Johnny Isakson: ‘Why put the markets in turmoil?’
U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson on Sunday declared himself willing to accept President Barack Obama’s offer of legislation to preserve middle class tax cuts as a last resort – and questioned why Congress was willing to toy with the nation’s 401(k)s.
From his appearance on ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos”:
Isakson:: “I felt like the House should have gone ahead and passed Speaker Boehner’s bill, because it addressed the subject and we’d still be in negotiation. And the president’s statement is right. No one wants taxes to go up on the middle class. I don’t want them to go up on anybody. But I’m not in the majority in the United State Senate and he’s the president of the United States. If we get down to the end of this year and the only choice we have is to save taxes going up on the middle class, then I would support that.
“But I wish we would have a comprehensive bill that dealt with spending, dealt with entitlements, and dealt with taxes altogether. That’s really what we ought to do.”
Stephanopoulos asked what he thought of the chances of a deal between now and the end of the year. Said Isakson:
”I sold houses for 33 years, George. I’m an eternal optimist, but time is running out. And the truth of the matter is, if we do fall off the cliff, after the president is inaugurated, he’ll come back, propose just what he proposed yesterday when leaving Washington, and we’ll end up adopting it. But why should we put the markets in such turmoil, and the people in such misunderstanding or lack of confidence? Why don’t we go ahead and act now?”
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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116 comments Add your comment
honested
December 24th, 2012
4:31 pm
Yes, td, although I missed it last Monday, Happy Saturnalia!
Debbie Dooley
December 24th, 2012
5:30 pm
It is because the Tea Party threatens the GOP congresspeople with Primary fights. Fire EVERY ONE of them….
Halftrack
December 24th, 2012
6:04 pm
Dear Johnny; your job is to look after Georgian first then the rest of the Americans. You are incorporated into 1/3 of the Government as an independent entity. Regardless of what the President says you can rightly oppose his policies and positions, especially when the end result is worse than the cure. A 16 Trillion dollar debt is not overcome by any tax increases. Spending is the problem. Let’s do some critical thinking on this matter and do some leadership things. We haven’t tried that in a long time. As Dr. Phil says where is our present thinking getting America and how is it working out for us?
Voter
December 24th, 2012
6:29 pm
@Halftrack – I agree. Spending is the problem. Unfortunately, the White House and the Democrats don’t want to do any spending cuts.
Again – “You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.”
― Adrian Rogers
tell the truth
December 24th, 2012
6:59 pm
Bob Loblaw How very principled of you all to want your way rather than consider any compromise that would be good for the entire USA. It is a sick picture of the way that your perverted minds work that you would think that way. Let me tell you that many of your Repuke brethren will be kicked out in states that are more reasonable unlike all the southern burn and slash states. You are a dying breed and don’t even realize it.
tell the truth
December 24th, 2012
7:07 pm
RCB There is no antithesis to Faux News – anywhere in the world except maybe in countries with dictators.
Voter
December 24th, 2012
7:45 pm
@tell the truth – not sure where you get your facts but FoxNews does very well in reporting the news unlike NBC, MSNBC, CNBC and other major media services. If the mainstream media did their job we would have answers to why Benghazi happened.
td
December 24th, 2012
10:02 pm
You libs should not be so bitter today. Remember some 2000 years ago tonight our Lord and savior came to us in the form of a human being to give all us sinners the opportunity for salvation!!!!! What a glorious thought we all have the chance to choice the right path in life. We do not have to be perfect, we do not have to live a perfect life, we do not have to pay and we really do not even have to work for salvation. All we have to do is believe. I pray all of you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and if not it is never too late. Merry Christmas to all.
honested
December 24th, 2012
10:22 pm
td,
Or 2000 years ago, a son was born to a sad little hebrew girl that couldn’t bring herself to tell the truth as to who was the father of her child.
There have always been fools who will fall for anything!
Cherokee
December 24th, 2012
10:57 pm
td, Merry Christmas to you, but you cannot be a conservative and a disciple of Jesus Christ. To do that you would have to ignore much of His teaching, such as His admonition to turn the other cheek when you’re threatened, to also give your shirt to the thief who threatens to take your coat, as well as His comments about the responsbility of nations to care for the sick and the widows and the less fortunate.
All of those teachings are anathema to you – judging by your comments here – and most conservatives.
td
December 24th, 2012
11:20 pm
Cherokee
December 24th, 2012
10:57 pm
I guess you can not be a progressive and a disciple of Christ.
For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. 2 Thessalonians 3:10
Voter
December 24th, 2012
11:33 pm
@td – Well said. Merry Christmas
Voter
December 24th, 2012
11:33 pm
@honested – We’ll be praying for you.
Voter
December 24th, 2012
11:35 pm
@Cherokee – “but you cannot be a conservative and a disciple of Jesus Christ”. Disagree. I am a Christian as well as a conservative.
Voter
December 24th, 2012
11:37 pm
@Cherokee – also, people, whether Christian or not, do have opinions. Some are right and some are wrong. That does not change whether someone believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and our Savior.
innerjuju
December 25th, 2012
12:28 am
Congratulations, Senator Isakson, you just secured my vote during the next election. I’m looking to support those on both sides of the aisle that show leadership, moderation, and compromise. You have no idea how much hope you gave me in believing the American people might just be able to see themselves out of this mess. My hat is off to you, sir.