… The blame game begins.
We noted here on Friday that the bad economy is already dialed in for 2013, but that President Obama would likely seek to blame congressional Republicans and the fiscal cliff fiasco for the impending economic woes.
As expected, the finger pointing surrounding fiscal cliff negotiations has already begun. Via Yahoo! News:
The president said the American people support raising taxes on the wealthiest earners– something the Republicans have staunchly opposed as a means to generate revenue and reduce the nation’s deficit.
“At a certain point, if folks can’t say ‘yes’ to good offers, than I also have an obligation to the American people to make sure that the entire burden of deficit reduction doesn’t fall on seniors who are relying on Medicare… families who rely on Medicaid to take care of a disabled child” and middle class families, he said. “There is a basic fairness that is at stake in this whole thing.”
Obama held firm to his demands Sunday, blaming congressional Republicans for the failure to reach a deal to avoid the automatic spending cuts and tax increases set to go into effect Jan. 1.
As late as this morning, Congressional Representatives appeared confident that an ultimate deal would be reached before the country crossed the deadline. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) touched on the subject this morning on “Fox News Sunday,” where he essentially declared that Republicans had achieved none of their aims.
“What have we accomplished? Political victory for the president,” Graham said. “Hats off to the president — he stood his ground. He’s going to get tax rate increases, maybe not at [$250,000], but on upper-income Americans. And the sad news for the country is we’ve accomplished very little in not becoming Greece or getting out of debt. This deal won’t affect the debt situation. And it will be a political victory for the president, and I hope we have courage of our convictions, when it comes to raise the debt ceiling to fight what we believe as Republicans. Hats off to the president, he won.”
However, late hour troubles may have rendered Graham’s congratulatory remarks a bit premature.
With less than 36 hours before reaching the so-called fiscal cliff, talks hit what a Democratic source called a “major setback” when Republicans insisted that changes to how Social Security benefits are adjusted for inflation be included.
Using what’s known as “chained CPI” would change the way Social Security benefits are adjusted for inflation, meaning that future Social Security recipients would receive less money over time. Democrats consider this prospect a “poison pill,” the source said, and GOP senators said later it was off the table.
It now appears some Congressional members will be taking an undeserved break instead of putting any “deals” up for a vote tonight.
It’s still not too late for Republicans to push for the Christmas strategy.
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I think someone on the Republican side negotiating with Obama should walk into a meeting and bitch slap ol’ Barry and then get down to negotiations. To bad Allen West is not available.
Allen West is in congress until the new class is sworn in January 3. He has been quiet, though.
“It’s still not too late for Republicans to push for the Christmas strategy.”
I’m delighted you never give up.
This is the dreariest and least suspenseful political story I’ve ever watched unfold in my life — since the last time the GOP caved and/or got its ass kicked by Obama. These people can’t beat this guy at ANYTHING. I suppose we should be mentally preparing to hand in our guns. Why not? Even if we take it to the Supreme Court there’ll be a John Roberts to shiv us in the back. Please tell me these aren’t the worst days in American history. But I probably won’t believe you if you do.
I rehearse in my mind the simplicity of an actual, efective GOP response. I’m sure many of you do the same. How hard is it? In my case, I simply recapitulate the lies and snookerings and deceits of Obama’s four years — the highlights — and the true cost to Amerian principles, rule of law and standard of living. I do it right in the face of someone like David Gregory, then I repeat it in the face of every one of his sick little media brethren who can’t wait to be the one to get me to retract my words. How hard is it?
We’re going down, Americans. We need something different, or someone new, and soon.
Brinker at Moneytalk says the chained CPI would amount to a difference of .5%
Enough to send the Democrats ballistic. 1/2 cent on the dollar.
I don’t wanna cliff deal. It’ll be the only way we’ll ever get any cuts. Sorry Barack, we get those cuts for free.
Since the GOP would get blamed for a lunar eclipse, why compromise?
So the chained CPI will be a huge political albatross – for the next 30 years, the Republicans will be the party that forced granny to eat cat food. But it actually won’t make any difference on debt. With people like this, I think I’ll go join the Dems – if two trains are going down the same track, might as well be on the lead train – the view is better.
Can’t help thinking that the Republicans will lose the house in 14. At least that would get rid of Boehner.
They will absolutely lose it. They’re reprising Romney’s play-it-safe strategy as they demoralize the base and hemorrhage the respect of everybody else. This is who these people are, and they will never change. Remember the sentiment, “it won’t be so bad if Obama wins — we’ll hold the House and maybe win the Senate, and that will be our firewall against Obama in a second term”? Naive and pathetic is the memory. 2014 begins the true carnage — Obama unleashed. Boehner couldn’t do a better job of guaranteeing it if he were a democrat.
Again, all here today seem to forget we do have the power to effect enormous change in the GOP.
A new day will begin on the day we boot The Three Stooges hogging the leadership positions in the GOP: Boehner, Cantor, and Prebuss (or whatever his name is.
Had these three any character of leadership, they would have offered to resign.
Let’s all work to get them out, and then begin our new day.
In the 3rd debate Romney had tried to bring up sequestration but Obama shot back -It will not happen.
That left Romney stranded unable to push a prepared line of attack . I think at only thisoint did Romney realize he was up against a sociopath.
I just beat NBCs Cris Donovan with that . just saw it on Twitchy.
RUBE GOLDBERG/BENGHAZI DISEASE STRIKES HILLARY CLINTON!
Facing having to testify before Congress on her culpability in the murderous catastrophe in Benghazi, Hillary Clinton first suffered the Benghazi stomach flu, then a Benghazi fainting spell, then a Benghazi concussion and managed to avoid all the scheduled hearings.
Now, again having to face testifying before Congress on January 10th, Clinton announced she has has suffered from a Benghazi blood clot associated with her Benhghazi concussion caused by the Benghazi fainting spell resulting from the Benghazi stomach flu. Doctors will continue to assess Clinton’s condition, “including other (Benghazi) issues.”
However, her spokesman said Clinton is expected to be back at her bottle desk on Monday, though what type of ‘Rube Goldberg/Benghazi ailment’ might strike her before she must testify on January 10th, remains speculation — though she is working on it.
http://thefinereport.com/2012/12/hillary-clinton-in-hospital-with-anotehr-benghazi-malady/
Why is it that it’s always millionaires vs medicaid… it’s never the 4000 new IRS agents Obama hired vs Medicaid?
It pisses me off that Americans are too stupid to see it’s the tripled down size of government that is taking food out of [choose your poster child victim], not the lack of shaking down rich people.
I mean so what if poor children won’t get medicaid, Sandra Fluke gets free birth control and tax payer paid abortions on demand. Tough choices there comrade Obama.
Americans are only as ignorant as we allow them to be.
We allow them to be as ignorant as they are, because we allow the GOP leadership to be delinquent and incompetent in allowing the left to maintain a monopoly on informing Americans.
So who is worse: ignorant Americans; or Americans who realize the situation, but demand no accountability from their political leadership (in our case, the GOP) for failing to do anything about it?
I think the latter.