Boehner offers to take debt limit off the table

Washington Post ^ | 16 Dec 2012 | Lori Montgomery and Paul Kane

[Hoodat]

House Speaker John A. Boehner has offered to push any fight over the federal debt limit off for a year, a major concession that would deprive Republicans of leverage in the budget battle but is breathing new life into stalled talks over the year-end “fiscal cliff.”

The offer came Friday, according to people in both parties familiar with the talks, as part of the latest effort by Boehner (R-Ohio) to strike a deal with President Obama to replace more than $500 billion in painful deficit-reduction measures set to take effect in January.

With the national debt already bumping up against the $16.4 trillion cap set last year, Congress risks a government default unless it acts to raise the debt ceiling in the next few months.

Many Republicans had argued that party leaders should use the threat of default to demand additional spending cuts from Obama. But Boehner’s offer would head off that potentially nasty fight — at least until the end of next year.

[tennmountainman]

No wonder Americans will blame the GOP.
Bonehead is out front on TV everyday.
Americans associate the cliff with Bonehead,
not Obama.
Bonehead is way over exposed and over his head.

[Nuc 1.1]

Drudge is reporting the WH said no. I remember when the fiscal cliff was codified. The pubbies were so happy. They thought they had the dims. The vast majority of FReepers knew better. John, here are two plays for you to consider; Vote to extend the Bush tax cuts in toto and adopt the Paul Mac Penney plan. OR, go home. When the debt ceiling is reached, don't extend it. One more thing tell the WH to go to hell, publicly. I know it is late in your life but it is time to grow some. There is no such thing as good faith negotiations with democrats.

[BlessingsofLiberty]

I wonder who is giving Boehner his orders? Who is Obama really negotiating with?

Was the fix in all along? Looks like this is complete surrender or the completion of an original plan.

[Venturer]

No he is a limp old prick.

[MRadtke]

Obama ran on raising “Other Peoples” taxes. Of course, what goes around comes around...

[BCR #226]

Fire Bonehead now. Please! He’s an idiot and a traitor.

I shouldn’t be surprised though the GOP getting exactly what they want. This is why I am no longer a member of the Republican Party.

[tennmountainman]

He will rely on Rat votes to pass, like he did on the debt ceiling.

[Pollster1]

Boehner may be the worst negotiator in the history of the world. Exactly what has Obama given in on? Exactly what does Boehner still stand for? Sadly, even a compromise would be splitting the difference between good and evil, but Boehner seems intent on surrendering to evil.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“There is no GOP. We are on our own.”

Oh, there is a GOP. It is the same one that helped perpetuate a rising debt and earmarks. It is the same one that chose Mitt. It is the same one that has helped erode the Constitution.

We are on our own. Have been for quite a while. People just live and vote as if the two parties matter... As long as they can polarize people into two parties, no one asks why the King has no clothes.

[Buddy Sorrell]

Bonehead would be over his head taking the trash out to the curb. The guy is negotiating with himself. He is not merely useless. He is destructive.

[wolfman23601]

Who is he to single handedly take these things off the table? He is but one solitary vote.

[faithhopecharity]

I’ve always thought Boehner looked pretty decent but if he can’t even cut the spending and our tax burdens (which are killing jobs and the economy), then we need to replace him. All taxes must originate in the House of Reps. We elected Boehner and the Republicans (so he has a majority). Why in the world is he caving in like a house of cards in a windstorm!?

[sanjuanbob]

Maybe he’ll call for an Obama dictatorship

---

My wife and I just left from a sports bar where the football game was pre-empted for Obama’s speech. I felt bad for the kids but then realized that midway through the first quarter of a football game would be the optimum time for the president to get props. Why else would people have a memorial on a Sunday night at 9PM? We left ASAP as the outdoor speakers were broadcasting his drivel feeling like we were living in the Soviet State of America or some Communist country.

[GeronL]

bump

[concerned about politics]

Good Cop/Bad Cop.

The DNC and RNC work as a team against the American people. It's all about THEIR OWN power and privileged lifestyles.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

[MichaelCorleone]

I’m just wondering what the Good Speaker plans on doing with a fresh roll of thirty pieces of silver.

[SoConPubbie]

Obama has won twice now. He RAN on raising taxes AND spending gobs of money we don't have. The public approve of him. Worse, the public not only like him, they WANT to continue to like him and give him every benefit of the doubt. The American public is primed to blame Republicans if their taxes go up, and all the GOP feels it can really do now is avoid a catastrophic political defeat. The American people are simply NOT with us.

Correction, much less than half of the voting public voted Obama into office.

Many millions of eligible voters did not vote for President this election cycle.

If the GOP want's to win elections in the future, it will have to field candidates that are actually conservative and whose record isn't as left-wing as every current Democrat Senator such as Mitt Romney's was with his implementation of Gay Marriage, his support for the Gay Agenda, his support for Abortion, his support for Global Warming, his total lack of limited government credentials where his record is concerned, his repudation of Reagan, and his total inability to communicate conservative ideals.

The GOP and Independents are waiting for the GOP-E to quit playing games, close the primaries and nominate conservatives (Fiscal, Social, and Military) for a change, then our party has a fighting chance, NOT with crappy candidates like Mitt Romney, John McCain, and Bob Dole, and half-conservatives like GWB. These are the type of candidates who long-term destroy our party.

[rollo tomasi]

Is this borderline libel against Boehner by the Washington Post (Unnamed sources) or is the Speaker seriously folding? Let me guess, Super-Duper Subcommittee, FTW, lol. Will continue to wait, but its not looking good for the fiscally sane.

[NowApproachingMidnight]

The GOP is dead to me. Third party from here in.

[ScottinVA]

You know we’re doomed when a spineless worm like Boehner is the guy we’re depending on.

We’re screwed.