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AP
It has been reported that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was less than impressed with the White House's fiscal-cliff proposal. So unimpressed was the Kentucky Republican that he burst out into laughter.
A senior administration official provided more detail. When Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner handed over the White House's proposal to McConnell, McConnell looked at it and smiled a smile that said, "Yeah right."
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile," Geithner responded.
At which point, McConnell burst out laughing.
*** UPDATE *** A Republican congressional source says that Geithner's proposal was oral, not written. And the source argues that McConnell "found their un-serious offer amusing."
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Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, he looks so stupid. No wonder we are in serious problems with the country, this guy is too ugly to make peace with anyone! least solve any problem having an inteligent conversation with Mr. Obama!
McConnell knows that the GOP is holding a weak hand in this negotiation. The GOP will give it a fight and hold out as long as they can. At the end of the day... Obama and the Dems get what they want.
McConnell laughs because he and the GOP has no decent and acceptable counter proposal... Nice try at diversion,
You know I'd spend 20 bucks to watch a Turtle like McConnel smile. In fact, why do do many Repubicans in our congress have such difficulty smiling? Do they maybe feel a little bit guilty for what they have done as far as our president and their obstruction of progress in our country? Probably not, as they are typical Republiclones. I just hope that President Obama stands up to their rediculous BS and alows them to fall by the wayside.
IF, the Republicans think that this is a funny matter, then We as americabs will very well be laughimg in 2014, when We the people vote them out of congress! This is NO laughing matter, what so ever. So I say to them, I will work as hard as I can, against this party, at all levals,to oust them from office!!!!!
If re-nominated, I doubt any of the incumbent GOP senators will lose (13 face re-election in 2014). But if McConnell loses the fight with Obama, he will retire. Yet if Democrats can pick up 5 seats (very big IF) and at least 18 seats in the House, they will hold majority in both chambers. Democratic voters will be a lot more attentive and active in 2014 than in 2010. The evidence of apathy still haunts them
Jim in Texas. I would not be surprised if the D's don't win both chambers, with a decent majority in each. Everyone knows and realizes what happened in 2010, when the right wing nut jobs AKA tea baggers got in office.
Well, I don't see the average person wanting to have a screw up House anymore. But I guess we will see in a couple of years.
Hey "Jersy Girl1" What McConnell does effects all of the US, not just Kentucky. McConnell and the GOP doesn't care what happens to the American people, only what they have on their agenda, or whats good good for the GOP, not the people.
It wasn't Mr. McConnell that proposed raising $160B a year from the 2% to finance the extension of the Payroll Tax Holiday which is a loss of $100-110B in revenue.
And how about the proposed spending cuts of .85% $400B divided by the projected spending over the nest 10 years.
Is that a ploy to make the fiscal cliff seem appealing? And then blame the "irresponsilbe" half of Congress?
I hope the fiscal cliff happens. Higher taxes for the wealthy and the Military Industrial Complex will lose really big. The pressure on the Republicans is coming from Defense Contractors back home. Yes, there will jobs lost in the Military Industrial Complex, but since the actual dollars spent on the military remains the same, it is the bonuses for upper management at these companies that will be impacted.
Run Ashley... RUN! We NEED you in DC...
McConnell and Boehner are thinking Obama will return to negotiating with himself on these matters. While tax increases would take immediate effect on January 1, they can be rolled back retroactively and the sequesters will not have immediate effect. Thererfore, there is no actual panic for Obama and the Democrats. Being so public with their rejections, Republicans have put a target on their backs and public opinion is already mounting against them. Sometimes you have to avoid the fight to win the war. GOPers are relishing the fight and it can ultimately be their Waterloo. People may let many things slip by but they pay attention to their money ~ and there will be a lot less of it in January paychecks if this goes unresolved. Make no mistake ~ Democrats will not be blamed if taxes go up for the "98%" ~ and ALL Republicans know that.
What's the mystery? The joke isn't on Hussein "little" o, he is the JOKE. The joke is on the Idiots that voted for him.
Face it, if you were McConnell, would you want to show anyone those teeth?
A small little man propped up by powerful coal-mining companies.
The Republicans want certain cuts but they do not want to be the one's to propose these cuts. They want the Democrats to make the proposal so they can claim that it wasn't their idea because these cuts do not poll well. The problem is that the Democrats are smarter than that. It is not the Presidents job to do their work. His function is to either sign a bill into law or veto it. He can make suggestions but he does not write the bill. He has told them already what he will or will not sign. He has done so in the public forum during the entire campaign process and was endorsed by an overwhelming majority of American voters. For those of you paying attention at home the votes are still being counted and his margin of victory is now over 5 million votes. The Democrats have put forth the required tax adjustments and the Republicans need to put their desired cuts out to the public for scrutiny. Mitch McConnell is playing a losing hand and he knows it. Time to fold folks.
Is that why President Obama proposed no new net revenue in year 1 of his proposal and spending cuts of .85%?
Any responsible proposal would seem like a devasting tax hike or spending cut compared to President Obama's proposal.
Did anyone consult the Great Arithmetician, President Clinton?
Actually its time to fold McConnell.
I hope some of the Repubs staffers are reading these posts. These comments tell me the Repubs will be blamed if we are pushed over the cliff....... again. Many people are suffering from the cliff GWBush pushed us over, we don't need another one. McConnell is among the most mean-spirited and sarcastic excuse for a man in congress. These guys should grow up. Even many of the wealthy have said there would not be much of a sacrifice for them if their taxes went up. I applaud them for showing support for their country.
Well said, txgran!
If republicans allow the middle class tax cuts to expire, the top 2% elite will also expire. Bush cut the elite tax rate from Clinton's 39% to 35%. Why all the republican drama over a 4% hike for the elite that has been proposed? Oh yeah, that would mean some elite would have to wait a year for that new yacht. Poor babies. And if the tax rate expires on the middle class, many families would be forced to cut out some necessities, which certainly would not be yacht shopping. Big difference folks.
Denny
The proposed $1.6T works out to $160B per year. In year 1, that will be consumed by the proposed extension of the Payroll Tax Holiday extension, $100-110B, and the proposed $50B stimulus.
But the cherry part of the deal? The proposed .85% spending cut.
This is the deal that President Obama is tying to expiring cuts on only the 2%.
I keep waiting for the people of KY to wise up and get rid of McConnell. They don't so what does that say about the State of KY?? Behind the laugh is a really cynical, disrespectful, oftentimes racist person. He does not bring credit to his State or the Congress and he leaves absolutely no legacy behind and certainly not as a hardworking Congressman or decent historical figure. He simply runs his mouth in an ugly way and he wastes taxpayer time and money.
Wow, that's the first time I ever saw a worthless piece of $hit smile.
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was less than impressed with the White House's fiscal-cliff proposal. So unimpressed was the Kentucky Republican that he burst out into laughter!!
THIS IS THE BEST REPUBLICANS HAVE???????
HOW STUPID CAN YOU GET!!!
I'm sure that Mr. McConnell was laughing at the size of President Obama's proposal.
Cuts, .85%.
Revenue, $1.6T over 10 years. The $160B per year yields a net increase of $50-60B after the extension of the Payroll Tax Holiday, a revenue loss of $100-110B.
The good news, President Obama did leave A LOT of room for a responsible offer. The bad news, anything responsible will look like a huge tax increase or spending cut.
M.J: I think a lot of us understand what you are saying and we know the fiscal cliff is not targeted to one single issue. However, consider argumentation over eliminating deductions beginning to be pandered about. Republicans are pushing that. Eliminating many deductions of the middle class was how Reagan slicked by, saying he wasn't raising taxes. Reagan also coined the phrase "Trickle down Economics." We found that when tax breaks are given to the top 2%, it never trickles down. Instead, the middle class gets trickled on.
Both Reagan and GW Bush pulled that caper. The middle class was duped twice and found out the hard way -- at tax time. Mysteriously, middle class tax deductions disappeared from their IRS forms, traditional deductions the middle class depended on a lot. Two times the middle class has been victimized by the old shell game -- giving with one hand and taking away with the other. Its a republican crafted favorite and they are positioning themselves to push that caper again.
It's hard to believe the ignorance in some of these comments. Let me put it this way: Obama has given in to these Congressional Republicans too often. It is high time for him to stand fast and let the money loving Republicans give some concessions. Even the wealthy want to give more in taxes, so why are the Reps in Congress being so adamant about letting them keep their money? It's because they care nothing about our country or the middle class! They care only about keeping their wealthy friends happy and being in control. Well, they should know by now what the majority of our country thinks of them. In a couple of more years, we can vote more of them out of Congress with that attitude!
Get your laughs in now Mitchy...cause come November 2014, we'll all be laughing because you were voted out of office. If ever there was an evildoer in government, it's this dumbass. He barely got elected last time around and I'm certain, it won't happen again.
I guess 2 elections don't count.
Ancestral genes to Nero, Caligula, and a few of those other wacko emporers from the world's history. Maybe to that character Dr. Strangelove that Peter Sellers played so well - in fact Mitch looks a bit like him, just put on that hat and sunglasses!
McConnell needs to be voted out of office and this will give us the last and best laugh. Unfortunately, he, Boehner and Cantor have got to have the dumbest supporters in the world to keep putting these three stooges in office. Now the House have released their 2013 calendar and they will be "working" 1/3 of the year and off 2/3 of the year. This will average out to be 8 "working" days a month and their dumb supporters are okay with that. This is a shame not working, being paid and with great benefits if they were in private industry they would have been fired. Shame on the House and remember no good comes of this and the voters will have something to say on the next mid term elections and hopefully the democrats will get the 18 members to take back the House.
McConnell was just enjoying the audio-echo sensation sometimes experienced by people suffering from an Anal-Cranial Inversion when they refuse to admit that they need to compromise on a situation in which their own views and opinions are opposed to reality.
Wow; this guy's not as smart as he looks. And that's a real problem because he looks like a moron!
He laughs? Really?!?!? Yucks it up. A real comedian. The whole country is at stake and he can find something about holding us hostage.
Or maybe the laugh is his butt being tickled by sliding down the slippery slope. You see, he's a white male and a Republican -- both dying breeds. So yuck it up, Mitch. So enough you'll be on the losing side for a long time.