WSJ: Obama threatened Boehner that he’ll use Inauguration & SOTU speches to blame GOP

WSJ via The Washington Examiner ^ | 12/22/12 | Philip Klein

[chiller]

President Obama has threatened House Speaker John Boehner that if no deal is struck on the “fiscal cliff,” he will use his Inaugural address and State of the Union speech next month to blame Republicans, according to the Wall Street Journal.

In the Journal’s behind the scenes account of how fiscal cliff talks between Obama and Boehner hit a wall, what comes across is that the president is emboldened by his reelection and eager to extract more concessions from Boehner than he was willing to accept during last summer’s debt limit talks.

This excerpt from the piece is revealing:

Mr. Obama repeatedly lost patience with the speaker as negotiations faltered. In an Oval Office meeting last week, he told Mr. Boehner that if the sides didn’t reach agreement, he would use his inaugural address and his State of the Union speech to tell the country the Republicans were at fault.

At one point, according to notes taken by a participant, Mr. Boehner told the president, “I put $800 billion [in tax revenue] on the table. What do I get for that?”

“You get nothing,” the president said. “I get that for free.”

The whole article is well worth the read (subscription is required).

[chiller]

If I were Boehner, I'd say; meet you at the debt ceiling, where you will receive nothing. We're shutting it down, shrinking government until it's to a size of our liking. Republicans will be hated for a while, but soon looked upon as the saviour of the country and the world since we brought you, you as*hole to your Waterloo.

[tennmountainman]

Agree. The real question is why Bonehead would continue to deal with
Obama. Looks like Bonehead got his marching orders from Obama to
who-do conservatives.

[98ZJ USMC]

See this? It’s my shocked face.

What does it matter? The Little Dictator is going to do it anyway.

[haircutter]

go for it Hussein...I'm sick of your threats..

that is all you know, well plus ME...I....MY...MINE...AND GIVE ME...what a disgusting a$$

[M Kehoe]

SSDD, and the SCM will parrot the party line.

5.56mm

[chiller]

Unless Boehner has the brass to do this, he'd better think about stepping aside. We need a rock-hard bargainer and it's becoming apparent Boehner and Obie don't click.

In fact, I'd demand Boehner step down until the new congress is installed.

There's a joke in here somewhere about rock-hard (or limp), and the Speaker's name, but I'll leave it to you.

[Gene Eric]

Go right ahead, you petulant douche bag.

[AU72]

Boehner is not a wartime speaker.

[SaraJohnson]

Boner should have marched right out and up to the tee vee cameras and announced that they president has threatened to take the country down if his demands are not made on raising taxes on the middle class and rich. He’s a mad man and drunk on power.

[Cheerio]

We're shutting it down, shrinking government until it's to a size of our liking. Republicans will be hated for a while, but soon looked upon as the saviour of the country and the world since we brought you, you as*hole to your Waterloo.

Let's get real here. The GOP is the source of all blame. Zero wants to be able to stand up and say that tax cuts are the source of the greatest depression on earth (which is a lie in and of itself). He wants the GOP to own this going all the way back to GWB tax cuts and he WILL GET HIS WAY. He has the bully pulpit and a nation full of cult worshipers.

That said, GOP you better put the "I'm scared of being blamed" philosophy behind you and start showing some backbone in saving this once great country. YOU WILL BE BLAMED - COUNT ON IT, AND MOVE ALONG.

[Hotlanta Mike]

Time to shut down the government Boehner...Obama owns whatever comes afterward.

[SES1066]

I have a mental picture of the MSM lapdogs all in a row, drooling in agreement with the ‘great one’.

[prisoner6]

The ratz are going to blame the republicans, the tea party and the conservatives anyway.

[hinckley buzzard]

Sounds to me like Boehner is not continuing to deal with Obama. After Plan B failed he said "screw it" and went home for Christmas.

If this account of Obama's criminal attitude is accurate, then the country is in for a very bad four years.

[Popman]

At one point, according to notes taken by a participant, Mr. Boehner told the president, “I put $800 billion [in tax revenue] on the table.

What do I get for that?”

“You get nothing,” the president said. “I get that for free.”

You would think Boehner never negotiated a thing in life...what a puss...

My response would be "Mr. President...nothing... especially in DC is free"

I would get up say, thank you and call me when you are ready to work together..

I'd pull a "Colombo" and stop halfway out the door and tell him..."You can take the debt ceiling and stick that in your pipe...cause you aren't getting a penny more. "...

[BookmanTheJanitor]

And this is different from any of his other speeches?

[YankeeReb]

If I were Boehner, I'd say; meet you at the debt ceiling, where you will receive nothing. We're shutting it down, shrinking government until it's to a size of our liking. Republicans will be hated for a while, but soon looked upon as the saviour of the country and the world since we brought you, you as*hole to your Waterloo.

Scott Walker did that and he's very popular with everyone but the nut-roots

[svcw]

So why is anyone surprised, Barry has blamed the GOPe at every State of the Union... that’s all he does is blame

[berdie]

Excellent post.

No matter what happens the Pubs will get the blame.

If a person or group of people keep getting the blame for something not their fault...maybe they should go ahead and do the deed. Earn the blame with pride. The people that know the situation will respect a hardline. The people that don’t know the situation are the ones willing to accept O’s bs anyway.

Worried about reelection, Pubs? That may or not happen anyway.