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Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) Says Senate Republicans Will Support Tax Increases

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  April 18th, 2011 at 05:00 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

A few weeks ago, I reported that the Senate Republicans’ point man on dealing with the deficit, Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), said he’d support tax increases as a means to reduce the deficit. Chambliss promptly denied it.

Yesterday, in the New York Times, Chambliss admitted he and the Senate Republicans will support tax increases to pay off the deficit.

Mr. Chambliss has been increasingly outspoken in arguing that additional revenues must be part of a debt-reduction plan, given the scale of the problem.

“I’m taking arrows from some on the far right,” he told the Rotary Club of Atlanta in an appearance with Mr. Warner on Monday. “Are some people going to pay more in taxes? You bet.”

Mitch McConnell put Chambliss in charge of the issue for the Republicans. He is their point man.

You can see now what is taking shape as we head toward the fight over the debt ceiling. Senate Republicans will agree not just to ending all deductions and credits in the tax code and lowering the tax rate while expanding the base — a step I support. The Senate Republicans will support higher taxes too.

Chambliss has already attacked Paul Ryan‘s “Path to Prosperity” because, in Chambliss’s words, Ryan is able to balance the budget without cutting defense spending.

Senate Republicans are going to support raising the debt ceiling and raising taxes all while refusing to demand passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment. House Republican Leaders will no doubt decide that . . . well . . . Republicans only control one house of one branch of government so . . . .

Bend over America.

By the way, his “arrows from the far right” is code for me. Seriously. Following that we have this:

Perhaps more troublesome for Mr. Chambliss have been critics at home like Erick Erickson, a conservative blogger, Atlanta radio talk-show host and CNN contributor. “Is Saxby Chambliss Becoming a Democrat?” Mr. Erickson asked in a recent blog post.

Note that neither Chambliss, nor the Democrats, are taking serious fire from the left. It’s just conservatives who Chambliss is happy to take “arrows” from.

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  • conservative_dan

    LOL!! We’re gonna have tax CUTS!!!!!

  • gumbeaux

    The only difference between the Demosocialists and their enablers, aka the Republican Party, is the D or the R after their names. All they want to do is TAX AND SPEND. They want to go with raising the Debt Ceiling and before you can say Baloney, it will all be spent on another Demosocialist program and we will have just that much more debt. Then the RAISE TAXES drum will be beaten and the Rs will roll over again and vote for it. We need to get rid of the current leadership in the House and Senate and put some people in their place who will Git R Done!

  • Diogenes314

    Of course that means cutting the rates and eliminating deductions-which according to Grover Norquist equals “raising taxes”.

  • checkinout6000

    So what is so terribly wrong with just cutting spending on these stupid socialist communistic left wing spending programs? You can’t tax everyone into the ground. No one can take any more taxes. What is so hard to figure out here? Why do these dinks think there is a tea party movement or do they think they will just raise taxes and it will go away?

  • paul427

    Sometimes people just don’t get it. Either they are recalcitrant, just plain stupid, mentally challenged, or experiencing some other condition which just crushes their ability to use proper discretion. How dare Uncle Chambliss act so stupidly in light of the tortured economy and the mounting gasoline cost! Is he aiming for a full-blown depression (despite Uncle Communist’s assertions that we are surging in prosperity…please quiet down oh naked emperor!) Why is it that someone has to spell out for him something so basic?

    Hey man who would impersonate Bozo in his day job: CUT THE TAXES, drill for oil, cut entitlements, ban planned parenthood if they don’t raise their own funds, oppose the clueless Dems, and stop worrying about the true patriots from the “far right” (Do you even know of what the “far right” consists?) Did you learn nothing from the Tea Party movement? You are already being compensated too well for the job you are failing to do properly, and I suggest you get real solutions instead of focusing on how to work with the clueless Dems who prefer to live in denial across the aisle. That’s what Uncle Obama stresses is most important as he destroys the economy and prints more cash to support his lame programs of entitlement. Is there a chance that any time soon you’ll realize he doesn’t seem to know anything about economics in a democratic republic? If you cannot afford these programs, you just have to cut them. Prior generations never relied on them. The Founding Fathers didn’t have them either. Remember what Stockman was forced to do under Reagan. It didn’t hurt the way the world remembers the Gipper either. How about planning for a personal legacy of respect instead of derision, which you seem like you are tracking for (cluelessly) with open arms!

  • radicalrighty

    I hope Saxby finds out just how many of us there are on the “far right” in his next primary.

    There’s a “Rubio” somewhere in Georgia waiting to emerge.

  • radicalrighty

    I hope Saxby finds out just how many of us there are on the “far right” in his next primary.

    There’s a “Rubio” somewhere in Georgia waiting to emerge.

  • marc1949

    I do suspect that Sen. Chambliss has lost his mental faculties and requires intense medical treatment for the rest of his term.
    The term TEA in “Tea Party” refers to “Taxes Enough Already”, Senator. Ergo there WILL be NO tax increases. Do you hear me now?

    That said, my humble but accurate opinion is that it is time for a Recall Vote for every former Republican who has obviously lost their mind. Upon completion of these extractions from Congress, continuing treatment under the “wise and tender ministrations” of NObama-care may help these former “servants of the people” find their lost minds or at least put them out of our misery.

    And if no suitable Tea Party candidate can be found to replace these wimps, my I recommend that we Cut the salaries of every recalled Senator or Congressperson to save the expense of paying someone for the non-service we’ve been getting of late.

  • jiminga

    Saxby is and always has been a RINO and needs to be primaried. Too bad he didn’t run in 2010.

  • cam1

    has been and enemy to conservatism and an ally to his own power and wealth. He is an enemy to all Georgians and must never be re-elected to represent our state Senate. Same goes for Isakson.

  • popster

    his earphones and pay attention to what happened in 11/2010. RINO is too soft a description for Dumbo, progressive is a better one. It is greedy, arrogant politicians like this that have, and are continuing to screw this Country into bankruptcy.
    Come 2012, he is going to wonder what happened to his cushy job.

  • edintexas

    They aren’t currently taxing “everyone”, and I’m sure they have no plans to tax everyone. Almost half of all US households (47% for 2009 Taxes) pay no Federal Income Tax, and I’m positive they don’t plan to change that – except perhaps to make sure the percentage goes safely over 50% to ensure a dependent class.

    I’ll bet (and I don’t gamble) Chambliss, et al, have no plans to even attempt to eliminate the Tax Code welfare payments to people who owe no taxes (AKA “Tax Refunds” to those with no tax liability).

  • http://www.imperfectamerica.com imperfectamerica

    He no doubt thinks that voters in Georgia will have forgotten about his not so Democrat-lite stylings by 2014… I don’t think so.

  • checkinout6000

    I didnt say anything about federal income tax. I talking about all the crazy taxes that everyone must pay. You can hardly breath anymore without paying tax. If you think federal income tax is the only “revenue enhancer” they have on the table then you had better set your alarm clock and wake up.

  • checkinout6000

    You can bet if he is successful with this he had better run and run very far.

  • radicalrighty

    Those boys better go spend a little time in their states, or actually read their e-mails before voting like that . . .

  • poorman2011

    As a lifelong supporter of conservative values, I am appalled by the current Republican party, there are recently elected conservative people who uphold the value system I have,small Government,low taxes,Pro life,War only as last resort,and protecting Americans from enemies foreign or domestic. As a people we must decide if we want to bow,lean forward at the altar of this god Government or root out those who easily fit the description of domestic enemies of the America I love and am willing to fight to protect, I am not a Tea party member but they have started a process of cleansing the government of freedoms enemies. For that they have my respect and thanks.

  • sowa1

    anyone who votes for it will be replaced if they are up for re-election.

  • 4suramcan

    do this, do that, And some of these things will really be a good start. But we’re not going to see this congress fix anything thats good for America. Why, because they have sold us out, long ago. One solution. Kick them all out and start over. When they have taken all our guns, there will be no recourse ‘cept to do what they tell you.

  • 1689

    Establishment Republicans, the ones who actually lead the party, are in reality no different from Democrats. This is stupid having your principles laughed at behind closed doors time and time again (Boehner, now the Senate). You were elected to make stop spending, stop Obama – period. What Chambliss and the RINOs are proposing is the same old crap. The philosophy of Bush the Elder (remember the broken “read-my-lips-no-new-taxes campaign pledge) still grips the northeast & establishment RINOs. Tea partiers – separate yourselves from the Republicans. Start your own political party in the 50 states.

  • romeg

    and the reason Saxby accepted is that he (Saxby) is contemplating spending more time with his family after this term is up. If these Six Sick Senators come to terms and can get the House to go along, there is no question that Obama will sign it into law.

    Paul Ryan likes to say that he is handing the Democrats a weapon by taking on reforms in “Entitlements”. But seeking to raise taxes the Unholy Trinity of RINO’s in the Senate is handing them a much more lethal weapon just as GHWB did in 1992 when he broke his pledge of “Read My lips; No new Taxes”.

    As Ryan likes to say. “The government doesn’t have revenue problem. It has a SPENDING problem.” Until we can populate the Senate with conservatives that get that message and decided to truly engage in “Shared Sacrifice” that includes the looters and moochers paying THEIR share, then instead of things getting better, they will only get worse

  • hendrig

    Reelect no one. Fire them all.

  • mspector
  • 6eorge Jetson

    But he’s going down then.

    Another @!$^# maverick.

  • badrmaine

    We are being snookered by the very people that we elected as “CONCERVATIVES”. This has always been the problem of the republican party. We really don’t know who we are electing. During election, these people swear up and down that they are “CONSERVATIVE”. But when the rubber meets the road, and they have to vote for conservative beliefs, they are rolled by the opposition like a roll of toilet paper.

  • AceInTX

    If he’s their “Front Man” isn’t he speaking for Mitch McConnell and his band of merry men when he spews at the “Far Right”?

    This should not be tolerate….AT ALL!

    We’re going to take it in the rear again and get preached at about how we have to keep supporting these crap weasels because “we can’t do any better.”….”At least they’re better than the Democrat”….”In stead of helping our guys win…all you want to do is take your ball and go home”….what are you going to do, vote for the Democrat?”

    But what do I know…I’m just a “Scorched Earth Purist”!

    BAHHH!!!!

  • earlgrey

    or do we expect them to fold with dems and a few rinos? This stuff kind of makes me wonder why we work so hard. Yes I am new to activism, but if activists don’t see any reward or point to the fight, than they’ll stop. Hard enough with both parents working full time, traveing for work, sick little kids, etc.

  • AceInTX

    But even I didn’t expect it to be as bad as it was….Only in Washington Republican circles can a $350 Million cut equal $100 Billion.

    In the real world Boehner’s math is off by $99.6 Billion Dollars.

    YEAH TEAM!!!

  • LibertarianHawk

    I’m guessing that it’s close to a 100% likelihood that we’ll be seeing tax hikes in the near future.

    While I certainly don’t favor that, I am mostly resigned to it.

    That said: they’ve got to do the spending part first, or I simply will not stand for it. How can they expect all of us to tighten our belts without them first doing so. They’re the ones who got us here, after all.

  • Tbone

    be seeing the birth of a true, new third party in American politics.

  • http://www.twitter.com/AWG9_yoyo yoyo

    Calling for a third party is as useful as placing a badger in a bag and swinging around in circles over your head. It will do NOTHING except to ensure that the Left becomes firmly entrenched and brings the USA to Post-Soviet Economic State status.

    Is that what you want? If so, I hear both Georgia and Lithuania are hiring.

  • johnt

    There is no debt reduction, it’s the giving matches to the pyromaniac thing. Plus they have to play the populist, envy game. Also, once in Washington, whatever their original positions, they fancy themselves a different, superior type of being. You just cannot do what the common herd expects.
    Let’s hope for spine and principles, at least some, from the House.

  • streiff

    Third party advocacy = banned. Keep that in mind if you want to continue posting here.

  • ihateliberals

    They do our Party no good and might as well be sitting on the other side of the isle. Mr. Chamblis, would you please tell me the lst time that raising taxes on the Rich actually brought in the expected revenue? I can answer that for you, NEVER. The really Rich simply move their money to protect it. Investing by the Rich slows down and the Revenues are never realized. What a waste of a Senate seat. We have to get rid of the RINO’s if we ever expect our Party to be strong again. Otherwise we might just as well go to a one party system and be done with America.

  • LibertarianHawk

    That is: will it be 75% spending cuts, 25% tax hikes? Will it be 2/3 spending cuts, 1/3 tax hikes (which Obama’s plan ostensibly aims for…though I don’t buy it)?

    While it would be nice to think we could aim for 100% spending cuts, 0% tax hikes….I think the chances of that happening are vanishingly small.

  • cardindrake

    The deficit is out of control. All options need to be on the table. But conservatives will turn on Republicans if they don’t attack it in this order.
    1) Real spending cuts to the discretionary budget. The last deal was a joke.
    2) Repeal Obamacare. Don’t take 500 Billion from medicare to fund Obamacare, and then tell us medicare is underfuneded
    3) Entitlement reform. Fine, needs to be done. But don’t tell us SS needs to be raised to 70 while the federal retirement age is 50. And if you are going to means test SS pension, means test federal retirement pensions as well.
    4) Raise taxes. On everybody. We don’t need 50% of the population who pay no taxes.

  • derechista76

    …. Run with this against him now, and through his future defeat in his primary.

  • SusanAnne Hiller

    They just don’t get it, do they? Spend, spend, spend beyond their means and then come to us like we are their ATM. This will make a great primary campaign ad.

  • SusanAnne Hiller

    They just don’t get it, do they? Spend, spend, spend beyond their means and then come to us like we are their ATM. This will make a great primary campaign ad.

  • MSU_Charles

    In November of 2008, I responded with $500 to a Redstate money bomb for Chambliss’ runoff. I will gladly respond to another money bomb for a true conservative challenger to Chambliss in 2014.

  • http://theminorityreportblog.com Repair_Man_Jack

    a few years in the K-Street cesspool, and he’s hob-knobbing w/ Mark Warner and contriving new ways to better consolidate control over The Outer Party.

  • http://theminorityreportblog.com Repair_Man_Jack

    a few years in the K-Street cesspool, and he’s hob-knobbing w/ Mark Warner and contriving new ways to better consolidate control over The Outer Party.

  • adair

    alluded to the fact that Republicans play the part of Charlie Brown in the Lucy-Football ploy each time there’s a trade-off between tax cuts/increases and spending cuts/increases.

    Pres. Reagan and Tip O’Neil agreed to $2 in spending cuts for every $1 in tax increases; but somehow the Democrats never got around to cutting anything.

    Now we’ve heard our Republican Senators and Representatives vow that they won’t vote to increase the debt ceiling unless there are significant cuts to spending. So here we go again. We are always so naive as to think it’s okay to “go second” after the trustworthy Dems get their increase in place.

    And it would never occur to them that, if Chambliss is correct that Reps will vote to raise taxes, then we don’t have to raise the debt ceiling. It won’t be necessary at all. We’ll have all that new revenue, we’ll be flush with cash! Why, we can even start repairing roads and bridges, and insuring aliens, and giving teachers raises and getting the standard of living raised all over Africa and give Mexico more and more money for fighting drug lords … oh, Happy Days Are Here Again!!!

  • MF

    Would you want to fire Michele Bachmann? There are some who really are conservative, instead of CINOs. Separate the wheat from the chaff by their voting records, not their rhetoric. Of course we just can’t tell what we get with the replacements, either.

  • MF

    Would you want to fire Michele Bachmann? There are some who really are conservative, instead of CINOs. Separate the wheat from the chaff by their voting records, not their rhetoric. Of course we just can’t tell what we get with the replacements, either.

  • Diogenes314

    What Chambliss actually said…

    And Mr. Chambliss has been increasingly outspoken in arguing that additional revenues must be part of a debt-reduction plan, given the scale of the problem.

    ?I?m taking arrows from some on the far right,? he told the Rotary Club of Atlanta in an appearance with Mr. Warner on Monday. ?Are some people going to pay more in taxes? You bet.?

    A bolt came in February from Grover Norquist, a Republican antitax activist, who wrote to Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Coburn and Mr. Crapo to say they would violate his group?s ?Taxpayer Protection Pledge? if they supported raising revenues for deficit reduction.”

    I hate to break the news, but just because a hack lobbyist like Grover wants to call eliminating deductions a ‘tax increase’ doesn’t make it so. Chambliss and company are still calling for lower tax rates across the board last time I heard.

    As far as ‘some people paying higher taxes’-some people don’t pay any now.

  • Finrod

    I think it was 1987, Reagan agreed to $100 billion in tax increases in exchange for $300 billion in spending cuts.

    Needless to say, we got the tax increase but none of the spending cuts. Reagan called it one of the biggest mistakes of his presidency.

  • YnotNOW

    And target those races (both primary and General Election), where we can make real inroads. Trying to fight on all fronts is a recipe for defeat.

  • YnotNOW

    And target those races (both primary and General Election), where we can make real inroads. Trying to fight on all fronts is a recipe for defeat.

  • YnotNOW

    And should be planned in a “deficit neutral” revenue projection. Of course, when you actually reduce rates, and minimize the economic distortions of deductions and credits, you actually spur economic growth which raises tax revenues (a little bit soon, and much more so in longer term). Grover Norquist’s absolutist approach allows for no reform, and reform is so desperately needed.

    Of course, we must make absolutely certain that democrats don’t try to reduce deductions, without the balance of rate reductions, because that would be an absolute tax increase, which is bad for the economy.

  • YnotNOW

    And should be planned in a “deficit neutral” revenue projection. Of course, when you actually reduce rates, and minimize the economic distortions of deductions and credits, you actually spur economic growth which raises tax revenues (a little bit soon, and much more so in longer term). Grover Norquist’s absolutist approach allows for no reform, and reform is so desperately needed.

    Of course, we must make absolutely certain that democrats don’t try to reduce deductions, without the balance of rate reductions, because that would be an absolute tax increase, which is bad for the economy.

  • YnotNOW

    Our fear is that too many Republicans, Chambliss included, will roll over in the spirit of “compromise” and raise taxes (in an absolute sense, by whatever method), in order to secure a minimial amount of spending reductions.

    Meanwhile, we’ll keep sending those “arrows” from the Right.

  • YnotNOW

    Our fear is that too many Republicans, Chambliss included, will roll over in the spirit of “compromise” and raise taxes (in an absolute sense, by whatever method), in order to secure a minimial amount of spending reductions.

    Meanwhile, we’ll keep sending those “arrows” from the Right.

  • phenne

    The word-parsing people employ during all this crappola — it is SICKENING.

    Why must anyone fiddle with words and hidden meanings? What the H___ is wrong with these people?!?!?!

    “Raise taxes” v. “Raise revenue” v. “Lower Rates = More (Quantity) Collected”

    “Spending Cuts” v. “Spending Cap” v. “Reduced Spending Below 2008 Levels”

    “Discresionnary” v. “Non-discresionnary” v. “All Spending”

    I am getting ready to puke …..

  • victrola

    is the nearly 50% of wage-earning Americans that pay NO federal income tax. From here on out, Republicans should only try to broaden and flatten taxes. No more “across the board” tax cuts, what that usually ends up doing is just pulling more and more Americans off from paying any taxes altogether.

    When you have nearly 1 out of 2 working Americans not paying income taxes, suddenly issues every big government idea sounds great because you’re not paying for it, deficits become meaningless. It’s incredibly hard, however, to try and “raise” taxes on low income Americans, or just lower taxes on wealthy Americans.

    Something like a 20% across the board flat tax with virtually no deductions for every American making $1 a year to $10 billion should be the goal. You would see a much more unified movement for smaller government across all income classes.

  • leftylurker

    I can’t stand Chambliss, but not for this.

    I just got so disgusted when he ran ads in 2002 attacking Max Cleland’s patriotism. I grew up in Suwanee, and Max was nothing but a decent man. Attacking him for not giving enough to his country was so over the line.

  • Flagstaff

    Now starring the Republican Party.

    Is that too uncivil?

  • Flagstaff

    I didn’t see that in there.

    Both Ryan’s Path and the “reduction panel’s” plan combine tax rate reduction, tax deductions, and elimination of subsidies (I believe) to create a fairer, flatter tax system.

    Eliminate all programs that are new since 2008.

    Go back to the 2008 budget.

    I have heard different stories about how many bodies have been added to the federal payroll since the O Man entered office, but the idea of reduction by attrition is the MINIMUM that should be done.

    And for those who insist we can’t get along without NPR, PBS, NEA, and NEH, the next question is, What else should we eliminate in order to keep them? They are taking money that could fill other needs.

  • Flagstaff

    even when we mean “revenue increases,” is that both Congress and every administration seem Hell-bent on spending $1.70 for every extra $1.00 that comes in. The only way to reduce the size of government permanently is to reduce it’s “stash.” That isn’t accomplished by increasing the amount of tax revenue.

    As an attack on the debt burden, I don’t have a problem with additional tax revenues coming in if they’re the result of tax RATE reductions and they aren’t used for new programs, or any programs for that matter.

    Still, we’ve reached the point from which we can’t tax our way out. IT’S A SPENDING PROBLEM, SAXBY.

  • leefox

    …needs an enema.

    In what way are the Senate Republicans setting themselves apart from the democrats?

    The blue-blood, Washington beltway RINOs need to be cleansed from the Republican party so that the GOP can regain their relevance to the American people.

    If they allow taxes to be raised, there will be serious electoral upheaval come election day.

  • Diogenes314
  • Diogenes314

    Namely, any type of evidence that Chambliss, let alone the GOP in general has a master plan to hike tax rates. This is about the third diary attacking him personally using out of context quotes and cute ‘interpretations’. I realize some here prefer knifing the GOP in the back to taking on the Dems, but at least have the decency to try doing it honestly.

  • edniceville

    I opened the letter from the military finance center. It seems, that, in spite of the “continuation of the BUSH TAX CUTS”, my wife and I each received a tax hike in our military retirement checks. I am sure every single military retiree did as well. Yet, the administration continues to rail about helping the “little guy”! This whole game is just that, a GAME to them, and we are the suckers who will end up paying for it! There is not a “leader” in either party!

  • 1689

    Sorry, didn’t know. Will comply with rules.

  • audax

    …he will tell you how to do it! Become a Precinct Committeeman/Delegate and “take over” the GOP!

  • audax

    …to really “clean out” the GOP “system” it requires TEA Party activist being very active at their monthly County GOP meeting. This is where the “enema” starts.

    GOP Precinct Committeemen elect delegates to the GOP District and GOP State Conventions.

    Delegates to the GOP State Convention elect the GOP National Committeemen representing their State at the National level as well as delegates to the GOP nominating Convention.

    Delegates to the GOP Nominating Convention elect The GOP Presidential Nominee.

    So if you REALLY want to give the GOP an “enema” head to your NEXT GOP monthly County meeting and become a precinct delegate. For an even more effective “enema” take your like minded conservative-noun friends and neighbors and elect yourselves to the Executive Committe, the Rules Committee and the Nominations Committee (sometimes this is the Executive Committee). Only YOU can “clean out” a rotten system!

  • audax