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Subscribe to RSSFrom the beginning of the "fiscal cliff" negotiations, aides from both sides have said that November would be for saber rattling and December would be when a deal is put together between President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner with Majority Leader Harry Reid’s blessing.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, in a press conference on Thursday attacked President Obama and the White House for not taking firm action in avoiding the so-called "fiscal cliff."
Well, consider comments from Boehner and Reid today to be the November saber rattling reporters were warned about.
In his weekly press conference Boehner called out Obama and the Democrats.
"The president has warned us about the dangers of going over the fiscal cliff, but his actions have not matched his public statements,” said Boehner, who acknowledged speaking with the president Wednesday night and called it “very nice” but “direct.” “Members of his own party seem quite comfortable sending the economy over the fiscal cliff."
Boehner said that no “substantive process had been made over the last two weeks” and that he was “disappointed” with the current state of the fiscal cliff negotiations. He also chided Democrats for not offering, he says, serious spending cuts in exchange for his promise of some increased revenue.
Republican leaders say they've put revenues on the table, but are waiting on President Barack Obama to give, and offer something up on ballooning federal retirement programs like Medicare. Fortune Magazine's Carol Loomis discusses.
Speaking later in the day, Reid took this blunt shot at Boehner: “I don’t understand his brain.”
Reid called for Republicans to make “a serious offer” and indicated that Democrats would not act until they heard Republican demands on cuts to entitlements.
Along with raising tax rates, entitlements are also a major sticking point in the negotiations. Neither side wants to be the first to put their fingerprints on any specific entitlement cuts due to the risk of a major public backlash from seniors.
Asked by NBC News what specific cuts to entitlements the GOP would like to see, Boehner pointed to previous budgets passed by the House GOP and rejected by Democrats, but he declined to be precise in what he wanted out of these negotiations.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio gestures as he speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, after private talks with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on the fiscal cliff negotiations.
“It's been very clear over the last year and half,” Boehner contended. “I've spoken to the president about many of them. If you look at our budget, where we outline very specific proposals that we passed in last year's budget and the budget before, we know what the menu is; we don't know what the White House is willing to do to get serious about our debt crisis."
Boehner dismissed an assertion that the talks had broken down, but his tone was far from optimistic. Wall Street is hoping to see a deal reached, is paying close attention, and both sides are acutely aware of that.
In what could be another potential headache for the White House, Boehner did not back down on his 2011 position regarding raising the nation’s debt limit, saying, “Any increase in the debt limit must be accompanied by spending cuts."
White House Spokesman Jay Carney said he was “surprised” by Boehner’s debt limit comments.
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Boehnor says this is not a game, what a hoot. These treasonous obstructionist have held the whole country hostage for 4 years while plotting against an Obama 2ND term. Well guess what losers, now it's your turn to pay.
as they used to say in old movies"the jig is up"its up for the recrumblicans who seek to destroy america,treason=politicians who vote to block the progress of the good politicians if there are any left in washington.
From what CNN just reported, Obama's offer includes $1.6T (10 years) in tax increases on the wealthy, $400B (10 years) in medicare cuts and $50B in stimulus spending (2013). How does this address our $1.1T annual deficit? How is this balanced? I hope for the country's sake that Obama doesn't consider this a serious offer, because if it is, then over the cliff we shall go.
Check that.....the $400B in cuts is the correct number, but they are not from medicare.
I sometimes enjoy the "hair on fire" GOTP posting here, but also saddened.
They actually do believe the RWNJ claptrap (flapdoodle)
There is not much we can do to help them learn.
We feed their red states with welfare, they complain about welfare, yet we do.
We create jobs, yet they say we are the "leeches"
Perhaps it's time for tough love and cut them off.
I'm assuming Boner's disappointed by HIS partys performance!
Boehner is without a doubt the laziest incompetent excuse for the Speaker ever. He won't have to worry about greatness,due to non caring for anyone but himself. A he cares about is his cigars and booze and to hell with the American population that depends on him to protect and help them .Boehner and his co hort Mcconnell have set a new low for incompetency and disregard for the people they have taken an oath to look out for.Pitiful excuse for 2 men.
Brain, what brain. It's a wind-up toy that plays the GOP theme song "Screw You!" over and over and over and over and over........
i see 99% AGAINST the boner gang AKA Greedy Old PARTY take a hike you numbnuts
well I'm 100% against the communist Democrats
The bottom line is the people will blame the Weeper and the do nothing republicans if taxes go up on the middle class. 2014 will be hell for the tea-republicans.
Just remember Mr Weeper, the President won and you had better get in line.
you failed to mention back of line.
219 of 234 seats won by Republicans in the House were by a larger margin of victory than Obama received. That means that the majority of House seats overwhelmingly were given a message of fighting Obamas marxist taxes.
Comparing the margins of victory in House elections to the presidential elections is comparable to comparing your brain to a functioning one.
The democrats won the overall popular vote for the house. Hate to break this to you, but over half of Americans are "marxists" Larry
what nonsense leroy. I will agree though that about 30% of the country including yourself are marxists who despise our constitution and individual liberty.
Only 30% Larry? Then why did the republicans get their asses handed to them? It is the republicans who seem to despise the constitution and attack people's personal liberties. Liberty is what liberals are all about. You are seriously deluded my friend
for several reasons
1. Highest ever black voter turnout
2. Idiot youth vote who were raised in an environment of entitlement through stealing from others voting for the president who would continue to promise them freebies by stealing from others
3. about 5 million Christian conservative voters who could not stomach voting for a liberal like Romney.
4. Promise people you will make life easy for them by making other people pay for it. It's an age old populist appeal that goes against the principles of liberty our nation was founded upon.
"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves, at will, money from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority votes for candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, usually followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through certain definite sequences. From courage by revolution to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to complacency, from complacency to apathy, and back to dependency."
-Alexander Tyler, 18th Century English Professor, writing about the fall of the Athenian Republic
support liberty and continue the fight against the tyranny of Obama
sign the petition- NO NEW TAXES
http://act.theteaparty.net/8223/no-new-taxes/
Taxes are going up on the top two brackets Big Bird, because that's what 2/3 of the country wants.
good stuff larry,excuse me your party lost and they are going to be devastated in 2014,you can sign what you want but dead horse can only be beat till it smells and the smell of death is terrible kinda smells like gop breath.
Leroy- people will always vote to have more money taken from others as long as it's not their money being taken. that's the problem with democracies and why the founders sought to make sure we were a republic instead of a democracy.
"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves, at will, money from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority votes for candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, usually followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through certain definite sequences. From courage by revolution to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to complacency, from complacency to apathy, and back to dependency."
-Alexander Tyler, 18th Century English Professor, writing about the fall of the Athenian Republic
I'm not a Republican mikevietvet. I voted for Romney even though he's a liberal because Obama is much worse and at least Romney promised to repeal the Stalinist Obamacare
Great, a teabagger that doesn't believe in democracy.
'nuff said.
Glad you admit that you do not believe in democracy, Big Bird. I feel sort of the same way about Obama that you do about Romney. Obama is a conservative but not as extreme as Romney. "Obamacare" is a VERY conservative healthcare plan, allowing insurance companies to make out like bandits. Caring for the citizens' medical needs should not be a profit making venture at all.
I realize Hank you were probably educated by marxist teachers in public schools, but we are not a democracy
US Constitution Article IV, Section 4
Section 4 - Republican government
The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.
Remember democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.
John Adams, letter to John Taylor, April 15, 1814
Chief Justice John Marshall observed,
"Between a balanced republic and a democracy, the difference is like that between order and chaos."
From Federalist #10
Hence it is that such democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security and the rights of property, and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths. ...
A republic, by which I mean a government in which the scheme of representation takes place, opens a different prospect, and promises the cure for which we are seeking.
The two great points of difference between a democracy and a republic are: first, the delegation of the government, in the latter, to a small number of citizens elected by the rest; secondly, the greater number of citizens, and greater sphere of country, over which the latter may be extended.
John Stuart Mill
Democracy, thus constituted, does not even attain its ostensible object, that of giving the powers of government in all cases to the numerical majority. It does something very different: it gives them to a majority of the majority; who may be, and often are, but a minority of the whole.
So leroy- you believe that doctors must be slaves of the state who are not allowed to make a profit off of their labors?
You and Obama are Stalinists- Obama has nothing in common with conservatism starting with his hatred of the Constitution and individual liberty.
I didn't say we were a democracy. You seem to have no reading comprehension.
Go back and read my post instead of copying and pasting crap.
Speak for yourself about paying taxes. I paid taxes for 50 years, willingly. Taxes well-spent by a functioning government benefit us all. You mean the Stalinist Obamacare that was modeled on Romney's health care - the one that is liked by almost all of the people. The one that has cut costs and covered almost the whole population. Do you Cons ever actually listen to yourselves? I really gotta wonder, cause some of your opinions make so sense.
here's exactly what you said Hank
Well, Larry, if you think that means I think the USA is a democracy, then you really do have your head in the darkest part of your body.
well explain your thoughts Hank on what you mean with an insult directed towards me for not believing in democracy?
I think doctor's salaries should be controlled Larry, and drugs should be sold at cost plus a reasonable addendum for research. Who ever suggested that doctors should be slaves who make no profit? Don't be so melodramatic. Doctors are well payed, even in "socialist" countries. They aren't paid quite as high, on average, as they are in America, but they are also subject to fewer lawsuits.
Geeez! These blind GOP nimrods don’t get it. They’ve
already lost the White House and now they’re working on the Hill. If they don’t
get off their combined arsses and do what we “poor people” pay them for they’ll
be on the same Government “entitlements” as the rest of us. I vote we take away
some of their write offs as well. Tax their political donations and PAC money, their war chest and all of
their other freebees, just like they do us. Then reduce their retirement plans,
isn’t that an entitlement? Reminds me of Social Security. It’s funny how the 1%
hasn’t brought up any of this as a means of budgeting. Yes, lay it on the middle
class but I say we start from the top down.
Since the politicians from both parties obviously are not going to do anything substantial in a comprehensive and balanced manner to get the deficit/debt under control, until they are forced to by the markets and other countries, my question is when will the markets and other countries start dealing with the problems in a big way? Is it in the near future or will it be many years away? This is an important question because when this happens it will be very ugly and you will need to get ready for this from a savings, investing, debt, planning, etc. standpoint.
PS. This is not just the politicians fault as they reflect the will of the people and the people want their cake and eat it too. It would help tremendously if the President as the most powerful politician would try to educate the public on what is necessary to get the deficit/debt under control but for some reason he is not willing or capable of showing this type of leadership. It is a sad day for our country and our kids and grandkids future.
What needs to happen if January 1st rolls around and no deal to avert the fiscal cliff is made is this:
Boehner and everyone that did the treasonous act of signing Grover Norquist's "no-tax" pledge needs to be drug out and painfully and slowly dismembered in the reflecting pool in DC, like the traitors that they are.
Also, Grover Norquist needs to be killed in as brutal way as possible as soon as possible.
I have no problem with Grover. He's a private citizen who can take any position he wants to. I'm impressed that he got an entire political party to sign his pledge, good for him! The people who signed his pledge, however, who are supposed to be pledged to their constituents and to the country are traitors who should be in jail.
Grover Would Suffer More From The Death Of His Ego -- Humbled & Shamed To Death -- Never Waste good
Ammo On A Dying Dog!
Republican Motto -- Abandon Ship Or Die!
He is not the only one who can make gestures...I have a gesture for Boner...in fact, I have two...one on each hand...
Blah, blah, blah. Republicans were all talk right after they got their butts kicked and now they're back to being defiant little boys. Who is surprised?
And of course, one thing conveniently left out of all of Boehner's whining: the absence of "substantive progress" that so troubles him is solely and completely the result of continuing Republican obstructionism and their total lack of vision. Apparently, they learned nothing from their trouncing at the polls.
The hypocrisy of the Republican party marches on.
I hope we do experience the fiscal cliff. This will help solve the main problem - debts!!!! EVERYBODY pay across the board. Yay!!! All those doom and gloom. No one gonna die with one of year of belt tightening... We need to get our fiscal house in order anyway. FAT kids will be on a diet and cut the cases of future diabetic, cost of health care, etc..... I see more pros then cons if we do go thru the cliff....
let's go off the effin' cliff.....the ass obama led us here so let's jump.....
*sigh*
Both Democrats and Republicans are liable for the debt we're in, thanks to their pet pork projects and the government handouts they give to their financial backers. Anyone who says otherwise is either completely partisan, lying, or fails miserably at life every day and just enjoys arguing.
Anybody who's been somewhat politically aware for more than 10 years has seen this horse and pony show repeat itself over and over again. And that's just what it is--a show. These people (politicians) do this for a living. They should be on Broadway, not running our country.
Of course, we could get rid of all the party showmanship if we abolished the parties and made people run on their own merits instead of what some party leader tells them they have to believe. Maybe then we'd find some common sense and mutual ground instead of having to live with the best and worst ideas of both parties.
Boehner's problem is neurological. The problem with his brain is that it's not connected to a spine!
It seems like the answer is kind of simple. When Clinton left office the economy was booming and we had a federal budget surplus. Bush came in Increased defense spending, initiated two unfunded wars and cut taxes. The economy ended in to toilet and budget deficits surged. It seems likely that if we were to reverse the changes made during the Bush administration we might just solve this mess. I learned in the first class of accounting 101 back in school long time ago that you don't create a surplus by raising expenses and lowering revenue.
Boehner (boner) are you listening?
Oh and by the way Social security was solvent
Wrong Bryan
1 We were in a recession that began in 2000
2. there was NO surplus
3. Bush did give us record tax revenues including a 240% increase in corporate tax revenues over FY2000.
4. You failed your accounting class then- Reagan's tax cuts doubled tax revenues and produced the highest tax receipts as percentage of GDP in our history. The Bush taxcuts produced the 2nd highest. The JFK taxcuts the 3rd highest, and the Coolidge tax cuts the 4th highest
5. What we have is never ending increases in spending. We now have the highest spending as a percentage of GDP since WWII.
Dem's have been spewing the Clinton economy for years go look up the dot.com bubble.
If he takes credit for the gains he takes credit for the losses after people realized there was nothing there.
Perhaps Boner should examine the reasons why no substantive progress has been made. Knowing that Repugnican gridlock in Congress is the main culprit, he might then endeavor to address that problem. I realize Repugnicans are still sore over their Election Day fiasco, but at some point they'll have to move on.
'Boehner 'disappointed' by lack of 'substantive progress' on fiscal cliff talks'
And who's fault is that, Boehner??? (hint: take a peek in any mirror)
Get rid of this piece of @!$%#! Boner, you are stopping progress at all levels and have been for 4 years. Get your ass outta there!
Barry spewed the Their plan won't work, they want to take us back to what got us here in the first place, I have a plan that will take us "Forward" rhetoric for the whole campaign.
So give with the plan already and stop the BS.
BEST POST OF THE DAY, POSTED BY TOYOTA3
Dear Mitt and Paul,
I wanted to clear something up for you.
I have seen the debate about what went wrong, and why you lost this election. As a voter I want you to know that my voting against you had nothing to do with the fact that you are both rotten people.
It was not because of your crazy religions.
It had nothing to do with Eastwood’s empty chair, or the hurricane, or the liberal media telling me bad things about Bain.
I did not vote against you because I am a minority.
I did not vote against you because I live in an urban area.
I did not vote against you because of the cheese wiz in your veins or the elevators for your cars.
I did not vote against you because you are bullies and bigots.
I did not vote against you because you are rich hypocrites.
It was not because of Chris Christie, or Colin Powell, or Bill Clinton, or Anne Coulter, or Chris Mathews or Rachel Maddow or Meygn Kelly or Jon Stewart or Brian Williams, or anybody on tv.
I didn’t vote against you for any of those reasons because, I didn’t vote against anybody.
I voted for someone.
I voted for a man who brought my childhood friends home from war that they could kiss their wives and tuck their kids in at night.
I voted for a guy who loves New Jersey more than he dislikes Chris Christie.
I voted for the guy who looked in the mirrors of his daughter’s eyes, questioned himself, and changed his mind about marriage equality.
I voted for the guy who called Sandra Fluke and told her that her parents should be proud.
I voted for the guy who honors the women in his life by ensuring them trust to make their own reproductive and health choices and opportunity to work through glass ceilings with equal pay.
I voted for the guy who signed the stimulus that paid for the hearing aids that allowed me to hear my children clearly.
I voted for the guy who gave my sister the ability to buy health insurance in spite of pre existing conditions.
I voted for the guy who picked Joe Biden for a VP. Joe’s love for his country, his willingness to give of himself, his smarts and experience are top notch.
I voted for the guy who was smart enough to put a ring on Michelle Obama’s finger.
Most importantly, I voted for the guy who will continue to place America and what is right for her first.
I trust him.
When he hears a lone voice in a crowd of plenty shout, “I love you!” He shouts, “I love you back!”
See Mitt, Paul, it’s not you… It’s him.
I did not vote against you.
I voted for Barack Obama.
Yhuba,
I voted for Mitt Romney. I did because his philosophies such as hard work, individual responsibility, small government, and strong private sector align better with my philosophies and ideals than with Barack Obama's. I also felt Mitt Romney was a strong family man, father, citizen, etc. as well as seemed to have high integrity and ethics. He is definitely a role model for the American citizens.
When you say, "I voted for the guy who will continue to place America and what is right for her first. I trust him." I hope you are right. This is one of the reason I could not vote for Obama because I have serious doubts about his ability to do what is right for the American citizens. In the context of this article, going on TV as the most powerful politician and saying to the American people that we need a comprehensive, balanced and long term plan and we will all have to sacrifice to get our deficits/debt under control, would be an example of doing what is right for America. He should also say it is immoral to pass our debts on to out kids and grandkid and that he will not stand for it. He should also say, If we don't get our deficits/debt under control we could destroy our safety nets for our most vulnerable people. He should insist on a plan that balances our budget over a long period of time.
Email Boehner and tell him how bad he is and more!
Anyway you cut it the Middle Class will pay and the Super Rich will find a way to beat the system. Same old crap over and over and over. Bet 2014 comes and goes and nothing changes.