At this point I’d take the continuation of the Bush cuts up to the $250K level that Obama is asking for—then only approve drastically cut budgets for the next two years.
That way the GOP gets all the cuts it can, doesn’t sign on to any hikes at all—and it still controls the country’s spending destiny.
No more negotiations with Obama, he’ll just kill them in anything they do together.
It does no good to say "make the tax cuts permanent".
That would require a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate -- which we don't have.
The absence of a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate is why the Bush tax cuts were temporary in the first place.
The House can vote to extend the Bush tax cuts for up to ten years, however.