The level of manipulation you are willing to go to is seemingly limitless. Someone making 250k is middle class? That's as manipulative as it gets. They ain't middle class. You can call them what you want. If you really care about them a lot, then, you can try to continue their tax break by cutting a deal with the president. I'm pretty sure he'd go up to at least $500k. He might go up to Shumer's 1 mil. Point is that I think you guys care the most about the people making millions a year. That's what this President needs to expose (if he really wants to run again.) What do you think the percentages are when you ask the American people if they want the tax cuts extended for people making over a million dollars a year? You really willing to go there? Well, if the guy gets smarter (I very much doubt this,) then that's where we will be headed in a couple weeks. My guess is the guy will extend them for everyone (for a limited time.) If your party didn't agree, then, they wouldn't be doing what they're doing.

is it individuals who make 250k or more? or couples who make 250k or more jointly?

If its the latter... that is definately middle class.

It is families. In some parts of the country that is barely middle class. Frisco, NYC, Boston, most of Jersey.

yeah i've never heard of anyone making 125k a year being called "rich" before.

tho I really wish i was making 125k and I'd feel rich as a single 27 year old with only a dog and car to take care of!

Yep, whatever it is, it isn't middle class. 200k/ year for someone single, and 250k/ year for a couple....Neither situation is middle class. Fact is that (you'd see) that if we lift the number up, the Republicans still won't agree to doing away with the tax cut for the people making over a ceiling. If the President will allow it to go there, you'll see this.

Right there are so many non-manufacturing companies outsourcing, especially small businesses that are the ones most injured by the tax hike.

This theory is so idiotic. It is like saying the NBA shouldnt get more money for its tv rights in the next contract because LeBron James will then make more. And everybody hates LeBron and those nasty CEO's.

There is no use trying to talk sense to you and Riot because you just wont admit you dont know what you are talking about regardless of how much evidence there is to the contrary of your point

You live in LA and think 250k a year (pretax by the way) is rich? I guess you dont get out much. Let me ask you a question since you are so much for equality. Why should people who earn good salaries or create jobs via investment in small business have their taxes increased when everyone elses arent? They already pay a higher percentage than you. They already make more of a contribution than you. Why the discrimination?

No one should get a tax raise during a recession. I dont know how we got here but for some reason people believe that raising taxes on the "rich" will somehow make their lives better. it wont. Raising taxes almost never makes anyones lives better except politicians who get an influx of cash to waste.

Dude... You been locked up in a barn or something? Anything white collar non upper management is a target for outsourcing and has been. Tech Jobs, accounting, drafting, engineering, help desk, Architectural , medical billing even ****ing XRAY Techs the list goes on and on and on. The dirty little secret that you don't hear about it in the media is because they are amongst the biggest culprits.

FTFY but believe it or not I agree 100%

Secret outsourcing? Perhaps you should ask yourself why these compaies are doing so. Perhaps the already excessive tax rates in the US as well as the upcoming health care requirements and Sarbannes-Oxley regulations are making it too expensive to do business in this country? Of course we should raise taxes and make it worse...

LOL.. It has been going on for a decade.... And no we shouldn't raise taxes. It is clearly decisions at the top of big business to put as much money in their own pocket as fast as they can. Strip mining the American economy.

I cant defend many of the practices of big business however the reality is that many of the political friends of theirs are on the left side of the aisle, not just the right.

Cannon... Right / Left / Center doesn't matter. The process is broke as everyone in any kind of power (business/politics) is out for ONLY themselves and not the people they serve. Bush was a puppet for the Anti-Christ Cheney for 8 years, Obama is a puppet for the left wing agenda. The scary part is I can't fathom the catalyst to fix it.. A funny thing is I thought Ross Perot was a ****ing goofball back in the day.. He was spot on about the Giant Sucking Sound his timing and location were off...

The GOP will be the party in power when the rural poor secede from the Union :tro:

I laughed. :tro:

Yes, unemployment dollars DO immediately help the economy, help keep joblessness down, and you might refer to any Economics 101 class to point that out to you.

If you want to take the strange position that immediate infusion of cash into an economy does not help it in a recession, please quote us an explaination from an economist alot smarter than yourself.