House GOP Folds On Payroll Tax Cut

In a supreme example of putting their wacky ideology and their love for the rich over what is good for most Americans, the House GOP voted against a two-month extension of the payroll tax cut a few days ago. That vote also insured Medicare payments to doctors would be cut and unemployment benefits stopped for millions. They thought they could pressure Democrats into folding again and agreeing to more giveaways for the rich to get the president's payroll tax cut.

But their holding a tax cut for 160 million working Americans hostage didn't work out this time. The president and the Majority Leader of the Senate, Harry Reid, once again discovered their backbones -- and decided to put them to good use. The president took to the "bully pulpit" and made sure all Americans knew it was the Republicans who had voted to raise their payroll taxes, cut off unemployment insurance and cut Medicare payments to doctors. Reid just refused to negotiate further.

This put the House Republicans in a very bad situation, and even angered many in their own party. The Wall Street Journal, a newspaper usually very kind to Republican views, attacked them for killing the payroll tax cut. At least five Republican senators, including John McCain, also publicly excoriated the House GOP, along with many Republican-friendly political pundits (like Karl Rove). It was obvious to everyone that the House GOP had painted the whole Republican Party into a corner -- and that action could severely hurt them in the next election.

Then yesterday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, one of the most right-wing politicians in Congress, took to the airwaves to publicly spank the House GOP. That was the final straw. The House GOP caved in. They folded like a cheap suit. Speaker John Boehner (pictured above) announced the House GOP would approve the payroll tax cut extension today (by unanimous consent over the telephone).

But this is only a two-month extension. When Congress re-convenes in January, the Republicans and Democrats will resume negotiations to extend the payroll tax cut (and unemployment and Medicare doctor payments) for the rest of the year. And you can bet the Republicans will once again try to pack the bill full of giveaways to their rich corporate buddies.

Hopefully, the Democrats have learned from this time how to play political hardball. This is an issue where they have the public on their side, and they need to refuse to give in to Republican demands. If they stay unified and stand firm, they can make the House GOP back down again -- and that would even help them in the next election, because voters like politicians willing to fight for them and not back down. Democrats have looked too weak in the last few years, and its time for them to change that image -- and this is the perfect issue to do it with.