[Thebaddog]

A bar chart I saw indicated a larger portion of taxes than cuts. Can those tools in DC ever make real cut in spending?

[VeniVidiVici]

If the Republicans were smart they’d agree to a deal on the “fiscal cliff” only as part of an overall budget agreement submitted by the White House to Congress for this fiscal year.

Put the onus SQUARE on the White House for this.

[OESY]

If Obama’s ultimate goal is to cripple the U.S. (and promote Islam), why would he want to avoid a looming fiscal cliff?
.

[tsowellfan]

Hang on… there’s somebody at the door.

I kept refreshing my browser but the writer has not yet come back to finish the article.

Oh well, I think Boehner's got himself stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Obama and his party are preparing for election 2014. Objective = Win control of the House.

That's a shame too. I believe the ONLY reason election 2012 was a no win for republicans was because of VOTER FRAUD. I still think the post 2008 trend would have continued (ie 2010, Wisconsin) in 2014. John Boehner could very well change that trend.

There would probably be less damage to the republican party if Nancy Pelosi had control now. Either way, they're going to get what they want.

I, for one, am getting sick and tired of saying "John Boehner needs to go". We may have to write off any gains in 2014 THANKS to John Boehner.

[traditional1]

The GOP will sell out and allow taxes to be raised, and will crow about future cuts agreement, which will NEVER happen....

To agree to ANY tax hikes is suicidal, and the GOP-e is no different than the Dem's....they will NOT cut spending in any meaningful way, but will agree that "future cuts" are on the table (more realistically, realistic spending cuts will not happen until we go broke and cannot get anyone to lend more money to the USA, and the Dollar becomes worthless paper).

[RockyTx]

the first question to ask is,
who wins by doing nothing.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

I agree the GOP has screwed this up bad.

By selling out American and siding with foreigners, the GOP picked the wrong side.

Now the GOP is sitting there holding onto minority stakes in a bunch of Chinese companies - and Obama is poised to lead America.

How screwed up is that?

[Secret Agent Man]

of course. this is the easy way to destroy everyone’s wealth all at once.

[palmer]

The author forgets that the Senate will plead for a deal to avoid the cliff. They are beholden to interest groups like defense contractors that won’t like the cuts. The House needs to be on record as agreeable to holding votes on specific legislation while holding firm privately on the key issues (avoiding tax hikes). If the legislation doesn’t come in time, so be it. But my guess is that the Senate will make sure some does and will be willing to give in on some key issues.

[Son House]

Here’s a Hunch: The private sector is pushed over the fiscal cliff no matter what, it’s the Democrats plan.

[fhayek]

Raise taxes, cut the military, cut the deficit. Its win win win for Obama.

[RitaOK]

Who didn’t know this? Collapse is the goal, and voters mostly liked the idea. The literate ones anyway.

[grumpygresh]

Vote present?

[sickoflibs]

RE :” A new poll by Hart Research’s Geoff Garin, conducted for Americans for Tax Fairness — a group that wants the Bush-era tax cuts to end for those who earn more than $250,000 — found that a majority of voters cited changing the tax system as a key factor in their votes, and that the majority broke for President Barack Obama.
The survey also found that Democrats have changed the landscape on an issue that has eluded them for years — taxes. The survey found that most want the Bush-era cuts on top earners to expire, but that Republicans will shoulder blame if all of the Bush cuts, including those on the middle class, expire because a deal can’t be reached.
Basically, this works out to a win-win for Obama. Yes, he could look like the great peacemaker and try to strike some sort of grand bargain with Boehner. And if he did, he would likely get some of what he and the Democratic majority want in exchange for taking a slightly less than maximum raise on taxes for the most wealthy. But why?
If he takes a very hard line and forces the showdown to a collapse in discussions, several potentially positive (for him) results are baked into the cake. He can claim that Republicans refused a “balanced approach” and it’s their fault that everyone’s taxes went up. He then has the Democrats force a vote on a bill to only lower taxes on the middle class and the poor and just dares the GOP to vote against it. (They won’t.) At this point he has the tax / revenue increase he promised without giving up a single thing. Now the negotiations start anew to talk about “spending cuts” but the GOP’s major bargaining chip is gone. Obama gets to put up a far more shallow version of cuts, and if the Republicans don’t like it, they can choose to reject the deal and just let the deficit continue to skyrocket.”

Republicans are terrified. So they took the House just to give in on Obama’s demands because they are scared they will get the blame for a bad Obama economy?

I never thought that Republicans (apparent) position that no one no matter how rich they are can have to pay another dime in taxes or the economy ‘Falls off a cliff’. But now they have made this their #1 rule and they are finding it is not going well.

So here we are. GWB was POTUS for eight years and he got the blame for the bad economy in his second term but if the economy goes bad under POTUS O then the Republican House gets the blame instead. Obama is the man of plastic. He gets the blame for nothing.

Bohners idea of playing this poker game is to say ‘I cant get my members to vote for...”

If Bohner caves and taxes go up on the rich and the economy doesn't tank as Republicans spent 4 years claiming it would then no one will ever believe them again. Now if they do go up because Republicans give in (which will probably happen) and the economy tanks then Rs better figure out a way to disown their involvement in it or it wont be useful to them.

[chris_bdba]

Why would he want a deal? He and his government get much more tax dollars by letting it all expire and they can blame it on the Republicans.

[NewJerseyJoe]

P4L

[TxAg1981]

What is so hard to believe?

MaoBama wants to DESTROY the United States.
PERIOD Whether financially, or through a Constitutional Convention. He wants the United States to be no more!!!
Once you realize that, all things become possible for this low life

[Graewoulf]

Duh, the Fiscal Cliff was Obama’s idea! Of course he does not want to solve it!