[SkyPilot]

Yes, but you don't compromise your principles to accommodate a bad deal. Allowing Obama to frame the issue that he is being forced by the GOP to cut SS and perhaps Medicare is not a winning issue politically. It is lose-lose for the GOP. We are not going to get real entitlement reform and could very well lose the House in 2014 because of it.

Perhaps, and I would lean towards your argument.

The truth is, the GOP had pretty much lost this "negotiation" before it ever started. It lost it the Wed after the election in November.

Period.

The option for the House is to allow the fiscal cliff to happen, which will trigger a major recession, gut the military, kill about 2 million jobs, and will accelerate the economic death spiral.

Look, my hope is in Jesus Christ. I don't put any faith in our government anymore.

[kabar]

The truth is, the GOP had pretty much lost this "negotiation" before it ever started. It lost it the Wed after the election in November. Period.

The option for the House is to allow the fiscal cliff to happen, which will trigger a major recession, gut the military, kill about 2 million jobs, and will accelerate the economic death spiral.

It was lost because the GOP acted like it lost when really all that happened was the status quo. Obama received 5 million votes less than 2008. He won with just 51% of the vote. The Reps had and have leverage. They just need the cajones to use it. Let's see if we really go over the cliff. And there will be no gutting of the military. That is a red herring.

Let's get real as to what sequestration really means. We are talking about $1 trillion in cuts over a 10 year period--half from defense and half from the welfare programs. We are talking about cuts amounting to $100 billion a year out of an annual budget of $3.7 TRILLION. Does anyone really believe that we can't absorb such a puny cut? Hell, Obama is asking for $60 billion emergency aid for Sandy. In any event, we know that Congress will not stop spending and that includes both parties.

We will still have the guns versus butter battle as the welfare state continues its death spiral. And the political elites will ask for increases in taxes for the middle class. It is just a matter of time. And look for a VAT in our future. We have seen this play before. It is what happened to Europe. They are spending about 1% of GDP on defense now as they look for money everywhere they can. Spain, Grece, France, Italy, etc. are raising taxes on businesses and the rich. They are eating their seed corn. They are cutting the size of the government. They are taxing everyone at very high levels now. We will be going the same route.