican minority?

JCLifer 6 months ago

No. Silly. The president appoints czars and they make administrative rules and regulations. Congress has nothing to do with this. Of course the czars don't have anything to do with the taxes, except enforcing them.

spelchek 6 months ago

Sad, but true. The great divider has circumvented congress numerous times.

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