SOME DEMS: DRIVE OVER 'FISCAL CLIFF,' THEN BARGAIN

The Big Story ^ | 11/21/2012 | CHARLES BABINGTON and ANDREW TAYLOR

[SeekAndFind]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Some Democrats are pushing an unorthodox idea for coping with the "fiscal cliff": Let the government go over, temporarily at least, to give their party more bargaining leverage for changes later on.

The idea has plenty of skeptics, and the White House regards it frostily. But it illustrates the wide range of early negotiating positions being staked out by Republicans and Democrats as lawmakers gathered Tuesday for their first postelection talks on how to avoid the looming package of steep tax hikes and program cuts.

Just as brazen, in the eyes of many Democrats, is the GOP leaders' continued insistence on protecting tax cuts for the rich. President Barack Obama just won re-election, campaigning on a vow to end those breaks.

Democrats and Republicans appear heading toward another round of brinkmanship that will test who blinks first on questions of major importance. It's a dance that has infuriated many Americans, shaken financial markets and drawn ridicule from foreign commentators.

In late 2010, after big GOP midterm election wins, Obama backed off his pledge to raise taxes on the rich. In the summer of 2011, House Republicans pushed Congress within a hair of refusing to raise the debt ceiling, leading to the first-ever downgrade of the government's credit rating. And last December, it was the Republicans' turn to blink, yielding to Obama's demand to extend a payroll tax break.

The "fiscal cliff" deadline comes in seven weeks. One provision: Unless Congress acts, all Bush-era tax cuts would expire, raising 2013 tax bills for most Americans. Obama wants to end those tax cuts only for households making more than $250,000 a year. Republicans insist on no tax rate increases anywhere.

[factoryrat]

I say let the tax cuts expire, implement sequestration, and start putting the feds on the chopping block. The military is going to feel the pain, but so are all of the entitlement programs. If obama and the dems decide they want to work out selective tax cuts later, tell them tough shit, they should have dealt with it when they had the chance, and when the dems try to hang this around the republicans, tell them they got what they wanted, and now they own it all. At this point, the house and the republicans have nothing to lose, either way they’ll be damned in the court of public opinion.

But, I don’t see the above scenario happening due to the republicans reliably folding like a cheap suit at the first sign of real pressure.

[SECURE AMERICA]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Some Democrats are pushing an unorthodox idea for coping with the “fiscal cliff”: Let the government go over, temporarily at least, to give their party more bargaining leverage for changes later on.

If you are honest with yourself and the American citizens you have no bargaining leverage. Nor do the Republicans. America is BROKE.
You are not talking about reducing our debt. Simply reducing how much more in debt we go this year. Do you really think there is any difference if we go 1.1 Trillion dollars in debt or 1.0 Trillion dollars in debt.