Democrats will never have any leverage again

[Enrique]

they're talking about extending the tax cuts permanently.

We've been told that the only way to extend unemployment insurance is to extend the tax cuts. So this means, this unemployment extension will be it. No more after that because the Democrats will have nothing to give the GOP, they already have it.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

1. Wah wah Wah!!!

The crying in here is ridiculous.

[Floyd_Gondolli]

3. It's hard to take some of it seriously

If Obama had held firm at 250k there would be plenty of carping as well.

[Enrique]

4. that answer pisses me off so much n/t

[phleshdef]

2. Wrong. The lack of a sunset provision does not mean anything is permanent.

Aside from that, the current deal would also leave the sequester in place... which means the Democrats would still have leverage with the military budget.

The Democrats don't need leverage anyway. They need huge, progressive minded majorities. Without that, we aren't going to really fix anything for a long term basis.

[geckosfeet]

5. Come on - if you are going to post something like that at least have the courtesy

to provide a link to the source.

I find this very hard to believe and would in fact be quite shocked. Unless they are talking about extending the tax cuts to those making less than $250k.

[unblock]

6. nothing is permanent. congress re-writes laws all that time.

any idea how many times income tax rates have changed in the last 100 years?

[riverbendviewgal]

7. Nothing is permanent except death

Laws come and laws go....

Talk is talk.....we shall see....

Watching from the north...you have one great president.

[Enrique]

8. that's just word games n/t

[riverbendviewgal]

10. Better than say "God will take care of us

and he works in strange ways...".

It is reality - death......We are our best friend...we are eternal for ourselves...Relationships, taxes, money ,, health are just temporary....ourselves is all we have.....and trying to worry about this cliff is like sitting on a rocker and getting no where.
Enjoy the moment and the new year.. Let it go and remember life is short.

I have a son who will be forever 26 and a husband who will be forever 54....Life changed for me....Nothing I can do...

There are times I am in the doldrums but I realize only I can control my feelings and what I do with my life..

Today ...I am just relaxing and going to enjoy the last hours/minutes of 2012.

Light a candle and think of a happy moment. or think of one you want to see .

[BzaDem]

9. But unemployment benefits were extended a year ago for a year, even though the tax cuts went through

2012.

You might be right. But it's possible Republicans will agree to an extension of unemployment benefits in exchange for other non-objectionable spending cuts, like they did last year.