The Hill
Dick Lugar: House GOP should cave on payroll-tax-cut extension for the good of the country
“I’m hopeful there are a majority of Republicans and Democrats today who will proceed, because it seems to me this is best for the country, as well as for all the individuals who are affected,” Lugar said Monday on MSNBC.
House Republicans have vowed to kill the tax-cut legislation that sailed through the Senate Saturday in an 89-10 vote. The Senate adjourned for the year after passing the legislation…
Lugar said Boehner is under “enormous pressure” to reject the deal that Reid negotiated with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). He said some House Republicans would prefer to see the extension of the tax cut and unemployment benefits scrapped altogether.
Blowback
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Dick Lugar should resign for the benefit of this country.
Oil Can on December 19, 2011 at 3:45 PM
NO, put that in your pipe and smoke it lugar!
L
letget on December 19, 2011 at 3:47 PM
I’m glad to see he’s going to be challenged in the next election.
aryeung on December 19, 2011 at 3:48 PM
I really hope the good people voting in the Indiana GOP primary vote this bum out.
Daemonocracy on December 19, 2011 at 3:49 PM
Primary Lugar!!!
idesign on December 19, 2011 at 3:50 PM
Dick Lugar is still around?
What’s he now, about 89 years old?
UltimateBob on December 19, 2011 at 3:51 PM
What a jackwagon.
Darksean on December 19, 2011 at 3:51 PM
He’s a Legacy. They can’t get rid of him.
portlandon on December 19, 2011 at 3:51 PM
Get rid of this loser. He’s been in for way too long
updog on December 19, 2011 at 3:51 PM
This is one of those things where I really, really hope I’m not wrong about. I do believe that his primary opponent is far superior and (from what I’ve seen) electable. Here’s to hoping Mourdock wins the primary.
aryeung on December 19, 2011 at 3:53 PM
Luger is counting on being dead by the time the economy implodes so he really doesn’t care what the fallout is.
tommyboy on December 19, 2011 at 3:54 PM
Is the author absolutely certain this wasn’t a Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi quote misattributed to Luger?
DRayRaven on December 19, 2011 at 3:56 PM
Republicans will go to the mat for tax breaks for millionaires, but (in the House, at least) they are almost unanimously opposed to a payroll tax cut. What a surprise, huh?
theodore on December 19, 2011 at 3:57 PM
Problem is, Dick; the thing the Senate passed cannot be properly implemented.
michaelo on December 19, 2011 at 3:58 PM
Hey, dim bulb…the House wants to extend the tax cut for the full calendar year, not two months. But don’t let facts get in your way.
DRayRaven on December 19, 2011 at 3:59 PM
Dick Lugar is either senile, on the take or someone has video of something he did at a day care center.
The correct answer is probably d.) all of the above.
viking01 on December 19, 2011 at 4:00 PM
Ask your payroll processor how they would fairly implement a two month only extension of the payroll tax cut. Some people only get paid quarterly. Some people could advance a whole years pay into the first two months and scam the system. The cut should be for the full year or employers and payroll processors will go nuts trying to implement it.
ColorMeOld on December 19, 2011 at 4:01 PM
Republicans want the cuts extended for a full year rather than just two months. And ABC News, citing independent experts, says the Senate plan won’t work.
amerpundit on December 19, 2011 at 4:03 PM
Reading several of your comments here, I take it at some point in time you weren’t as stupid as you are now. You obviously can read and type, so what happened?
MadDogF on December 19, 2011 at 4:05 PM
The very august senate chamber is really just a bunch of pansies who are afraid of their own shadow.
SouthernGent on December 19, 2011 at 4:05 PM
Lugar… is full of Baloney!
…and Braunschweiger.
singlemalt 18 on December 19, 2011 at 4:06 PM
Trolls, especially the newbie variety, can’t be bothered with facts!
So, is anyone taking bets on which previously-banned HA poster this idiot is? I put $5 down for “getalife”
rhbandsp on December 19, 2011 at 4:08 PM
link not working for anyone else?
Drunk Report on December 19, 2011 at 4:13 PM
Of course, I was referring to the idiot that you quoted, Mr. Pundit, not you yourself! From what I’ve read from you, you’re a scholar and a gentleman (well, at least most of the time
!
rhbandsp on December 19, 2011 at 4:13 PM
Mourdock is doing well among the Republican grass roots in Indiana, but Lugar has a hell of a big warchest and built in support from the Republican elites and oldsters who show up in legions and pull the lever for him.
If Mourdock wins, historically it’ll be the a bigger upset in Indiana politics than when the Indianapolis Mayors race went to Greg Ballard. That was an incredible outside shot.
It is a tricky spot, though, the Right to Work legislation in Indiana is back on the table, and the Gov’s race will be a referendum on that. There’s not a small chance we’ll see increased Dem. turnout during the election due to that. This, in turn could turn a Senate seat over to the Dems (more formally, I suppose, based on Lugar’s habit of refusing to stand up against judicial appointees) if an unknown name is on the ballot. I’m willing to risk it, but I don’t believe all the party faithful will be.
BritCarGuy on December 19, 2011 at 4:26 PM
Lugar sux, and has for a long while.
jaime on December 19, 2011 at 4:34 PM
On October 18, 2007, Durbin, along with Republican co-sponsors Charles Hagel and Richard Lugar, introduced the DREAM Act as S.2205.
jaime on December 19, 2011 at 4:36 PM
Unfortunately Lugar has the very liberal newspaper “The Indianapolis Star” churning out puff pieces for him about once a month now.
tommyboy on December 19, 2011 at 4:37 PM
Fixed it for you, Ted. As in the other thread on Romney, you have trouble with analogies.
The income tax funds indirect benefits for Americans–non-citizens for that matter. The payroll tax, though it’s not segregated in a separate account, at least corresponds to a direct benefit for the taxpayer–Social security benefits for the taxpayer or eligible beneficiaries. The tax holiday just imperils the Social Security system.
What’s worse, using an increased income tax rate on high earners, detaches Social Security contributions from Social Security benefits and converts those benefits, at least in part, to pure welfare and wealth redistribution.
But keep beating that drum.
BuckeyeSam on December 19, 2011 at 4:38 PM
Time to retire this old relic from the pre-Reagan era. Lugar is 80 years old and needs to go join John Warner and George RINOvich.
CoolChange80 on December 19, 2011 at 4:44 PM
Check out challenger to Dick Lugar. His name is Richard Mourdock. He is the current IN state treasurer. You might be familiar with his work from the lawsuit he filed against Obama administration challenging the constitutionality of the Chrysler takeover.
If you can spare a few bucks, help the cause out here. http://richardmourdock.com/
Follow Mourdock on twitter. @RichardMourdock
God Bless Us.
ListKeeper on December 19, 2011 at 4:44 PM
Echoing a little of BritCarGuy – as an Indiana native (a Boilermaker, through and through), I was very happy to see Mourdock primarying Lugar. Just a bit of a correction, though: Typically, Indiana’s primary is so late in the cycle that the presidential candidate has already been chosen by that time. So – Mourdock has a decent shot of unseating Lugar, since a light primary favors the most passionate and mobilized candidates. I don’t know that I ever remember Lugar being primaried in my lifetime. So, if Mourdock can keep the Tea Party backing, and if Lugar keeps doing boneheaded things like this, the challenger has a very good shot at unseating him.
Obama is now unpopular enough here, I think that whoever the (R) is will easily beat Donnelly (D) for the Senate seat, even with the Right-to-Work legislation on the table.
lyons8804 on December 19, 2011 at 4:46 PM
Oh yeah, Matt Tully undoubtedly leading the charge…
BritCarGuy on December 19, 2011 at 4:46 PM
Mike Pence has to win a primary to run for IN Governor 2012. He will win easily. His base are not fans of Dick Lugar. Mourdock can win his primary challenge of Lugar.
TEA Partiers like myself are turning out to work the phones, gun/knife shows, 4-H shows, you name it.
More cash would be nice.
ListKeeper on December 19, 2011 at 5:07 PM
I’m not sure if Donnelly has a primary challenge on the D side. If not, D’s can request an R ballot and vote for Obama’s favorite Republican, Dick Lugar.
ListKeeper on December 19, 2011 at 5:26 PM
House GOP: Dick Lugar should start signing his ill-gotten pension checks over to the nursing home and change his diapers more often.
Jaibones on December 19, 2011 at 5:30 PM
Hey DICK:
If we cave to every stupid and destructive idea the Democrats come up with, then WE’LL HAVE NO COUNTRY!!!
…and considering that the Payroll Tax is the ONLY revenue specifically allocated for Social Security, and Social Security is already insolvent, cutting the Payroll Tax is one of the most stupid and destructive ideas ever!!!
(…unless you are actually trying to destroy Social Security…)
landlines on December 19, 2011 at 6:13 PM