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Subscribe to RSSPer the Sunday-show rhetoric, both sides remain far apart in budget negotiations… But remember: The real negotiations haven’t even started yet… Democrats and Republicans now find themselves in completely opposite places from 2011… Pelosi threatens to introduce already passed Senate-bill that extends Bush tax cuts for only household income below $250,000… Obama holds bilateral with Bulgaria PM at 2:55 pm ET… Wasserman Schultz to remain DNC chair… Checking in on Mitt Romney… And the latest VA GOV developments.
As the White House and Republican leaders enter the final months of negotiations over the fiscal cliff, both sides remain very far apart. The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd reports.
*** Far apart: Less than a month before the Bush-era tax cuts are set to expire and significant spending reductions are supposed to go into effect, the Obama White House and congressional Republicans remain far apart in their negotiations. “We're nowhere, period. We're nowhere,” House Speaker John Boehner said on FOX yesterday. He also blasted the budget offer that the White House gave to Republicans on Thursday, which included $1.6 trillion in increased taxes and revenues, $400 to $600 billion in spending cuts, and the essential end of Congress’ control over the debt limit. “I was flabbergasted… I've just never seen anything like it. You know, we've got seven weeks between Election Day and the end of the year. And three of those weeks have been wasted with this nonsense.”
Larry Downing / Reuters
President Barack Obama hosts a bipartisan meeting with Congressional leaders in the Roosevelt Room of White House to discuss the economy, in this file photo from Nov. 16, 2012.
*** Boehner vs. Geithner on the Sunday shows: Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner was adamant that the Bush tax cuts for income above $250,000 would have to expire. “The only thing standing in the way of [a deal] would be a refusal by Republicans to accept that rates have to go up on the wealthiest Americans,” he said on “Meet the Press.” And he added that if Republicans want entitlement changes, they’ll have to propose them. “What we can't do is try to figure out what they need. They have to tell us. And then, we have to take a look at it, and see if we think it makes sense for the American people.” But as bad as things sounded on the shows yesterday, let’s not panic yet. This isn’t all-hands-on-deck time. After all, President Obama was out golfing with Bill Clinton and speaking at the Kennedy Center yesterday. As we’ve told you before, the real negotiations probably won’t start until mid-December.
*** 2011 vs. 2012: Role reversal: What is striking, however, is that Democrats and Republicans now find themselves in COMPLETELY OPPOSITE places than they were in 2011. A year ago, Republicans were the ones – after their victory in the midterms – who had the political winds at their back and felt like they had the mandate. Now it’s the Democrats. In 2011, Republicans were the ones with more detailed plans about spending cuts (think the Ryan plan). Now it’s the White House with a more detailed plan. And back then, Republicans had the leverage with the debt ceiling. But now Democrats are the ones with the leverage, because of the expiration of the Bush tax cuts. As the Washington Post’s Greg Sargent writes, “[I]f we do nothing, Democrats will get their way. All the tax cuts will expire, and Dems can come back and push a new tax cut just for the middle class -- a circumstance that will only increase the Dems' leverage further.”
*** Pelosi threatens to introduce already-passed Senate bill: And given that leverage, don’t overlook this gambit: House Minority Leader says that Democrats might try to schedule a vote, via a discharge petition, on the already-passed Senate legislation that would extend the Bush-era tax cuts only for household income below $250,000, CNN writes. “‘If Speaker Boehner refuses to schedule this widely-supported bill for a vote, Democrats will introduce a discharge petition to automatically bring to the floor the Senate-passed middle class tax cuts,’ Pelosi said in a statement. Under a ‘discharge petition,’ a bill can be brought to the floor without going through a committee or without approval of House leadership. The bill would need an absolute majority - 218 votes - to pass.”
*** Obama’s day: At 2:55 pm ET, President Obama hosts a bilateral with Bulgaria PM Boyko Borissov. And then about an hour later, at 4:00 pm, he delivers remarks at the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction symposium at the National Defense University.
*** Wasserman Schultz to remain as DNC chair: NBC has confirmed from two Democratic officials that President Obama will ask the Democratic National Committee to ratify Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) to remain as DNC chair when the party next meets in January. Politico first reported the news this morning.
*** Checking in on Romney: Over the weekend, the Washington Post ran a piece checking in on Mitt Romney a little less than a month after his presidential loss. “Four weeks after losing a presidential election he was convinced he would win, Romney’s rapid retreat into seclusion has been marked by repressed emotions, second-guessing and, perhaps for the first time in the overachiever’s adult life, sustained boredom, according to interviews with more than a dozen of Romney’s closest friends and advisers.” More: “Unlike the last two unsuccessful nominees, Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), Romney had no job waiting for him. His public platform fell out from under him on election night.”
*** The latest VA GOV developments: On Sunday, President Obama golfed with Bill Clinton -- but also with Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe (D) and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk. But could McAuliffe get a primary challenge from former Rep. Tom Perriello. As the Washington Post reported on Friday, “Former congressman Tom Perriello, currently at the liberal think tank Center for American Progress, has quietly approached prominent Democrats in recent weeks to let them know that he is at least considering a run, according to party operatives in Virginia. Perriello himself has not responded to several requests from The Washington Post for comment.” With Cuccinelli as the all but assured GOP nominee, the penalty for a primary on the Democratic side would SEEM to be less.
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Raise the tax rate to Clinton era levels, and cut spending to those levels as well. Of course that will cause another deep recession, but that is what this administration wants.
All because the GOP cares more about their wealthy donors and their lobbyists than they care about the rest of America.
What you talkin bout, Willis? I think Clinton was a Democrat.
Its up to the gop,now
Obama needs to cut spending... and stop taking expensive $4,000,000 Pleasure trips on the taxpayer dollar… when the economy he created in large part SUCKS... He condemns the rich but sure acts like a rich elitist Scumbag...
I agree California,
It would be nice to have the most important job in the free world, and never have to take any responsibility for your decisions.
Bwahahahahaha ... sour grapes, anyone??
What a total load of bull$hit. The economy he inherited sucked and its in better shape today than when he got the keys to the Oval Office wash room. Nice try, Dreamer. Joe is right ~ you have been drinking the bitter wine of sour grapes. In case this has escaped you, Obama was re-elected by a majority of American voters who disagree with the minority view. That is the reality of the matter. Deal with it.
Democrats won ~ Republicans lost. Deal with it.
So Hawaii ~ one of the fifty states ~ should be off limits to presidents because of costs? I'm sure the fine folks out there will be delighted to learn that they are irrelevant. Its not a vacation. Obama wants to learn first hand how to say "Mele Kalikimaka." If you think this is expensive, just wait until he starts the search for the other seven states. We have 57 of them, according to Obama in the 2008 campaign.
This is all show and games. In order to reach a compromise both sides have to give up things their bases don't want. The politicians are making it look like a tough fight so when the compromise is met the Dems can blame the Reps for the the things their constituents don't like and vice-versa. In the end though Obama does have the advantage. If we go over the cliff all the Bush tax cuts end, then in January the Senate could reintroduce the Bush cuts for the middle class which the Reps in the House would have to vote for.
I see the same old hacks are here,,lol
Fawk the bush tax cuts,they where temp,never paid for,created no jobs
Lets all,expire,lets go off the cliff everyone,gets what they want,,
the Dem game is... throw out a ridiculous "tax more, squander more, and give us a blank check" proposal with no cuts... then tell the GOP to put specifics on paper... so that the attack dog media can do their "throw Grandma off the cliff" routine... same old Chicago slime tactics...
Let me get this straight... If we go off the 'fiscal cliff' there will be massive tax increases and significant spending cuts. If we go with Obama's plan there will be massive tax increases, sequestration suspended (no spending cuts) and yet another massive increase in government spending. I understand fully why Republicans aren't for Obama's plan.. Either way there's a massive tax increase, at least jumping off the cliff will result in some spending cuts, something Obama and his minions seem to have no conept of or willingness to address...
Did we miss the 1 trillion in cuts obama put as a downpayment to these negotiations?
Ima - all Dems are lefties now. The GOP is going to make you own it in 2014 and give you a good old-fashioned whupping like we did in 2010.
Patrick - $1T over what - 20 years! LMAO. I think it is "projected" at 10 years. Projected being the operative word that really means "maybe" which will then become "we never promised $1T this happened and that happened......" and lefties will lie about it. It's their normal MO.
You lefties are so gullible!
Did I miss something? Didn't the "job creators" just spend hundreds of millions of dollars to oust Obama and lose? How can they have money for what they want but not what the country needs? They will pay far less in a 4% increase in their taxes than they did in a useless rant about the "Socialist."
Ridiculous post.
Easy for you say Andy it's not your money they are taking. Wait until they come for yours next and tell me what you think. Oh they will Andy unless you're one of the takers that is.
Andy explains why idiots in Jersey always vote Dem in fed. elections.
We're all supposed to stay on the edge of our seats until the useless leaders actually DO something.
Then they can strut around and feel like their salaries and benefits are justified.
Meanwhile the middle class is looking at a potential $3500 tax burden next year.
Happy Holidays...........Keep the receipts. Those gifts are returnable.
Call your GOP representatives ... they could protect the middle class tax cuts with a vote right now. The Senate passed a bill to do just that ... the DO NOTHING GOP House won't vote on it (Bohener knows it would pass).
Instead of going in as Mr. (I won) Macho, he actually tried a conciliatory and collaborative approach.
Unfortunately, it is unlikely that will ever happen. We're screwed for four more years.
The people in this country are stupid to vote the ones back in office and they do nothing but argue. These elected officials do not show an interest in moving this country forward. They only want to make themself and their party look good. When they argue back and forth and accomplish nothing, these Senators and Representatives demonstrate how irresponsible they are. Vote them out if they will not do the job we elected them for.
Off the cliff we go
End
Repubs need to let hussein have whatever he wants. When things go to @!$%#, and they will, the dems will not be able to blame the Repubs.
I can't understand the ignorance of libs(well I can), you morons never can tell me when the last time you got a job from a poor person.
You are dumb enough to not see that 6 trillion in NEW debt is not good. hussein to have to accountability in regards to an open debt ceiling. What this means for you simple libs, he can spend what he wants with NO oversight.
How about you all take care of this or you don't leave for Christmas or better yet you don't get paid.
I,say off the cliff we go. Next simpson bowles,next all entitlemnt cuts
Off we go,then simpson boles
If and when we go over the cliff the blame should and will go to the president and this is why! The buck stops here and yes, POTUS it will be on you for the failure to lead this country. By putting blame on the republicans everytime I believe the people are getting a little tired of this game you're playing. You wanted this job now start doing the job. If not your legacy as president will be nothing but the worst failure in this country's history and you're children and us will have to live with that. You only have four years to do the right thing and if not the country will survive and you just you will be the loser. Goodluck!
Obama's going to be fine. Its the GOP that's just about done. They've made a living of doing nothing. And now, as they do nothing. Obama will allow the tax cuts to expire, and then dare the GOP to not reinstate those for the middle class.
Boehner accuses Obama of wasting time? Only because the President won't buckle on revoking the tax breaks for the wealthy that GW Bush called "temporary." Boehner seems to forget he didn't win the election.
If he doesn't wants the U.S. to fall off the fiscal cliff, he and his buddies sure don't act like it. Barack Obama was elected on his promise to tax fairly, not cut the responsibility for a costly war and the Wall Street debacle for a favored few fat cats. Any politician who thinks otherwise should take the next boat to China.
During the last administration, regulations were eased, the wealthy got tax breaks, & bailouts. Unemplyment promptly skyrocketed, & many businesses went under. Obviously giving money to the rich doesn't help the economy, so let's try something else.
Do you see what's happened? With all that government money, the rich don't have to work, so they don't. They've become dependent on those tax breaks, so they don't have to hire anybody. Remember your objections to Welfare? Well, the wealthy have proven them valid.
Eliminate their deductions, except for charitable contributions, & raise their taxes to confiscatory levels. If they want to maintain their incomes, they're going to have to increase production. They've already slammed into the law of diminshing returns with their existing employees, so they're going to have to hire producers.
Ignore the partisan brainwashing, & it all adds up.
Obama
I want trips to Hawaii, great food, entertainment etc... Send me some, where is
my vouchers... it’s not fair us poor workers don’t get all the corporate perks
you get... Yo are you getten even with DA MAN by Jacking up our economy,
helping Muslims rule the world, makin us unsafe... Taking everything real
Americans worked for and give it to the illegals… Admit it you Hate America…
Not God Bless America GD America… Right… Yo keep Whighty without guns so da Muslim
brotherhood can kill Christians… Ya MoFo I done gots you figured out… Too bad
the rest of the country doesn’t see you and understand you... as I do… THE ANTI-CHRIST…You
are America’s Satan
Only thing far apart is the POS obummmer and the rest of the socialist/progressive POS in Washington..
What is really needed is a cleansing in this country of any one who is a socialist/progressive.
Then we can get back to what made this country Great.
Politicians on both sides are too inept to collaborate and create any meaningful economic solution. President Cliff Hanger and his unqualified Czars are no where near capable to handle this great nation's economic woes, despite who caused them. The GOP leadership as well does not have the spine, nor the credibility, to justify their stance of NO, much less make a convincing argument to garner support among their Conservative constituents so they can support a compromise.
We need long term solution plans broken down into short term financial goals. We also need a real Budget passed that reduces spending. In the end...I say within 5 years...the middle class and poor in our country will be so devastated financially and so angry at our failed government programs, that there will be uprisings.
Have you ever tried to teach a door nail to speak? Or try to raise the dead? or try to hold a jackass down? This is what presinent Obama is facing. Why don't you try!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“We're nowhere, period. We're nowhere,” House Speaker John Boehner said.
He's a real Nowhere Man, sitting in his Nowhere Land, making all his Nowhere Plans for Nobody.
Everyday the American people see Grover and Bohner on TV the dems win. I got news for everyone the one result of the election that hard core dems were most concerned with was who keeps the supreme court safe for the next four years. Granted the deficit is important but the right needed this election to keep their base intact. No matter what happens with the fiscal cliff the real fights will occur over social issues. The next four years will be the most interesting in politics in my lifetime. Finally, back to the current issue at hand, my novice and unqualified advice is to start moving your 401K's to cash . Take those mutual funds and move them to cash till the debate is over. You know who you are, the people who just read the statements every 3 months and file them away. Please don't do this because your retirement is at stake.