Lesser Evil, Democrats Agree to Protect War Spending

Chances are much more would have been won if Obama stuck to “non negotiable” position and held out until the new congress convened.

(PORTLAND, OR) - So the Pentagon’s spending for war is saved from the sequester ogre and can continue at its obscene rate for another two months (and probably forever).

The Lesser Evil and his Dems also agreed to drop their previously “non negotiable” position that the upper limit of “middle class” family income is $250M and cave to almost double it by $200M.

So for the rich, Bush’s tax cuts are now permanent. Outstanding!

One positive outcome is that the dangerous 2% cut of SS revenue is ended, although it will end the brief break for those those earning less than $110,100.

For that the Repubs allow one year’s extended UI and several other programs.

But chances are much more would have been won if Obama stuck to “non negotiable” position and held out until the new congress convened.

Bonamici was the only Oregon representative to vote for continuing war spending and for almost doubling the income required for “middle class” family membership from $250M to $450M –and thus protected permanently from tax increases.

Blumenauer, Schrader and DeFazio were among the tiny group of Dems who remained committed to the Lesser Evil’s “non negotiable” $250M limit and wisely understood those issues should be considered by the new Congress.  For the others, see the map at http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/112/house/2/659?ref=politics

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Portland Tribune photo by L.E. Baskow

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Michael Munk tries to glean important but overlooked items from the world media on the issues of the day and posts them on an irregular schedule. Although items can overlap, he also maintains separate lists for activists in Portland, Oregon and the Northwest, and special lists for: Labor, Latin America, Israel, Torture Taxis, Korea, and the Czech Republic.

Michael is a highly praised writer from an important generation whose book, the Portland Red Guide, has received high praise.

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