GOP Representatives are a bit touchy at the moment about looking like two-faced pricks who cannot honor a simple agreement and who could not care less about regular working Americans. If I answered the phones in one of their offices today I think I would dread the sound of the telephone ringing. [Update] You could ask why he or she thinks we have to pay for this tax cut when every other tax cut in history allegedly paid for itself.
You know what to do.
Find your Congresscritter here.
Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
Guide for first-timers here.
Here is a pic of Max’s friend Asher to motivate you.
***Update***
Just called Cliff Stearns office in DC. Gave my name and address and asked why he voted to raise my taxes. The staffer was having none of it, but I kept bringing it back to “Why did Cliff vote to raise my taxes.” Wouldn’t let her wiggle out of it, and let her know my friends and I all planned on LTEs on January 1 asking why our GOP Congressman voted to raise our taxes.
eemom
COULDN’T give half a shit.
dmsilev
Link fail.
I’d call, but fortunately I don’t have a GOPper as a Rep. My “I’m a moderate, really I am” Republican Senator (Mark Kirk) was one of the nine who voted against the 2-month extension, so maybe I’ll piss off some of his staffers instead.
dmsilev
On a related note, I was browsing through some news stories on this, and some commenter over at the NY Times had a great nickname for Boehner: The Grim Weeper.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
Thanks for Asher, as well as for the reminder. I see it as being a participant in the democratic process.
japa21
@dmsilev: Kirk is mine as well. In many ways the most deceitful of the Republican Senators simply because of the “I am a moderate” pose while doing nothing that actually, you know, supports that statement. At least most of the others are in your face with their idiocy.
My Rep is the odious Joe Walsh. I think he actually loves getting the negative calls. He knows he isn’t going to be re-elected and is looking forward to the 3 million in campaign funds Boehener supposedly promised him to run in a different district where he is going to lose big time. Probably will abscond to South America with it, and still not pay his ex wife what he owes her.
The Other Bob
Let’s see who can come up with the best phone call script that will really piss off the staff/Rep.
Pillsy
I told my ‘Critter that I don’t vote for Republicans so they can go to Washington to raise my taxes. Which is technically true.
some guy
Just called Cliff Stearns office in DC. Gave my name and address and asked why he voted to raise my taxes. The staffer was having none of it, but I kept bringing it back to “Why did Cliff vote to raise my taxes.” Wouldn’t let her wiggle out of it, and let her know my friends and I all planned on LTEs on January 1 asking why our GOP Congressman voted to raise our taxes.
she was not pleased.
dmsilev
Just out on TPM:
Guess the House GOP’s reaction to being in a deep hole is “pass the shovel. And the pickaxe. And the blasting charges.”.
wvng
Called Capito. The person taking the call seemed bemused at my suggestion that I consider Capito one of the reasonable members of the caucus and that she should work with Boehner to bring the bill up for a vote and not hurt struggling West Virginians.
Quincy
@japa21: Walsh is mine as well. As you say, calling him is pointless. If I may ask, do you have any thoughts about the primary? Krishnamoorthi sounds much better to me, but I haven’t fully researched it yet so if you have a pitch for Duckworth, I’d be interested to hear that viewpoint.
Kristine
@dmsilev: The serial resume-embellisher voted No, huh? Yes, he’s my senator too, dammit.
::@japa21: we share a rep as well. Supposedly the 8th has been tweaked to make it more D-friendly. Here’s hoping. If that’s the case, I do believe Walsh is looking forward to hanging onto as much of that campaign cash as possible to pay, oh, maybe some rather late child support, among other things?
What an embarrassment.
Oh, and I almost forgot–Asher looks like a Good Puppy. Thanks for the pic.
Hill Dweller
Boehner’s new line, as of this morning, is a one-year extension would create more “certainty”. He isn’t even trying at this point.
Comrade Mary
I’m just waiting for somebody to say in the media, over and over again:
Boehner, as speaker of the entire House, can bring the Senate bill up for a vote at any time. No one can stop him from doing this.
The House has the votes to pass the Senate bill.
They do not have to go to conference.
This is a political stall on Boehner’s part. He won’t bring the Senate bill up for a vote because he doesn’t want it to pass.
Rinse. Repeat.
(Sorry, Tim, I am Canuckistani and have no Congress critter to call. But Asher motivates me nonetheless!)
Cermet
Called my rep (yes, a thug … or sometimes called a republican; we lost our blue dog light – hope he feels good about his votes that didn’t save his stupid ass) and they answered on the first ring! I was proper and polite (really) and ask for him to support the payroll tax relief. Of course, had to give name/address – guess they are getting too many outside calls – that doesn’t help, by the way.
dmsilev
@japa21: Sorry to hear that you’ve been saddled with Walsh. He’s a real piece of work, even by the standards of the House GOP caucus.
some guy
my response to the “one year” reply from the House staffer was if Stearns supports a one year extension why did he vote against a two month extension?
Comrade Mary
And the voice of the turtle was heard in the land.
Hill Dweller
Boehner was just completely undercut by McConnell, who released a statement saying the House should pass the short-term extension.
You’re starting to see other Republicans try and inoculate themselves from any damage. Boehner is toast.
dmsilev
BooMan makes a funny:
amk
Colbert op-ed.
japa21
@Quincy: Actually I like both of them. Since the 8th is a more friendly district to Dems with those parts that gave Walsh his victory gone, I think it should be a general election win for either. I don’t think Walsh can even win the Rep primary, although I actually wish he would. Of course the only reason he won in 2010 is that Bean took her reelection for granted and didn’t even attempt to campaign until too late.
I think the biggest advantage Duckworth has is her familiarity with Washington having been in the VA out there. She wouldn’t be approaching it with any sense of unrealistic expectations. But I really am quite happy with either. Almost unfortunate that one of them has to lose.
jibeaux
@some guy: I want to hear more of these stories! My rep is painfully normal & boring. Got a Christmas card with him and his 97 year old mama. Even though I know it’s because he got divorced, it was a nice change of pace from the usual politician photo.
jibeaux
@some guy: I’d also be interested in hearing how she tried to convince you it wasn’t raising your taxes.
japa21
@Comrade Mary: The thing about the Keystone project is that there probably wouldn’t be that many jobs given to Americans. Probably a lot of Canadians would come down to do the work.
The Ancient Randonneur
TimF isn’t the obvious answer to your update that “trickle down” is code for “pissing on the 99% so the 1% don’t have to suffer under the yolk of waiting an extra 15 minutes to by the new Rolls”?
Yutsano
I’m just gonna say PUPPEH!! and call it good. Anyone I could possibly call would be a total waste of time.
Kristine
@japa21: I may be misreading the local news, but it strikes me that Krishnamoorthi has more local Dem support than does Duckworth. Could it be because she got Rahmed down their throats in 2006 at the expense of their more established candidate, only to lose?
I would be content with either candidate as my rep, but maybe the one with the stronger local Dem support might be the better pick in the long run? Not sure if Rahm being Da Mayor and all helps or hurts.
Figuring out Illinois Dems. It’s all tea leaves and entrails.
Monkey Business
So, how long before Cantor straps Boehner to a giant stone and lets McConnell plunge his hand into his chest, ripping out his still beating orange heart, while screaming “KALI MA!”, Temple of Doom style?
dmsilev
@Hill Dweller: So basically, the hard-hard-right wing of the GOP has Boehner’s balls in a vice since they’re a majority of the GOP House caucus, so he’s stuck. At the same time, the merely hard-right members, both the in House and the Senate, are starting to see what a disaster this will be for them, and they’re begging Boehner to give in. But he can’t, because of the aforementioned balls-in-vice situation.
If it weren’t playing games with money that a lot of people badly need, I’d regard this as some of the best entertainment I’ve seen all year.
Whatsleft
Just got off phone with a staffer who clearly did not know what was going on. Last line of defense was “it us up to the powers to call for a vote” and “it was made clear that we are not adjourned”. She did not even know there is an existing bill to be voted on!! It was “blah blah Senate, blah compromise”, and was genuinely surprised to hear that there was an existing bill to be voted on (or surprised that I knew that her first two lines of defense were utter BS). We report, you decide :-)
Since she invited me to keep an eye on things, guess it will be daily calls (at the very least). It’s nice to hear the nervousness instead of the unbearable smarmy smugness I generally encounter from my Critter’s minions!
some guy
@jibeaux:
“The House voted for a one year extension.” Fine, then why did Cliff vote against a two month extension?
“”We need to conference with the Senate.” The Senate will be out of town until January, and by then my taxes will have gone up.
“This is not a tax hike, it’s simply returning to previous SS tax levels.” My paycheck will be smaller come January because Cliff and the House GOP just voted to raise my taxes. You can call it whatever you want, brand it however you like, but come January 1 I will be paying more in taxes because of the vote Cliff Stearns made, the one I watched live on C-Span. The clip your opponent will play in an endless loop come next October in an attack ad many of us will gladly help pay for.
“This wasn’t an actual tax bill.” I understand, it was a vote on the Senate compromise, the one Mitch McConnell and 38 other Republican Senators crafted. (this rebuttal really pissed her off.)
the key point I kept repeating (in the call and in the email off of Cliff Stearns webpage) is “why did Cliff Stearns vote to raise my taxes.”
jeffreyw
Blog site name change requires a comment post.
Here’s a sammich.
chopper
silly people. republican tax cuts pay for themselves. democratic tax cuts don’t do a thing for anyone and only piss off the great ‘job creators’ and the baby jesus.
it’s all right here in this pamphlet.
Original Lee
@some guy: Also, if not extending the Bush tax cuts is a tax increase, then not extending the payroll tax cuts is a tax increase.
HR has sent out a memo basically telling us that because our next pay period spans the New Year, for this ONE time, the payroll tax increase will not be the full amount but will be pro-rated.
If Congress is going to mess with my taxes, why can’t they have the courtesy not to do it in the last pay period of the year? \snark
chopper
@some guy:
so my taxes aren’t going to go up? woo hoo! these people are idiots.
jibeaux
@some guy: Beautifully done.
japa21
@Kristine: Like I say, I like both of them. I have not yet decided who will get my vote in the primary. I know Krishnamoorthi has been campaigning more aggresively than Duckworth and doing all positive campaigning which is defintely a point in his favor in my eyes. If Duckworth starts acting as if she feels she is just entitled to the nomination and shouldn’t have to work hard at it, then she will lose a lot of my support.
At the same time, Krishnamoorthi has to do a lot more to a) raise his name recognition and b) fairly or unfairly work against any prejudices that there may be based solely on his name.
Hill Dweller
@dmsilev: Boehner’s office just sent out a tweet saying the House passed the only bill that won’t raise taxes next year. In other words, they are accusing McConnell, by supporting the short term extension, of wanting to raise taxes.
chopper
@Original Lee:
exactly. letting the bush tax cuts for the rich expire is a tax hike. letting the obama tax cuts for the middle class expire is not at all a tax hike. seriously, it all makes sense if you hit your head against the wall a few times.
chopper
@Hill Dweller:
man, boner’s flopping around so much we should call him ‘orange roughy’.
Quincy
@japa21: Thanks for the thoughts. I agree both are strong enough candidates to challenge a more stable Republican than Walsh and it’s a shame one of them couldn’t run elsewhere.
@Kristine: The local support you mentioned is one of the primary reasons for my expressed preference. The Third Way-types seem unanimously lined up behind Duckworth, which always gives me pause. That said, I don’t wish to denigrate her on the limited information I’ve read to this point.
gaz
I almost wish I had a repub representative – just so I could call them to ask about my tax hike.
Actually, not really. I’m happy with my dems.
Culture of Truth
I actually see this as quite an important moment.
For decades, and particularly recently, the GOP has defined itself as the party that hates taxes, that cuts taxes, the sees tax cuts as the solution to almost everything, and proudly so, and most emphatically, as the group of people who have opposed, at every turn, at great risk to themselves, but standing on principle, the liberal progressive Democratic efforts to raise your taxes, because, (rather inexplicably) Democrats just “love” higher taxes.
Goodbye to all that.
Culture of Truth
GOP Elevator pitch 2012:
Higher Spending
Higher Debt
Higher Taxes
.
CaseyL
Here’s my take:
1. Let the tax cut expire and middle class taxes go up.
2. When the Bush tax cuts expire, explain that we’re not renewing those, either, because high-earners should contribute to the National Treasury just like the middle class is doing.
Renewing the middle class tax cut now could mean trouble for NOT renewing the Bush cuts later.
wrb
Seems like we’re eventually gonna get the extension for the full year too, hard as the R’s have had to protest that it is what they are really for.
It will be hard for them to play games with it.
Well played, Ds
jibeaux
@Hill Dweller: Because Boehner will go ahead and raise them now! Brilliant, I tell you.
metricpenny
Just spoke with my Rep’s (Tom Price, R-GA) DC office. Introduced myself and asked if he would be staying in DC and encouraging the Speaker to call for a vote on the Senate’s bill to extend the payroll tax cut. She replied, “He supports a year’s extension”.
I stated that is not what I asked. I explained to her that my health insurance premium would be increasing $75 per month on 1/1/12 and I needed that tax cut to help defray that cost. She repeated what she said earlier.
I explained to her that as my representative I needed Mr. Price to support me and not just his party. She said she would let him know.
Culture of Truth
Indeed, the cut will go through, but it’s too late. As the WSJ observed, it’s quite a feat to the wrong (or right) thing and look bad doing it, and lose the issue as well.
Admiral_Komack
@dmsilev:
“Guess the House GOP’s reaction to being in a deep hole is “pass the shovel. And the pickaxe. And the blasting charges.”.
…and nuke it from orbit…it’s the only way to be sure.
chopper
@CaseyL:
if the dems had half a set of balls they’d tie the two together. if the goopers are willing to let a tax cut for the middle class expire then they should be willing to let the tax cuts for the rich expire too.
Raven
@metricpenny: Give Paul Broun a call for me will ya?
chrome agnomen
republicans: ‘read my lips! new taxes!’
Admiral_Komack
@Culture of Truth:
GOP Elevator pitch 2012:
BOHICA!
Yutsano
The Freude, it is indeed Schaden.
Admiral_Komack
@Monkey Business:
“Leave the Orange Day-Glo; take the canoli.”
JPL
@metricpenny: Did you receive the letter on Medicare that he sent out. I’m going to respond to that after the holidays because it was so misleading.
robo
To the Honorable Rep. Steve Southerland
Thanks, Steve, for courageously voting to raise payroll taxes on the whining masses after those socialists in the Senate tried to pull a fast one.
It takes unusually principled vision to embrace Eric Cantor’s justifications for sticking it to the middle-class. A lesser person might shy from supporting such a transparently pathetic excuse of a man, but Mr Cantor has a clear vision of the best way to re-distribute wealth in our nation, and that way is to be sure good people like you and me amass great wealth so that we can dole it out in dribs and drabs to the pathetic whiners of the non-productive working class. Otherwise, they will start to feel too comfortable, and then try getting any extra productivity out of them. You know what I mean.
Certainly, we must find a way to pay for this feckless giveaway to the special interests of the middle class. They have been coddled for too long!! It is especially important that they not believe themselves equal to the wealthier members of society like you and me whose tax breaks do not require such budget balancing finesse.
I hope I can count on you to continue to put the shaft to the working people in your district and to be sure that their betters (people like you and me!) receive every consideration and advantage as we continue to “job create” and “be productive” while the drags on society learn to stay in their place and be grateful for the crumbs we toss them. Truly, the golden shower of trickle down economics is a gift from heaven that they should welcome with open arms and mouths.
Well, I’ve got to run, fellow grandee. I have a few people I’d like to layoff before lunch and I’m anxious to find a way to deprive them of their unemployment benefits when I do. Ha ha ha! Just kidding. Ha! Well, not really. Could you pass a law that helps me?
Call me. I’d love to chat over an egg white omelet sometime.
The Moar You Know
Rove is telling Boehner that he’s lost, pass the damn bill.
This is so fucking awesome. Hang in there, Orange Guy! Fight the power!
burnspbesq
On the off chance that you think is an isolated example of Congressional Republicans ficking those they are supposed to serve, check out S. 1856. This little beauty will, if enacted, prohibit US airlines from participating in the EU emissions trading scheme. Failing to participate in the EU emissions trading scheme will result in the loss of authority to operate in the EU.
Well played, Sen. Thune.
metricpenny
@JPL:
I received the letter, but have not read it. I didn’t want to spoil my holidays. The man is so disingenuous.
If I didn’t have so many bodies in my closet (my sh*ts so meaty, they ain’t even skeletons), I’d challenge him. As a Dem. In red ass Cobb County, GA.
The Moar You Know
WSJ editorial is priceless, says GOP has “achieved the small miracle of letting Mr. Obama position himself as an election-year tax cutter.”
John McCain telling the House to pass the Senate bill.
McConnell is pissed, tells the House to pass the bill.
“Both sides do it” has been tried and has failed here. “Republicans are raising taxes” has won the day. They are so fucked.
How the hell does Obama keep getting so lucky with his opponents?
Admiral_Komack
I called Linsey Graham’s and Jim DeMint’s offices.
I left Graham a message and talked to a staffer in DeMint’s office.
In both calls I complained about my taxes going up on January 1, 2012 and how I would not blame President Obama or the Democrats but I would blame the TeaRepublicans.
The DeMint staffer sounded a little dispirited.
I did wish the staff and their families in DeMint’s office a Merry Christmas.
Yutsano
@The Moar You Know: I’m gonna choose to not argue. But I’m thinking this is a sign of a party that is slowly dying out. The coalition that held them together is no longer functional.
OT: did JC forget to feed the gerbils again?
B W Smith
@Raven: HA, I’ve been calling that numbnut Broun’s office for days and all I get is a recording. I left a message, despite what their message says, no one has called me back. I’m sure he’s avoiding constituent contact, especially those with Athens phone numbers. Courage is not his strong suit.
PIGL
When our species is hauled to judgement before the Galactic Council, that picture of Asher will be our only hope. We don’t deserve the affections of such joyous luvy creatures.
Thanks for sharing. Also, too, Max Roolz, OK!
JasonF
If Boehner and the House Republicans really want a one year extension, they’ve got a very easy path forward: Pass the two month extension, along with a separate bill amending the two-month extension so it becomes a one-year extension. The two-month extension goes into effect as soon as President Obama signs it, and when the Senate returns in January, they simply vote on the one-year extension.
The fact that Boehner is not doing this is all the evidence you need that his “We want a one-year extension but the mean old Democrats are limiting us to two months” is a line of bullshit.
Ian
@eemom:
You obviously do not have to work for a living. Congratulation.
ThresherK
@japa21: Yep.
Plus, in the reverse of the “Mythical Man Month” (a dated title, of course) we have the “Mythical Job-Year”, in which X jobs for Y years equals “OMG! XY JOBS 4EVAH!”.
burnspbesq
@Ian:
Would you like some help extracting your foot from your mouth?
Knowing what you’re talking about has never been a requirement at this fine establishment, but it doesn’t hurt.
Ian
@burnspbesq:
My foot usually tastes pretty good, but I think responding to someone who doesn’t care if payroll taxes go up does not count in this category.
chopper
@The Moar You Know:
dark skin is like kryptonite to republicans. only instead of making them weak, it makes them go even crazier.
CatHairEverywhere
Called my idiot rep who is high up in House leadership. The jerk (and he really was rude- nice constituent services there, Buddy) who answered the phone told me my rep had voted to extend the payroll tax cut for one year. When I said, “Oh, you mean that dumb bill with the pipeline attached?” he got very huffy with me and claimed the pipeline had been studied enough. When I told him that I would be writing a letter to my editor on Jan 1st if my taxes went up, his boredom was palpable. I very politely told him I knew the Rep didn’t care about our area and we hung up. My rep’s district is w-a-y too safe. The thing that makes me extra mad is that if a Dem’s office had been so rude, everyone from Rushbo to Faux would be up in arms. IOKIYAR.
Steeplejack
@Ian:
She was offering a correction to Tim F.’s post, which originally said “. . . and who could care less about regular working Americans.” He then fixed it.
burnspbesq
@Ian:
Assumes facts not in evidence. I happen to know the Congressional district in which eemom resides (VA-11), and there’s no need to write or call Gerry Connolly. He gets it.
burnspbesq
My congresscritter (Ed Royce, CA-40) is a complete waste of time. OK if I send some money to MoveOn instead of calling him?
Ruckus
@The Moar You Know:
How the hell does Obama keep getting so lucky with his opponents?
Maybe, just maybe, it’s not all luck.
Ian
@Steeplejack:
My apologies. One very big Crow is my late night snack plan. I read the post and felt enraged and reacted.