President Obama to speak on ‘cliff’ (1:30)

[cal04]

Source: Washington Post

President Obama will deliver remarks about the fiscal cliff at 1:30 p.m. from the South Court Auditorium, at a White House event with middle class Americans.

With a New Year’s Eve deadline hours away, Democrats have abandoned their earlier demand to raise tax rates on household income over $250,000 a year. Obama had vowed repeatedly during his reelection campaign to allow tax cuts to expire for incomes over that level.

MSNBC link
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nbcnews.com/50331434/#50331434

White House link to video
http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/president-obama-speaks-fiscal-cliff-0

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2012/12/31/obama-to-speak-at-130/

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President Barack Obama will speak about the fiscal cliff at 1:30 p.m. Eastern, the White House announced Monday. Middle class Americans will attend the event, the statement said. Negotiations to avert the fiscal cliff continue on Capitol Hill.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/obama-to-speak-on-fiscal-cliff-at-130-pm-2012-12-31?link=MW_latest_news

[madmom]

2. I would think that one would wait to hear what he has to say before writing him off...

[appacom]

4. Thanks for sanity. No news for me, just West Wing episodes today

[alcibiades_mystery]

6. Oh, ann-- is just spamming the board with this little temper tantrum

No need to pay attention to nonsense.

[phleshdef]

7. Obama has more brass than this entire forum combined.

Those of you who aren't fit to hold up his jock sure like to anonymously sling fire bombs from the comfort of your own home though.

[BeyondGeography]

8. Cowards are people who sit at their keyboards

And panic at the first reports of anything they disagree with.

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. ann--- has pledged never to vote for another Democrat again

Given the terms of service and rules for this site, I'd say that was a pretty bold challenge to the MIRT Team!

[BeyondGeography]

17. No shit

eom

[tradecenter]

12. Plus 10000

Lets all just wait and see what he has to say.
I get sick and tired of all the Obama bashing that goes on here. I thought that this was a , you know, democratic website for progressive democrats.

[MineralMan]

13. Oh, for pete's sake.

You're DONE with him? When was it ever different?

[KansDem]

3. From the article linked in the article

Vice President Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) continued urgent talks Monday over a deal to avoid the “fiscal cliff” after Democrats offered several significant concessions on taxes, including a proposal to raise rates only on earnings over $450,000 a year.

This WP article sounds like the Dems caved on eliminating tax increases altogether. WP tried to make it sound that way by omitting the "compromise" of $450,000.

WP is an inside-the-beltway rag...

[DonCoquixote]

10. demographic advantage?

Come now, you know when you play with words like that you skate close to the "He onyl won because he wuz blak!" types at FR.

[GLOBAL LIBERAL]

16. Not that way

I meant to say changing demographics of the country. I am an immigrant myself so don't like to make distinction between races.

What kind of deal is this ? In two months, we will be again blackmailed in the debt ceiling fight. GOP will run congress at least till 2020, do we take blackmail all the time and fold.

Obama has given compromise the wrong meaning and nothing good comes out when negotiating to keep wall street, rich, corporations happy.

[MineralMan]

11. Uh-huh...OK.

See ya around.

[madmom]

14. "I voted twice for him and campaigned hard both times."... sure ya did!....

[SHRED]

15. Because $192 per hour, after deductions, is "middle class"??

El foldo.

[cal04]

18. Pres.Obama: Deal ‘Within Sight’ But ‘Not Done’

President Obama said in a White House a fiscal cliff deal was getting closer, but not agreed to yet.

"Now today it appears that an agreement to prevent this New Years tax hike is within sight," he said. "But it's not done. There are still issues left to resolve but we're hopeful that Congress can get it done. But it's not done."
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/obama-deal-within-sight-but-not-done

Obama Would Prefer ‘Grand Bargain’ Over Emerging Stopgap Deal
President Obama said a deal is close on preventing tax hikes set to go in effect on January 1, but that it will be a modest agreement that does not include sweeping spending or revenue changes. While Obama said he would prefer a "grand bargain" that included these components, “It was obviously too much to hope for at this time."

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/obama-would-prefer-grand-bargain-over-emerging-stopgap
Obama: a fiscal cliff deal "in sight" "..preventing that tax hike has been my top priority." Talking about rates, not payroll tax.
https://twitter.com/lynnsweet/status/285819444217905152/?utm_hp_ref=homepage&ir=homepage

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/12/31/breaking-obama-says-deal-within-sight-but-not-done/

President Barack Obama said Monday "it appears that an agreement to prevent" the fiscal cliff tax hike for Americans "is within sight, but it's not done."

The agreement would extend tax credits for families with children, for tuition, and for clean energy companies, the president said at a White House event, adding that it would also extend unemployment insurance.

The fiscal cliff deal being discussed will ask the wealthiest 2% of Americans to pay higher taxes for the first time in two decades, Obama said.