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Van Hollen: Boehner would give in to Obama after he wins reelection to speaker
Washington Examiner ^ | December 12, 2012

Posted on 12/12/2012 8:41:46 AM PST by NCjim

A top Democratic leader Wednesday accused House Speaker John Boehner of stringing out "fiscal cliff" negotiations with President Obama until after he wins his speakership reelection, when he would then cave in to Democratic demands to get a deal done without a majority of House Republican support.

"I hope he wouldn't avoid the tough decisions simply to take us into January and after his swearing-in, but I've become increasingly worried that that is exactly what's going on," charged Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen.

"I would hope that he would put the interests of getting an agreement before House Republican politics," added Van Hollen during a newsmaker breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor.

Suggesting that Boehner had a secret plan to dupe his caucus brought a quick response from the speaker's office. "That's nutty," said Boehner spokesman Michael Steel. "The speaker is doing everything possible to avert the fiscal cliff and protect American jobs right now. The White House just refuses to get serious about solving our country's spending problem," he added.

Twice during the breakfast, Van Hollen, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, suggested that Boehner is working toward a compromise Republicans will hate, one that presumably increases taxes on the rich beyond what the GOP has said it will agree to.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 112th; boehner; fiscalcliff
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1 posted on 12/12/2012 8:41:53 AM PST by NCjim
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To: NCjim

No higher taxes without spending cute .

Real cuts not BS cuts.


2 posted on 12/12/2012 8:44:36 AM PST by Venturer
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To: NCjim
I think the Dems don't want a deal.
This certainly does not help the Speaker, does it?
3 posted on 12/12/2012 8:47:05 AM PST by Kansas58
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To: NCjim
Van Hollen, you are a mortal enemy, so spare us your mock concern.

However, your use of the future tense is odd. Are you implying Boehner hasn't caved just about every damneed time?

4 posted on 12/12/2012 8:47:32 AM PST by Lazamataz (LAZ'S LAW: As an argument with liberals goes on, the probability of being called racist approaches 1)
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To: NCjim

In other words, the pressure from conservatives is keeping Boehner from caving...yet. What does that tell you??

If true, let’s be rid of him anyway, since it seems only conservatives stand in the way of liberalism’s “forward” march, as usual.


5 posted on 12/12/2012 8:47:58 AM PST by cotton1706
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To: NCjim

Since the memo culling the Conservative legislators from key committees came from Majority Whip McCarthy , it is evident that the GOP leadership is more responsive to the Democrats than those faitful members of the GOP.

It wouldn’t surprise me in the least ,if Boehner changed his political registration to Democrat .
When there is collusion between the Dems and GOP leadership, and then the leadership ACTS on that, ... it is time for a change !!


6 posted on 12/12/2012 8:52:42 AM PST by Tilted Irish Kilt ("A Nation of Sheep will beget a Government of Wolves." --- Edward R. Murrow)
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To: Venturer
No higher taxes without spending cuts

No higher taxes, period.

Every additional penny of taxes that gets flushed down the government toilet is an additional penny the rats get to spend on buying the votes of their party base of moochers, bums, deadbeats, and parasites. Money (including, of course, tax revenue) is fungible. Anybody who argues that “new revenues” will be used to (reduce the deficit / pay down the debt / fund the military / whatever...) is a lying sack of horse manure.

7 posted on 12/12/2012 8:53:43 AM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: NCjim

GIVE BONER THE BOOT!

8 posted on 12/12/2012 8:54:19 AM PST by Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America (IMPEACH OBAMA)
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To: Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America

As FRED , stated on Free Replic as 1:59 on 12/12 ~:” A House GOP source has confirmed to Breitbart News that House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy was the one who drafted the secret criteria list House Speaker John Boehner used in his purge of conservatives from House committees.
The source, someone with inside knowledge of how Boehner conducted the purge, told Breitbart News that McCarthy crafted the list, which included a scorecard of where several conservative members stood on certain votes. “

Apparently , there is no leadership in the House GOP leadership !
Give Boner the boot !


9 posted on 12/12/2012 8:58:32 AM PST by Tilted Irish Kilt ("A Nation of Sheep will beget a Government of Wolves." --- Edward R. Murrow)
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To: NCjim

Van Hollen is running with the devil.


10 posted on 12/12/2012 8:59:22 AM PST by GSWarrior (Click HERE to read entire tagline.)
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To: Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America

There is a difference between compromise and collusion !

Get rid of Boehner !
Maybe that is why Obama named his lapdog : “ Bo “


11 posted on 12/12/2012 9:00:54 AM PST by Tilted Irish Kilt ("A Nation of Sheep will beget a Government of Wolves." --- Edward R. Murrow)
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To: NCjim

Message for Van Hollen: “Hey, *sshole! How about you get your man to show some specifics on spending cuts and structural reforms as a counter to Boehner? That’s the way a negotiation works” you blankety-blank.


12 posted on 12/12/2012 9:07:43 AM PST by ReleaseTheHounds ("The problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." M. Thatcher)
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To: NCjim

Well of course that is what Boehner is doing. And, quite frankly, I don’t see any significant movement to unseat him. Are there any heroes left out there?


13 posted on 12/12/2012 9:09:57 AM PST by RIghtwardHo
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To: NCjim

I believe Boehner on this one—this is nutty.


14 posted on 12/12/2012 9:11:43 AM PST by Conservativegreatgrandma
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To: Kansas58

I agree, the Dims do NOT want a deal so our side had better figure out that one.


15 posted on 12/12/2012 9:13:20 AM PST by Conservativegreatgrandma
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To: Kansas58

I agree, the Dims do NOT want a deal so our side had better figure out that one.


16 posted on 12/12/2012 9:13:36 AM PST by Conservativegreatgrandma
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To: NCjim

Most people trashing Boehner do not understand the difficult position he is in. They also conveniently forget that Boehner’s House on more than one occaision voted to repeal Obamacare and it all passed the the excellent reform minded Ryan budget and blueprint which would have reformed both the federal income tax code (dropping the top corporate and individual tax rates down to 25%) and entitlements, both Social Security and Medicare.

Fact is Obama is holding most of the cards. He has at least three aces in in has hand:

1) He just won re-election (yes I agree there was massive vote fraud but that doesn’t change anything) and has plenty of political capital at this time.

2) The Dems control the senate.

3) Obama’s biggest ace up his sleeve is the fact the GWB taxcuts have a FATAL FLAW-—set to expire within a decade now coming up in a few short weeks.

This third ace is his biggest luxury. Obama doesn’t give a RAT’s ass if all of the GWB taxcuts expire-—he and most of his fellow RATs NEVER liked the GWB taxcuts to begin with. Obama and the Dems WANT higher taxes and they don’t care if Defense spending takes a big hit either——you don’t have to believe me about this just ask Howard Dean. It’s true.

Obama can do whhatever he wants any time he wants. He CAN take a three week vacation at taxpayer expense to Hawaii. He can visit Martha’s Vineyard, he can go to the Hamptons. He can play golf, shoot hoops, hobnob with Beyonce, JayZ, and Clooney, he can spend time in Hollyweird and Malibu-—all the things he likes to do and sprends most of his time on in any event. It matters not, Obama doesn’t have a care in the world.

ALL of the pressure is on Boehner. Even if Boehner does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING (which is what some want) ALL of the GWB taxcuts expire automatically on Jan. 1, 2013. Boehner is under tremendous pressure to preserve as much of the GWB taxrates as possible. Boehener has few cards to play. The only ace Boehner is holding is the debt ceiling. Boehner could say to Obama I will get my troops to raise the debt ceiling and fund Obamacare ONLY if the Dems agree to keep tax rates at their current level. Both sides would also agree to cut defense and entitlement spending as part of the overall package. But keep in mind all of the pressure is on Boehner right now, Obama can do what he wants and bide his time, he is not working under any timelines or deadlines and does not care if we go over the cliff or if the GWB taxcuts expire.

In school we are taught there are three branches of the federal government, the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary. On a day to day operational level, the three co-equal branches of government are the White House, the House, and the Senate. Since the Dems control two out of three, they have the upper hand. Since they just won an election (fairly or not) they have most of the capital. And the worst part of this whole mess is the structure of the GWB taxcuts designed to expire after a decade. Who’s boneheaded idea was it to make them temporary instead of permanent.

We are in a very weak position. None of our options are good. Elections matter. Instead of trashing Boehner which is easy to do, let’s at least try to understand his weak hand and terrible position. For what it is worth, I think no deal is better than a bad deal. I think no legislation is better than bad legislation. I also think the debt ceiling is Boehner’s ace in the hole if he can play it. Boehner could also prevent Obamacare from ever getting funded, he should play that card as well.


17 posted on 12/12/2012 9:14:01 AM PST by Trapped Behind Enemy Lines
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To: NCjim

Boehner is part of the problem. Not part of the solution. It’s time for him to go.


18 posted on 12/12/2012 9:14:25 AM PST by McGruff (No New RINOs!)
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To: Trapped Behind Enemy Lines
Actually, Boehner has tremendous power. He can go over the cliff. He can refuse to raise the debt ceiling. He can refuse to appropriate for all or various parts of the government. He could shutdown the NLRB, the EPA, the HHS for instance. He won't do any of those things, but he could alter the Federal government and Obama’s rule by refusing to play Obama’s winning game.
19 posted on 12/12/2012 9:21:35 AM PST by Truth29
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To: NCjim

You are not making any tough decisions Mr Van Hollen.
Cuts are where the going gets tough and leaders will have to emerge. We have no leader in the White House! Not sure if there are any in the Congress either.........


20 posted on 12/12/2012 9:23:41 AM PST by SECURE AMERICA (Where can I sign up for the New American Revolution and the Crusades 2012?)
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