2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumSurprise, surprise: Republicans refuse to consider any compromise on 'fiscal cliff'
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=E3C09F08-C5ED-44A3-9AE4-2236ED3ED903Hill Democrats say Republicans arent serious about crafting a deal that President Barack Obama can accept. The GOPs opening offer, the sources said, would freeze the Bush-era tax rates, change the inflation calculator for entitlement programs, keep the estate tax at 2012 levels and authorize a major overhaul of the Tax Code although they did not provide a revenue target.
The behind-the-scenes clash in negotiations stands in contrast to the more conciliatory rhetoric both sides have used in public statements, casting doubt on the coming four weeks of talks before Christmas.
In addition to wanting to keep the Bush tax rates, Republicans also want to postpone the sequester, or tens of billions of dollars in automatic spending cuts for the Pentagon and domestic programs set to kick in on Jan. 2.
President-elect Romney will certainly be willing to sign his proposal into law. Oh, wait . . .
Turbineguy
(37,337 posts)they would get on the Norquist Shit List.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)that will lead to attacks from the right in a primary.
The sequester will go forward, and there will be no deal until 2013.
The Magistrate
(95,247 posts)"Never give a sucker an even break."
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)long term damage of surrendering to unarmed terrorists.
The Magistrate
(95,247 posts)And even that short term harm can be fixed by the new Congress, which would meet in circumstances where the enemy would have even less leverage and popularity.
ProudProgressiveNow
(6,129 posts)ProudProgressiveNow
(6,129 posts)rocktivity
(44,576 posts)and they can run on that in 2014l
I'll bet they thought they were slick by brokering the extension.
rocktivity
Xyzse
(8,217 posts)Which is why, the drumbeat should be to just let it all expire, and create a proposal of something to pass instead as a replacement. Then the debate will be, which taxes to cut instead.
This is getting stupid.
dkf
(37,305 posts)Dubster
(427 posts)Skraxx
(2,977 posts)Gee, I wonder how that happened? Couldn't have been someone thinking LONG TERM. Nahh, no one ever does that. Guess we just got lucky, right?
GETTINGTIRED
(330 posts)and the stone age clusterfucks that are the Republicans is there any wonder...
msongs
(67,412 posts)this is what he wants except of course that he is not "wedded" to any of it. sheesh.
BlueMTexpat
(15,369 posts)Their gamble failed. Romney LOST.
Let the Bush tax cuts lapse and let there be NO postponement of the sequester! Let the whole bad GOP lot go down in ignominy. They just don't get it. Most people aren't fooled by their antics any more, as proven on Nov 6. The January 2013 group will be much better to work with, if only because there will be fewer of the worst of the worst.
I'll be very glad to see the last of them. In my lifetime (almost 69 years), I've never seen a lamer "lame-duck" group. They were lame when they began in January 2011 and they never, ever caught up even to the 20th century, let alone the 21st.
Congrats to the Dems for doing so well on Nov 6! Let's make sure that they do even better in 2014!
reflection
(6,286 posts)to take his case directly to the people and say "here is what the Republicans are signaling they are going to do" and then lay out his plan as to how he will address it. Explain that this is not a cliff, but just a deadline, and once we pass that deadline, he will deal with this swiftly and properly since the House can't be bothered to do their job and represent all of the people.
Just go around the Republicans at this point, and make sure the poor and middle class are told in no uncertain terms on whose behalf they are being held hostage. Put these weasels on defense.