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Subscribe to RSSHouse Speaker John Boehner delivers remarks at a news conference on current fiscal cliff negotiations, saying his latest call with the president was "open and honest" but they still have "some serious differences."
House Speaker John Boehner said Wednesday that "serious differences" continue to separate Republicans from President Barack Obama on work toward resolving the impending "fiscal cliff" at the end of this month.
Speaking this morning on Capitol Hill, the Ohio Republican said that his conversation Tuesday with Obama was "open and honest," but that a new proposal put forth by the White House could not muster enough support to pass through Congress.
"The president and I had a deliberate call yesterday and we spoke openly about the differences we face," Boehner told reporters following a meeting with fellow Republicans. "The president has called for $1.4 trillion dollars in revenue, that cannot pass the House or the Senate."
Two sources familiar with the Obama-Boehner call yesterday described it to NBC News as a "tense" conversation. Amid dueling, new proposals, Boehner proposed a permanent extension of existing tax rates for the wealthy, a Democratic source familiar with the call told NBC's Kristen Welker.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, who spoke with President Barack Obama yesterday, arrives for a closed-door meeting with the GOP caucus, Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Sources confirmed Tuesday that the administration's new offer included $1.4 trillion in new revenue and $600 billion in spending cuts -- slightly less revenue and slightly more cuts than Obama had initially proposed.
The level of spending cuts and the method of raising new revenue -- along with the manner in which savings might be found in entitlement programs -- have confounded lawmakers and the White House for the better part of the last two years. Obama has insisted that higher tax rates for the wealthy, a priority on which he campaigned, are essential to a final deal. Republicans argue that enough revenue can be raised through the elimination of tax loopholes and deductions.
Still, Boehner did try to publicly project some optimism as to whether a deal could be reached before the end of the year, when the automatic tax hikes and spending cuts that constitute the fiscal cliff are set to take effect. He counseled lawmakers to plan carefully around the holidays and to expect to return to work shortly after Christmas.
"Listen I was born with a glass half full, I remain the most optimistic person in this town but we got some serious differences," he said.
NBC's Kristen Welker and Luke Russert contributed reporting.
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And his bottle is always empty by the end of the evening!
First honest thing to come out of Otis's mouth in years...
Hey, how about the new *cough* approval rating for the Weeper of the House? lmao
Start packing your parachute Johnny-Boy along with your little lap dog Eric...
Who woulda figured that Boehner was my soul mate? I gotta check out the underside of his shoes, there may be more sole in common than I thought!
Are you effing kidding me?! He wants a permanent extension of the top tax rates for the wealthy? Yeah, I guess we could say one step forward and two steps back! Unbelievable. This makes sense as to why Boehner"s approval rating over the handling of this deal has tanked in recent days. It's only a matter of time Johnny Boy! Your days as Speaker are numbered!
This is just really unbelievable.
Mr. B., don't confuse optimism with blind (foolish) faith. Your party lost big time in the elections based upon a majority that sees raising taxes on the wealthy as a partial solution to the fiscal challenges that lie in the road ahead. All the commissions, panels, polls and studies will not change the fact you and your party are out of touch with the American public.
Sorry Mr. B., your glass isn't half full, but rest assured, the majority of Americans think you are a complete fool. Rather than showing us your talent at licking the bottom of the glass, stick some peanut butter on the tip of your nose. Watching your feeble attempts to lap that up will be infinitely more entertaining.
Feisty---as soon as I read "I was born with a glass half full" I thought of you!! It is too easy a set up by Boehner!
Great negotiating technique----not only does he not agree on the one item the President has said is nonnegotiable, he actually makes that item worse. Why didn't he propose temporary increases on the wealthy with an easily-achieved index to get them back down. He could have declared a victory on that.
Here's a "serious difference" for ya! Boner Boy won't do anything without the approval of his 2% buddies! Who are the Idiots that keep electing this sellout?
Mr. B. hates to get tanked alone, so he was gleeful when told the majority of Americans tanked his approval rating.
Call John Boehner's office
202 225-6205
Remind him they work for you.
Call your Congress Member and Senators.
Speaking of which, when is someone going to explain to the weeper that Tang is a drink, not a skin application.
"He counseled lawmakers to plan carefully around the holidays and to expect to return to work shortly after Christmas."
Wow. My job has little to no impact on anyone's economy except my own, I make less than a quarter of what the average freshman congressman makes and don't have a tenth of the benefits they get, if I got hit by a train tomorrow there'd barely be a ripple, let alone a world-wide fiscal cliff.....and yet I'm expected to work right through till 5:00pm on Christmas Eve and be back here all bright-eyed and ready to work again at 9:00am on the 26th.
Why, why, WHY didn't I ever think to run for Congress???
Steeler Fan - Otis jumped into that one with both flat feet!
Red,
You OWE me a new keyboard! I have Diet Coke EVERYWHERE! LMFAO!
Boehner proposed a permanent extension of existing tax rates for the wealthy
UNFREAKIN' BELIEVEABLE!
Too bad Target or Walmart is not in charge of Congress (any more than they already are). They would just make them work through the holidays!
Call you Congress member and Senator.
Let's put public pressure on them.
Well, crap .. I'm going to have to open a direct deposit to your account. I think this makes the 5th one.
I want to know why Big Businesses' entitlements are not on the table - Last year we spent $69 billion on social programs (outside of Social Security and Medicare, which are funded through FICA taxes) and handed out $97 billion to businesses. I thought that a "pure"capitalist business lived or died by its own merits in the "free" market - not on government charity! There should be no cuts or changes to social spending unless there are equal cuts to corporate welfare spending.
Rumor has it, they are cheaper by the dozen... just sayin... lol
I also accept PayPal! ☺
This incompetent FOOL and his whole Party of NO led by the radical NUT JOB TEA PARTY has to go!
The WORST HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN AMERICAIN HISTORY
Feisty, good one; he walked right into the role of Otis.
Seriously, how could this "glass half full" guy propose making the tax cuts for the rich permanent with a straight face? Obviously, he drank the other half of the glass and it wasn't water because all the polls show a minimum of 60% supporting raising taxes on the 2% as necessary in conjunction with spending cuts; even a majority of republicans support raising taxes on the wealthiest among us.
Speaker Boehner, GET SERIOUS; that notion doesn't even qualify as an offer and it hasn't for a year and proof of that took place Nov 6. The GOPers political posturing to appease the wealthy and their Oath keeper, Grover is both tiresome and nauseating.
UL, eliminating loopholes and corporate welfare is part of the discussion but that may be more appropriate during a complete overhaul of the tax code which needs a whole lot more time to do than the rest of the month.
Get off the computer
and call
your Congress member and Senators.
Public pressure has worked before.
Feisty, since Boner is an optimist, it's more appropriate to say:
his bottle is always full of air by the end of the evening.
or
he always succeeds at emptying the bottle each evening.
Gotta be positive!
Time for GOP to make compromises...or bluntly...time to cave in to Pres. Obama's popular common sense approach..of tax increases and service cuts.
But as I said before...it's no win for the GOP, they either have to agree to raise taxes, angering their boss Norquist and other rich patrons, or refuse to compromise and get punished in November 2014, because the people have told all pollsters that they will blame the GOP if there is no deal.
"Serious differences" separate GOP from reality.
I decided yesterday, as "right to werk" was being hailed as a victory for the little man right before my eyes, that those that are incapable of learning from the past are doomed not only to repeat it, but also to be mostly republican serfs.
Boehners proposal to enshrine the opposite of what the majority of true Americans have clearly stated and re-elected on and instead try to force the Merkin' way is as preposterous a thing as could be thought of. Meanwhile, accuse the President of not being serious... For you supporters of what clearly hasn't worked in at least the last 30 years of your lifetimes... Cheering people on as they whittle your legs out from under you takes a special kind of stupid.
Obama= Great Campaigner...Horrible Leader.
Everytime a new welfare check is cut, a democrat gets a vote.
In the beginning of getting back to basic Americanism, It all hinges on the president. If he holds his mud and keeps to what he ran on, going over the so-called cliff doesn't matter. It will be a Rebublican mass suicide.
We have all heard enough about the top 2% and how now they all want elevators for their cars and we are sick of it. If they really were job makers we'd have jobs.
What must happen if we are to save our economy and way of life we have to get off those terrible trade deals that both parties are to blame for.
This is altogther the wrong time to give a sh!t about globalization. If we had not jumped into that fairytale at the wrong time in history, what happens to other economies would not mean much.
Yes, it is true that we elect a lot of morons but why they are so double bad is they are kiss asses to the rich.
Get rid of Citizens United and all that crap. If where the money comes from does not have to be accounted for, how do we know what other countries are involved?
Please tell me we have bottomed out in our stupidity.
I think Speaker Boehner is on drugs! Even drunk (as usual) you can't be that stupid!
Maybe Rush sent him some feel good candy after the election results.
Liberal - and with every subsidy a republican gets a campaign donation.
Mr. President,
Just sit on your hands until 1/1/12 and force them to pass the middle class tax cuts. (They will be cuts by then) and then use other stuff like many of the expiring tax credits to negotiate for continued unemployment payments and other stimulus. By no means give in to any more military spending. I'm glad that is being brought down to earth. Can't stand the fact that we've made our military mercenaries for hire. Or the inflated amount of contractors we hire at top dollar that are worthless at their jobs. I'm hopeful most of that stops with the cuts in place. Stay strong. The American people are with you on this. Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians alike. Only greedy rich people and war mongers are not. I would wear that fact as a badge of honor.
The Democrats should put absolutely no spending cuts on the table until Boehner says the republicans are ready to increase taxes on the wealthy. He ain't ready. Ain't likely to get ready. Let the fiscal cliff, curb, step, or whatever It is happen. It's really the only way to increase taxes on the greedy sons-ah-bitches. Everyone"s spending waaay too much time on nothing here. Mr. President, Sir; don't let these jackals take this away from you. No compromise. Tell 'em to go to hell! Once we go over that "hump" you're in total control.
Yes, there are serious differences- Pres Obama works for the American people (all of us), and Boner and his buddies have sworn their servitude to Grover.
Liberals claim to champion diversity of ideas and yet they are surprised to find out that there are other ideas.
Various points:
Just because the President says it is non-negotiable does not make is so if it cannot pass the House or the Senate. Makes one wonder if the President really wants the fiscal cliff because he believes he will not shoulder the blame.
The double standard continues with liberals. When the GOP drew the line and said that they would not agree to any rate increases all liberals were critical that one should not draw such lines when stepping to the negotiating table and frankly, I agreed. But now that Obama has drawn a similar line in the sand oh, now that is different, why?? In my mind if you want to step to the negotiating table, be ready to compromise.
The GOP has compromised on the revenue side by agree to increase taxes on the wealthy via the elimination of deductions and loopholes, why can't Obama compromise and agree to that method to raise revenue? Does it really matter if the increases are borne by the wealthy? Seems like what Obama is really after is a political victory and not a real solution to the problem.
I thought that a majority of people had realized that we have a spending problem. I agree that we have dug such a deep hole that we need additional revenue to get out of that hole, but if we really have a spending problem shouldn't the additional revenue and the spending cuts be more equally weighted? Even if you don't agree that we have a spending problem, shouldn't a compromise be more towards equal additional revenue and spending cuts?
Frankly, I'm think we should just let the automatic cuts and revenue increases occur.
"Serious Differences."
Well yah, because the GOP thinks they can STILL dictate the terms of any agreement even after having their asses handed to them in the last election. The "fiscal cliff" is entirely of the GOP's making, and should we go over it, it will be entirely because they refuse to accept reality and negotiate in good faith.
By and large, the public sees this, the public KNOWS this. Should we go over "the cliff" the GOP will get another ass whooping in 2014 and beyond. It's like their determined to become a regional, dying, dinosaur of a political party...
I think maybe we should go over the cliff. I mean that will end the tax cuts, yes for everyone. Then we can come back and give the tax back to the people that need it. Then they can let the cuts to the Military that the Rep's don't want. The Rep's will be hurt way more then the Dem's. And they will take the blame for putting us over the cliff. You know that if the Rep's really want to cut spending, they would make cuts everywhere. But they only want to cut from working people. What all the money we give to the oil company's. Why? Same with many other big business. If we didn't have Walfare, Walmart and other company's like Motels and so on wouldn't be able to hire there workers. Walmart as other company's only hire PT help. No managers are full time with Benefits. My wife works for a food market and they only hire PT and they are all on welfare. They have such a turn over as these people don't need to go to work. Same with a resort I worked at. All part time except the Management, All we had was no shows and un dependable work force. Motel workers are hired as needed. So like where I worked, if they didn't sell 15 rooms then the managers had to clean the rooms themselves. Like I said these people wouldn't be able to exist without welfare. So the government is helping to pay for those people that only Hire PT. Farmers can't exist without the Migrant workers either. Its getting time to start from the begging again. And never let big business run the country again. We need to get back to WE THE PEOPLE. Not we the Lobby's or We the Koch Brothers. We need Representative government again. The only people our Representative represent is big money people. But its our votes that put them in office. We need to hold them to being our Representatives again. We need to pass laws again that puts a stop to lobbing once and for all. That is what has destroyed this Great nation. Not doing what is right for the Country, and doing what is good for people like the Koch brothers. Who only take from this country and its people. I know they have many employees, But they are one of the Country's biggest polluters, they are so big they can't seem to be touched and keep polluting the water, land and air. They just spread a few million around and they keep from having to clean up what they have polluted. Pay off instead of clean up. That is the american way. The tax payers will end up paying for the clean up while these guys are the 5th riches people in America. That's as wrong as it gets.
What the Dems need to do is present one in the Senate for vote, let the filibuster begin, and put the blame squarely on the Republicans. If one is presented by the the Dems and not voted on because of games, then it is a Republican problem.
I just called Boehner's office and told them that I thought his bottle must be empty, and he's drunk as a skunk if he proposes extending tax cuts for the wealthy. You know what? His staffer didn't get it! They must have been passing the bottle around!
Easy to see the differences, Fantasy/repubs - Reality/dems. Not hard to figure that out
They say they want to make the cuts for the rich permanent but that is just a ploy. This way when they agree to make them temporary again, they are throwing President Obama a bone. I think the President might see through this.
They want to raise revenue by closing loopholes because loopholes are so easy to open back up. I think the President sees through this too.
1.30 Just because Republicans say the same thing doesn't make it so either.
In 1993 Clinton got his deficit reduction plan passed without a single GOP vote. The leaders of the GOP at the time predicted that the tax increases in the bill would kill jobs and lead to a deficit twice as large. In reality after the bill went into effect the US saw one of the best economic times ever, massive job increases and eventually, a budget surplus. Obama proposes putting the top tax rates back to the same numbers as that bill. The GOP was wrong in 1993, and they are wrong today. Just as the lower taxes on the wealthy did not create jobs, raising those rates will not lead to job losses. Get it done, Boehner, or resign.
As a independent I sometimes would like for the republicans to stand up and tell the American public that they are sick and tired of footing the blame while they are attempting to save America as we know it, and that they are going to give obama eveything he wants at this time. I would also tell the American people that after the next four tears the democratic party will lose all control of the senate and the congress and the Presidency for the next fifty years and obama will go down in history as the first President to bankrupt America and cause the worst depression since the 20s and 30s.
Talk about non-starters …
Boehner’s latest proposal (yesterday) calls for making all the Bush tax cuts permanent
Obama is clueless. He think he has the GOP over a barrel, as if this were some sort of game...like the game he played and well lost last year when he suddenly upped his demands on the debt ceiling last year...causing the 1st debt downgrade in U.S. history.
This is not a game. Nobody wins by extracting an extra % out of the higher tax brackets or shaving a little from entitlements...but we all lose if a deal is not made. It's not just the automatic cuts, and the increase in taxes we will all face....it is the complete and utter lack of confidence that business, financial markets, and our trading partners will have in the U.S. The repercussions of a failed deal are huge.
Our entire economy including business hiring, capital expenditures, unemployment all at stake as Obama once again plays a game of chicken. He needs to quit the posturing and get a complete deal done A.S.A.P. Before you lay one finger of blame at the GOP...Obama(the President) needs to show leadership...not just criticism, snide comments, and lack of detail on spending cuts. And to Nancy Pelosi...last years cuts do NOT count towards anything. Just as higher taxes a decade ago don't count. This is about current/forward spending cuts and tax changes. No WayBack Machine Nancy!
The fact that Boehner is still holding onto extending the wealthy tax cuts is just insane. What planet is this guy from?
If that is what the Republican's want let them all expire. In approximately two years every stinking Republican and Tea Party fool will be gone from office. It seems to me this is political suicide from delusional Republicans.
1.39 That is interesting since the dow is at 13,000 and has been pretty steady and climbing from the 8,000 it was 4 years ago. That is not depression. When the market crashed, I socked $$ away in my IRA and have made about a 30% return since 2008. That is just adding $50 per month into my IRA for that return. Not to shabby for a "depression".
Jerry, wake up. Your little wet dream is over. You may have peed the bed!
The Republican Party is on it's deathbed due to people like Boehner.
The only thing I can tell you, is to look into who did the spending that got us into this mess. Start with the unfunded war with Iraq.
Get a clue people - Dems won't cut military spending either. Too many union jobs go away when they stop building those ships and planes.
If that statement is indeed true, no wonder they are worlds apart. Is he still stalling to protect 2% of Americans?
Jerry that was really independent. We tried it the way the Rep's wanted and look where it landed us. Have you forgotten that. The Rep's are responsible for the mess we are in right now, and you think we need to lesson to them some more. That is the definition of insanity. Doing the same thing time and time again and expecting a different outcome. That is what your asking for. Every time we have a Rep's in the white house and control or the house and senate, we find ourselves in the same kinda mess. Look back if have the guts to see the truth. Just doing what is good for big business isn't what is good for America. All that does is make people Like the Koch brothers richer. Tell me why it is good for America to let Koch industry pollute America they way they do. The Tax payers will end up paying for it while they just make more for themselves. That is not the American way. I know big business thinks that but it is wrong. It dishonest. And Mitt didn't understand why we didn't elect him????? Because he thinks that is right.
This is the very same rhetoric we heard last year on the debt ceiling deal! Obama caved into Tea Party/Republican demands and signed a measure that cut 1.2 trillion in spending without a single new source of revenue. Now the GOP fans are repeating the call.
I find it hilarious that the GOP party is suddenly touting austerity and fiscal conservatism NOW that a Democrat is in the White House. Where were those concerns when Medicare Part D was passed? How about two wars off the books that Obama took account of? Where was the concern of balanced budgets when Bush pushed through tax cuts?
Someone needs to tell Mitch McConnell that Obama won a second term, so his goal of making Obama a one term president is dead. Move on and do something for the American people. Even top CEO's are now calling for tax increases on the wealthy as part of a balanced approach.
Obama took a lot of heat from his own party in 2011 for cutting spending without new revenues. It is not going to happen again. Expecting Obama to bend over backwards yet again is ludicrous and disingenuous.
Mark 00000:
Good point on the method. However, I think the GOP "method" doesn't get to the numbers that are really needed. Boner's boys sounded like they were all for cutting deep when its the middle-class or elder-care programs that take the hit, but when its the Richie-Riches, they seem to always come down on the side of the Richie-Riches. They need more lessons at the ballot box to understand that they can't just rely on the rich and the stupid in elections.
And one more thing: stop referring to everybody that doesn't agree with you as "liberals". Many who voted Obama in and your Richie-Rich candidate out were Republicans before the Bush Wars with Bush Tax cuts and Tea Party madness drove them out!
...and also separate the GOP from the American people, that just reelected Obama.
Shouldn't the headline be "Serious Differences Separate GOP from 65% of the Voting Public?"
Maybe if Obama's camp could explain the rationale behind their plans a compromise could be reached. The approach of "just vote it in so we can take a look at it and understand what it's about" is not rational or wise on any front.
With sequestration, a bi-partisan measure that is law, reparation begins. Without, kicking the can down the road continues.
Headline should actually read "Serious differences separate GOP from the majority of American people".
Yes, there ARE serious differences between capitalism and marxism.
Republicans' goal: to avert the fiscal cliff by cutting spending and eliminating tax loopholes
Obama's goal: to go over the fiscal cliff and blame it on Republicans
This is what America gets when we elect a community agitator to the Presidency!!!
You mean Obama hasn't proposed a sensible budget? Who knew? He defines where the "cuts" and "revenues" will come from just as much as Romney did during the debates...and no liberals will confront this truth?
-ALL PARTIES hold your own political parties accountable with the same ferocity as you do the opposition.
Pig-why don't you get out of Red's pocket and have an original thought of your own. You're acting like a puppet.
Yes but Boner came out of his hole once and made sense then went back in and gotthe beating up of his life. All of those supposed tnuts who think they got fairly elected by the poulace when in fact it is mostly redistricting ( sometime when you have a chance look at Boners district which is carfully drawn to only include likethinking people as are most in Ohio) that got them there. They are all held hostage by a guy who was never elected and is of all things a lobbyist! Grover Norquist. He has them on paper swearing they will never raise taxes. Now we all know the tax increase coming up if not stopped is not a tax increase for the wealthy because it was temporary and only put in place to hold down unemployment so holding it up because you say it is a tax increase is stupid. But that is the new name of the republican party. Grover hold a threat over the heads of everyone in congress that if they do not fullfill the "pledge" they will run against them when they come up for reelection in the primaries! They also have a huge debt owing to people like the Koch bros and the people dumb enough to follow Karl R. So they are in a pinch. A lot of them said already to hell with this we cannot survive when we let the taxes for the 98% expire but the hutty side says keep bailing the boat is not sinking. Watching these clowns work is like watching a keystones cops movie running in reverse! Or a line of clown cars that stretches to the horizon all full of clowns coming out at once.
The sad part in this is they got elected and now those who voted for them should be ashamed.
Entitlements for the 98% - Medicare and SS - where the money is taken out of OUR paycheck.
Entitlements for the 2% - Bush tax cuts.
Why does The Orange Kool-Aid Kid keep acting like he's got the upper hand here? Serious differences separate" the President and the GOP? Well guess what, Johnny, you're the one who has to start building the bridge because.... (oooh, I've been wanting to say this!) Elections.Have.Consequences.
And if a certain previous administration's re-election win provided them with a mandate, well, Obama's win -- which was larger -- mandates his principles for economic reform, wouldn't you say? And a current polling of 60% of Americans agreeing with him ain't so shabby, neither.
Boehner, get out your hammer.
Boehner should stop meeting with Hussein and only deal with the House Democrats. It's their responsibility to craft the legislation and negotiate, not the POtuS.
They made a deal with the devil Norquist. And now Norquist is holding them to it--no taxing the rich. I think our "deal" with or legislators/Boehner is that they were elected by the voters, and they should be beholding to that. I don't like it that Norquist holds my future in his grubby little hands. He's a nobody lobbyist, not elected, not representative of the majority. He's a guy in someone else's (deep) pockets. I don't owe him squat and neither does 98% of the American population.
"The president and I had a deliberate call yesterday and we spoke openly about the differences we face
WOW! That is RICH!!! Did you also talked about who had more girlfriends in high-school, or are you planning that conversation after the CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS???
I guess the country can just f***off while Bohener discusses BS.
HE HAS THE WORST RECORD IN THE HISTORY OF THE US FOR DO-NOTHING LEGISLATOR!!!!! The only thing accomplished is all the BS that we hear every day!!!
Yes John, we know about the differences - that's why we put so many Democrats in office. Now shut up, do your job, and GOVERN for once in your worthless career.
Are all the citizens of Ohio extremely wealthy? Is that like the most wealthy state in the US?
I'm trying to figure out why the citizens there keep sending this Boner to DC. Other than the majority of them being wealthy, I can't come up with another reason.
Those on the right say republicans are compromising by offering to cut or eliminate some deductions but have provided no details. According to one statement by Obama most of those cuts would mostly affect the middle class and not the wealthy. We need more details to judge but if true republicans are clearly disregarding their own parties wishes and pandering to their wealthy funders.
Again with the patisan bickering and arguing. You people (both Dems and Repubs) make me laugh. You squabble as if you think they (politicians) really care about you...they have not before, they do not now, and they are unlikely to in the future. Do you believe they are making an honest effort to better your meaningless (to them) lives? Seriously? They have always worked for their best interest, not yours. At best they are hoping you either are not paying attention, have any ability at critical thought, or, worse yet, don't care. Sit and analyze their motives and actions all you want. Make snarky remarks to each other. It won't matter one bit. The politicians have you all by the short and curlies and you don't even know it.
Unbelievable, still you idiots don't get it - INCREASING TAX RATES DOESN'T MATTER. The rich will not pay a penny more with an increase in RATE. It's a phony argument. BOTH PARTIES ARE IN THE ULTRA RICH POCKET. The repugs think cutting SSI and medicare is going to help the budget and what "loopholes" are they suggesting? Same bullcrap that we heard from both parties in the election.
The real cause of this recession was NOT two wars and tax cuts, as you short sighted idiots claim, it was programs like the the housing acts that promoted selling homes to people that EVERYONE in Congress know would blow up - especially Barny Frank. Additionally the printing of unbacked money by the FED that THEY charge us to print.
Both sides on here don't seem to get the fact that your party leaders are taking you dwon the primrose path to a new feudal society were the royalty is the international bankers and their lackey nobles are the politicians that are slowly imposing their will on us through these phoney arguments. You all are fighting each other when you should be banding together to oust ALL the traitors in Congress and the White House.
I'm getting more than a little tired of all your whining John. Either suck it up and cut the deal or tell the American people, the 98% of the country you clearly don't care anything about, that you are selling your souls to the 2% and off the fiscal cliff we go.
Of course, if you let the country go off the fiscal cliff in order to protect the wealthiest 2% of the population and let the other 98% suffer you will be committing political suicide.
And you know what John, that's just fine with me.
We'll retake the House in 2014, shore up the Senate so Senator McConnell won't be forced to filibuster anymore of his own bills again and THEN we'll deal with our budgetary woes without all this drama.
Go on, I dare ya, I TRIPLE DOG DARE YA. I'll hold hands with you and we can jump off the fiscal cliff together. I know I'll survive the fall, but will you and the GOP survive? I doubt it.
This is not a negotiation it's political theater.
It never ends with the Republicans in Congress. All they have to do is pass the Senate bill locking in tax rates for 98% of American tax payers. But no, it’s politics, politics and more politics.
The Republican Party did not get the message in this last election but I guarantee they’ll get the message in 2014. Boehner better start to realize the 'Serious differences' are between the Republican Parties philosophy of greed and the American people’s rejection of that philosophy.
Well, it looks like Speaker Boehner is still trying!
Yes, he is; trying everyone's patience by trotting out the same pig over and over with various new shades of lipstick.
If this were vaudeville (and Speaker Boehner certainly treats the process as such), the audience would be pelting him with spoiled cabbages and rotten tomatoes.
Yes we do. You think any of us on here think anything we do or post makes a difference? We just like to argue.
it is interesting that the repubs think they are standing on principal, what principal is that? The rich must keep their tax breaks and exemptions while blaming the elderly and downtrodden for their lack of principals during the Bush years? Give me a friggin break, where are all those jobs the "Job Creators" are creating with their tax breaks? Boehner and his pack of miscreants need to get their asses in gear and do for the 98% what we expect them to do, that is get the fiscal house back in order by increasing taxes on the rich, ending subsidies to the oil and agriculture, taxing the hell out of any company leaving, or exporting jobs overseas, and finally bringing back the pre-Reagan regulations that kept the banks in line.
Steve C-526943
I apologize to you, sir, in advance; I'm usually not a spelling-Nazi, but this was too good to pass up, and it does tie into your overall comment. Here goes:
"it is interesting that the repubs think they are standing on principal..."
That is precisely the problem: The Republican leadership do stand on principal -- the wealth of their corporate masters, whom they serve -- to the detriment of the country in general.
But when it comes to principle, well, the RNC and their leadership (Messrs. Boehner, McConnell, to name a few) suffer from a deficit of the same scale as that of the fiscal crisis they should be working in good faith to solve.
Keep playing games Boehner, store managers that I am talking to are telling me that people are not spending like they have in the past because of the cliff. Mr. President Obama, stick to your guns no matter what. The American people want a balanced budget just like you are proposing.
And, Hey stupid, "Liberals are the worst" People out here in the real world get the welfare checks because the stupid Republicans shipped out the jobs. What do you want people to do to have food on the table. Welfare rolls will shrink when there is jobs.
LiberalsAreTheWorst... Your problem is obvious. It's called cranial/rectal inversion.
Conservative: adj. 1. Favoring preservation of the existing order. 2. Moderate; cautious. 3. Traditional
Liberal: adj. 1. Favoring individual freedom and non-revolutionary reform. 2. Broad-minded or tolerant. 3. Generous; bountiful. Is it the "Broadminded, tolerant" or the "generous" parts that most irritate you?
T-Rex... "Obama is clueless" Right, that's why he was re-elected by the majorityof the American people. YOU are the one who's "clueless. PRESIDENT Obama could buy and sell you while you're standing there thinking about it. Here's a little quote for you and LATW:
"When people who are honestly mistaken learn the truth, they will either cease being mistaken or cease being honest."
Arthur66... Does it hurt your ears when you try to pull your head out?
John Boehner is an incredibly arrogant, self serving, egocentric boor in an expensive suit. An empty suit, mind you, but an expensive one. A shameless whore. Proving, once again, that you can put lipstick on a pig...
chuckzul... "It makes no difference who you vote for - the two parties are really one party representing four percent of the people." Gore Vidal
To those that say call his office, it does nothing. I have done it. Unless it's in alignment with their agenda, it goes into the circular file. The Speaker does what he wants not what the American People want.
The republican party has become pile of crap. I voted for Goldwater, Nixon and Reagan, but never again can I vote for this party that now represent only the corporate,businesses and wealthy! Compromise! Negotiate and speak for America and Americans
Sam,
Conservatives are the worst. I used to be one and I know I voted for Goldwater, Nixon and Reagan. Those men would now be rated as Liberals in the current "pile of crap" called the republican party. Oh, I will never vote republican again.
I'm proud to say I'm a Liberal and always have been.But I do try to understand the other side. I like to at least understand my opponents arguments even if I disagree with them. But no matter how I try I can't understand how the Republicans think in Congress. They have to know that in the latest poll 79% of the American people say leave Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security alone. And that even in their own party they say that by 68%. So why would they be focused on cutting programs that are vastly popular among all voters.And especially where many people on those programs vote Republican. I would think that is a "kiss of death" for them.
I know today's base of the Republican Party is the wealthy,religious zealots,and anti-minority right-wingers. But with at least the last two groups,those cuts would harm their families. Everyone in this country,if they're not on one of those programs has a relative or more then one who is. Fathers,mothers,grandparents,aunts or uncles,someone we know benefits through those programs,or did at one time.And yet they are target number one for Republicans.Many if not most seniors (foolishly) have voted Republican,yet we have the irony of the Democrats being the ones fighting tooth and nail to protect those programs for the people.
Then there are the middle class tax cuts. Those cuts will help 98% of America's citizens,yet the Republicans so far,have refused to extend them unless the wealthy 2% keep their's. Surely they must see how the American people see that. Over 62% believe rising the tax rate on the rich is a good idea. And most of the rest want increased taxes on everybody.Almost nobody agree's the wealthy rates shouldn't go up. I can't see how that helps the Republicans going against the voters wishes.
Now not that I'm trying to help the Republicans,not at all.I think they're an evil bunch that needs to be driven from the Congress. But it just surprises me that they have no common sense at all in these matters.
Yeah, the true difference is the Speaker is working under capitalism and the free market, trying to let the achievers keep and enjoy the fruits of their labor and Bozobama is a socialist who believes ALL money is the government's and we should only have what his ignorant socialist @$$ wants to benevolently grant us, after he steals it from the hard-working in the US.
krauzzk,,
You're the bozo. I bet since you think he's a Socialist you also think he's Muslim and that he wasn't born in the US just like the idiot from NY who has spent a fortune trying to prove his birth certificates are fake and has failed. The right is a sad pile of crap. I mentioned I used to be a conservative republican and even a Young Republican years back, until I heard some of my fellow republicans plotting to cover their illegal tracks with lies! So typical of republican s today!
Is it just me or does everyone else see it? Every time Boehner speaks he twitches the corners of his mouth up. Kinda like a gangster does in the old movies. Whats up with that?
Oh and it is funny hearing Boehner say that he is waiting for the White House to get serious. I think all of America is still waiting for Boehner to wake up from his drunken stupor and realize the Obama is still President and Boehner needs to get serious.
_________________________________________________________________
Good morning Ms. Readhead,,,,,,,
,,,,,, do you think that one of these days you could treat us all to one or two facts or relevant ideas instead of the constant stream of high school girl level of B.S. you so proudly post time after time ?
Do yourself a favor and get a real job instead of sitting at your keyboard, day after day, waiting to be the first post your useless, repetitive drivel. ( Please leave the posts here to adults who might have something relevant to say. )
Your non existent level of intelligence makes a moron like Boehner seem absolutely brilliant, ( and that just doesn't seem to be your oh-so-noble intention ) .
Thanks and all best wishes.
Bohner is PO'd that Obama won't do what he wants.
Bohner is PO'd that the public wants what Obama wants.
Tissues anyone?
When are they going to get "Serious" about the tax cut for the middle class?
Call John Boehner's office
202 225-6205
Remind him they work for you.
Tax cuts for the middle class are already in place. What they are bickering over is the fact that they won't be if they don't come to an agreement. Said agreement hinges on raising the "evil rich" rates (as though it is the be all and end all of the problem).
Opps
I meant "extending" the tax cut for the middle class.
Call your Congress member and Senator.
Here's a suggestion for Dems and GOPers alike ~ ~ close all tax loopholes! Period! Why should there be any at all? Couple that with a 5% reduction of federal spending for all departments and agencies except Defense. It can easily stand a 10% cut and never miss a bullet or Admiral's / General's party. Moreover, mandate that personnel reductions may not be used to effect the five percent reduction. Then eliminate certain deductions for all tax filers ~ except the home mortgage exemption. Then mandate that 5% of all revenues collected ~ all revenues ~ be escrowed and applied to the national debt.
Talk to the Hand (#2.1). Nothing is the be and and end all of the problem. it's going to take many smaller moves to take care of this.
But ending the tax cuts for the top 2% who never needed the cuts to begin with is one of those small steps.
They are the group who has seen all of the real growth in income over the last 30 years. Their percentage of total income has gone up 10% in that time. Which of course means that the share for everyone else has gone down.
Hey, Sandy,
Boehner at least doesn't work and will never work for the middle class, he has always been working for the top 1%. Sorry to remind you of this fact, although I absolutely admire your good intentions.
Talkto, cutting taxes benefiting mostly millionaires and billionaires IS part of the deficit and debt problem; two unfunded wars started by Bush plus the trillions in tax cuts they passed without paying for it and without cutting spending along with dozens of other UNFUNDED borrowing to pay for GOP legislation passed from 2001 through 2006 is how we got in this mess in the first place. Conservatives whine all day about the deficit and debt WITHOUT EVER admitting that it was the GOPers who were the biggest contributors to our deficit and our debt--not to mention the collapsed the economy to boot.
Carter, added 42% to the debt; Reagan, 189%; Bush 41, 55%; Clinton, 39%; Bush 43, 89%. Let's see that's 333% GOP contributed to the debt versus 81% for democrats. If Bush 43 had kept the Clinton era tax rates, we wouldn't be in this mess; in fact, we would have been paying down the debt created by prior to 2001--now that's fact.
Jim, why not cut defense 5% as well? Defense is one of the largest drivers of the budget. Of course, we need to close the tax loopholes but we also need to raise taxes on the wealthy. It takes a combination of higher taxes, closing loopholes and targeted spending cuts.
Define loophole...
@Pigotry
I believe we need to get involved.
Posting our thought are ok but,
public pressure has worked in the past.
Call you Congress member and your Senator.
They work for us.
Jim in TX. That is the first smart thing I have seen in here today. I think maybe more from defense and no one ever talks about capital gains, and Death taxes. That is why Mitt Romney only pays 10% tax rates. You see rich people count what they make as capital gain income. And now they only have to pay 15% death tax. That all used to be 30%. Maybe we should look at maybe 25%. I haven't heard one thing about those taxes.
I called. I told them to hold strong. This country needs fiscal responsibility. No budget, no debt ceiling increase.
Personally I think Boehner gets a bad rap. He did agree to a grand bargain last year with Obama on the budget and was soundly bashed by the hard core right led by Ryan when he accepted a raise in rates on the wealthy which forced him to back out of the deal. Boehner has to present ideas enough in his party will accept to pass just as Obama does with democrats. Can you imagine if Ryan was leading the republicans?
Boehner is still an putz.
Boehner is from northeast Ohio. He has never represented the majority of the state. He is an embarrassment to most of us. If I could vote against him, I would. However, he and his cronies redrew the state districts to make sure they held onto their enclaves of particular voters. Yeah, I know.
Boehner and most of the Repubs in Congress are in Norquist's pocket. Norquist, the unelected lobbyist, is pulling the strings for the rich. This is a corruption that should not be allowed. Boehner always ran on his "good" ethics. Well, I think he and his compatriots sold out the American public. I can't tell you how disgusted I am with his "ethics." All of Ohio should find his behavior revolting.
"It's a game. We [tax lawyers] teach the rich how to play it so they can stay rich--and the IRS keeps changing the rules so we can keep getting rich teaching them." John Grisham
I do believe that a combination of cuts and taxes that is is necessary. I also think the cry for compromise is silly as a compromise waters down both sides of what should be done. Programs cuts and taxes are necessary and they need to be as deep and strong as our fragile economy can handle if the end game is to end our debt. Both sides need to pony up some tough choices.
I will also add, since this is a liberally dominated discussion, that I don't particularly care for Rep. Boehner but it is not just him. The President enjoys a more favorable view from the public right now, helping his support, but he has offered very little in return. Mr. Obama is just as guilty of politicizing this as his Republican counterparts. Neither side is the good guy here.
Seems like a couple of different tracks are being spoken about here. I was under the impression that legislation that would keep the rates for the initial $250K for 100% of the population had ALREADY passed the Senate.
If that is true it looks like everybody has already been "serious" about those tax cuts.
You're talking about only 2% of the population and at that roughly half of that population are the "small businesses" that file their taxes as Individuals. Their first $250k is kept in tact and whatever remainder is taxed anywhere from 2-4.6% and you think that is worth spiting the first $250K of the remainder of the population? Nice.
Nothing has been passed yet, Allen. The president has said all along that he would at the very least sign the middle class tax cut extension this very minute if it were given to the Senate and passed, leaving the rest on the table to either be dealt with before the end of the year, or that part of the deal would go over the proverbial cliff. The consensus right now is that everyone agrees about the middle class tax cuts, but now the big hostage in the deal is the damn debt ceiling. The Republicans want to retain their hold on that so that they can eventually @!$%# this country up again, as they did last summer. They are a party full of masochists I guess, who enjoy screwing with the country's good faith credit liabilities.
No...the Senate passed this bill back in July to extend the Middle Class tax cuts for 98% and letting the top 2% expire.
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-07-25/business/35486587_1_tax-cuts-tax-rates-republicans-scott-brown
Actually, the middle class tax extension was passed in the Senate, and the house is refusing to bring it to a vote.
I have a problem with so called small businesses tax filing as an individual. They are probably horrible business people. They should be taking a salary and declaring that as income and filing business taxes for their endeavors. So basically this is so bogus the line they (rep) keep saying about job creators. Most of the job creators are making under $250K and if they are making more perhaps they need a consultant to explain to them how a company should be set up.
Allen is right, the extension of the tax cuts for 98% passed the Senate this summer. All the House needs to do is pass that bill.
fantasy meets reality
Because the Senate passed extending the tax cuts in July, the question to be asked of Speaker Boehner is why has the House not passed the bill and instead chose to wait until the last minute. Now, we know the answer is the GOPers hoped to win the Senate and the White House on Nov 6 so they could once again resume their fiscal irresponsibility....and then all their rants and chatter about deficit and debt would be no longer required.
Failure of the House to do the people's business and failure of the GOP Senators (who filibustered everything) to do the same on spending cuts, taxes, etc. are exactly why we have a Fiscal Cliff. The Fiscal Cliff belongs to the GOP who chose rigid ideology over governing through compromise.
Oops! I did mean the House not the Senate in my comment above.
It is the job of the House to propose legislation that the President will sign - not the other way around. It is time for the House to start doing the job they are there for - pass a bill the president will sign. It is NOT the President's responsibility to propose legislation. It is a courtesy to the House for the President to indicate what he will and will not sign - it is absolutely NOT required. However, it is REQUIRED that the House propose and pass legislation before what the president does with it even matters - so they need to get on with it.
Every proposal has been soundly rejected by the administration. As soon as it is rejected Obama hops Airforce One for another photo op covered well by TV and press alike and swallowed whole by the blind followers. Most of those commenting have no clue as to what has been happening. They merely spew the talking points and place blame.
After all this posturing and debating, The best Boehner and the Repubs can come up with is a permanent tax cut for the richest Americans?
And here I thought this was about creating revenue and reducing debt!
The republicans are more interested in creating revenue for the top 2% and reassigning debt to the rest.
References to "americans" made by them shouldn't really ever be taken to mean ALL americans.
Boot-licking is Job1.
Near the sea (#4.1) If Boehner would stop thinking that he's going to get "95% of what we wanted"(his words from last year) as he did in the debt limit negotiations last year. Maybe something he would propose would have a chance. He still acts like negotiation means that Obama has to give him everything the Tea/publicans want.
Obama campaigned on those top 2% tax rates, 60% of the people think that needs to be part of the deal, and there is no reason for the President to give on that point. Boehner is not living in reality.
Where do you get YOUR "clue" "near the sea"? Cry like a little baby over "talking points" and then make the absolutely ludicrous "photo-op" comment??? Do you actually take yourself seriously???
Say what ever dumb thing you are being told to say, "near". Real Americans that love their country will never forget Bush reading to school children when the World Trade Center was hit...or playing air guitar like a retard when Columbia exploded...etc.,etc. Your "god in the White House" wins the photo-op whore booby prize of the century and we will never forget it.
Go plug yourself back in to your propaganda and let the real world pass you by.
michigan -
Perhaps Obama and the democrats should stop with their 'my way or the highway' attitude.
Compromise does NOT mean one side caves to the other side's desires - regardless of what liberals think.
BTW -Has Obama ever put out a realistic budget proposal?
conniesz, you are correct. It baffles me the number of people who keep commenting on what President Obama has not done, it's not his job, he does not have that power, it's a political ploy that some keep buying.
The house should submit their proposal as a bill for voting and pass it, moving it on to the senate.
They keep referring to the President, as if he controls more then the power of veto, which can be overcome by a vote. Why are they not conferring with the people who have a stake in this game they are playing, and it looks like they are playing to me. If both houses of congress start talking to each other about what is possible and what needs to be done we may see progress on this and many other issues facing the nation.
The Presidents job is to administer the laws and spending enacted by congress. Many Presidents have let congress know what they will accept and sign, they have also sent ideas and proposals to the hill which are nothing more then wish list. It is however the job of the House to pass budgetary bills to be approved by the Senate. All differences to be worked out between them handled by a joint committee, and voted for finale passage. It is then sent to the President for signing into law or vetoed and sent back to the Senate
If Republicans can't be in charge and have the upper hand, they obstruct and/or creat chaos in Congress. I swear they are like little kids who act-up if they don't get their way. This branding of the GOP won't go away for decades, especially if Republicans continue down the path they're going - which is just grand for Democrats and the liberties Americans want and deserve to have as Republicans are consistantly voted out of office and replaced by real Americans, Democrats.
It would behoove Bonehead to set each piece of this legislation separately. i.e. vote on the tax issue by itself and then deal with the sequestration issue after that. The American people need to see who is against the middle class and who is supporting the 2%. Where it passes or fails. At least the American people could put pressure on their Congress person.
We're totally going over the cliff. The good news? It'll be blamed on the republicans. The result of which will hopefully be that they'll be voted out of office and some things can finally get moving through congress.
See, there is a silver lining if we go over the cliff.
I for one am ready to go over the "fiscal cliff" If we all have to pay more taxes to make the uber rich pay their share, SO BE IT!
When the automatic military "cuts" go in effect, Let's see how much love Boehner and company get from the Defence Industry.
The Republicans have a lot more to worry about than I do, when it comes to this so-called Cliff!
Just another BOOGEY MAN under your bed story!
My bet is we go over the cliff and then a retroacive tax cut for those under 250 - 500k....of course if the GNOP say "NO" as they would want....they can kiss their jobs goodby in 2014 because all they would have to do is look in the mirror to see who ;"?$#^* 'd up...
You have a point, Paul. GOPers have just recently learned that they can't rely on the uber-wealthy to buy an election for them and 2% at the polls would be a mere phart in a whirlwind. After the recent fiasco where hundreds of billions were literally wasted on GOP races, it will be more difficult to raise funds in 2014-2016. I admire Boehner and Company for trying to bet up the pot on a losing hand but a bluff can't last forever. if they accept the Obama proposals, they lose. If we go past January 1 with no agreement, they lose. If we do go over the cliff and they vote against tax cuts for the lower 98% of taxpayers, they lose. If they try to use the debt ceiling as a club, they lose. All Obama and the Democrats have to do is sit tight. In short, Republicans have the opportunity to dig their own grave and Democrats will lend them the shovel.
The bad new...it won't be the Republicans fault and those at fault will be given even more power by their blind followers.
Yes it will be blamed on the republiCONS, because they are the party that is blocking the extension of the tax cuts for 98% of the country.
Republicans will never be blamed by Republicans ~ but they represent a minority among potential voters. At some time the Tea Party faction will split away from the primary GOP to form their own highly vocal but significantly small coalition. That split may occur before the next primary elections as incumbents are already being threatened with primary challengers. Remember, voters represent about half of the population but opinions will permeate the entire populous and have significant influence on those who do vote regularly. Outside the nucleus of most Republicans, Democrats will receive little blame if we go over the "cliff" or if debt ceiling threats surface anew.
What you see is our government working as it was designed to: checks and balances. The House will remain in GOP control because voters in the red states will continue to support them. Some people believe that the government should have a budget and live within it's means.
Doug: Clearly you mean democrats. Romney's proposal to cut revenue 500 billion a year at the same time he would increase military funding 200 billion a year that no military leaders were even asking for may be your idea of being fiscally responsible but most reasonable people disagree. Romney's plan was the same as Bush, cut revenue and increase spending. How did that work out? The only new program Obama implemented is fully funded. Refreshing to have a responsible president after Bush.
...and where were those people when the Republican Congress and Bush White House got us into this huge mess in the first place, "doug"?
Drooling on yourselves, staring blankly at Fox news with your thumbs up your butts. That's where. Crawl back into your hole and shut up if you can not be responsible when it counts.
Democrats lost big time in the mid term elections because people were terrified of Obamacare due to the republican scare tactics. Most are over that now and now most are angry with republicans. With the next elections the democratic districts that went republican before will mkost likely go back to democrats.
Serious differences separate the GOP leadership from the rest of the country. No one cares about tax breaks for the ultra-rich except them.
You lost the election in part because of your obsession with low taxes for the rich, which are bankrupting this country. Time to concede and let's move on to something more important for this nation (like term limits for politicians).
god. term limits have to happen for politicians. it's unreal
Indy Thinker -
Expecting politicians to vote to limit their own terms is like expecting them to vote against pay raises or for campaign finance reform or for outlawing lobbyists. Ain't. Gonna. Happen.
Besides, we already have term limits right there in the constitution. They're called elections, and we the voters control the outcomes. If we keep re-electing the same useless twits over and over again, we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Term limits got voted in, in of all places, Michigan. It can happen. The reason elections don't work as well is because of all the propaganda paid for by the big money interests, unlimited since Citizens United. Even the most astute voter can become confused by the lies and obfuscation.
Awesome post, JoAnne! No matter what your politcal thoughts are, we the people are to blame by relecting anyone over and over and over. Our founders did not want politics to be a career. They wanted it to be service and we no longer get service.
WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot (hey, WTF - I get it! I get it!) -
I'm no more in favor of the Citizens United decision than you are. But at some point, we have a moral obligation to educate both ourselves and our fellow voters - it's a big part of my raison d'etre here - and contrary to popular opinion, I still firmly believe that most of that paid propaganda is easily seen through and ignored by even not-so-astute voters and is a total waste of money by the big money interests.
Hey, just ask Sheldon Adelson what he got for the $15 million he spent on Newt Gingrich this year and the twice that he spent on Mitt Romney.
Call me naive - you won't be the first! - but I still think we're eminently capable of thinking for ourselves.
Of course, if we're just plain lazy.....well, that's another story.
JoAnne - I agree completely with you on the obligation as a citizen. I'm not sure what we do with the willfully ignorant people out there that are either voting a single issue or only their own self interest. As for people who just don't vote, I can only say, they should, but only if they educate themselves and don't just do a knee-jerk reaction to the lies and hate that abounds these days.
WTF -
Ten minutes perusal of First Read on the average day will show that both the willfully ignorant and the knee-jerk reactions shall, sad to say, always be among us.
Luckily, there are plenty of willfully smart and thoughtful folks here to keep going once more into the breech!
Have a good evening - I've got a Christmas tree to finish decorating!
They're called elections, and we the voters control the outcomes. If we keep re-electing the same useless twits over and over again, we have no one to blame but ourselves.
You've hit the nail on the head, except that they're ALL twits and we keep them in power. And to think we have control is very naieve. We have no more control over the elections than we do the weather. It just seems that way...it's an illusion of choice. So voting is essentially useless if the people we continually vote in (regardless of party affiliation) can't get the job done. We are ultimately to blame. Politicians will always do what is in their interest not their constituents. We should have kept the old Vote of No Confidence from parliamentary government.
What is it about 'bargaining' and 'neogtiating' that the Republican leadership doesn't understand, having lost ground in this election and quite possibly even more ground in elections to come?
I guess the Orange Man Group have never heard the phrase "SET ASIDE" in conjunction with the word "differences."
I think agent orange is reading those accurate polls from the erstwhile Republican poll takers....Romney is gonna win bigtime!....ooops...been there lost that.....
Speaker Boehner, your problem is this. The majority of the people spoke on November 6; they elected President Obama and they elected more democrats to both the House and the Senate--all of them campaigned on raising taxes on the upper 2%, ridding the tax code of egregious loopholes, and guess what, Speaker Boehner? They won, and the GOP lost. For the first time since Reagan, democrats ran on raising taxes, ran on the fact that the tax code favored those who have and not the middle class which drives the economic engine of this country and the democrats won.
Get over it Speaker Boehner and GOPers, your side lost and either it chooses to side with the American people who made their voices heard or your side takes the hit when the GOP drives us over the Fiscal Cliff in the name of protecting multi-millionaires and billionaires who will never in their lifetime spend the money they already have. It's your choice, GOPers.
Hey, Jody, that ain't the way it works. The people apparently didn't speak loudly enough to give the House to the Democrats, now did they?
That will happen in the mid-terms. 2014 can't come fast enough.
That is what I find so amazing, Jody---that they are willing to risk sending the entire nation over the fiscal cliff and raise taxes on people who can't afford it (and hurt the economy as well) in order to answer to the 2%.
tom,
The House has only changed hands in a reelection cycle once in the last hundred years.
It is rare for the minority Party to even gain seats as the Democrats did this cycle.
Speak loud ..................... NOW!
Call your Congress member or Senator.
John Boehner's office
202 225-6205
---that they are willing to risk sending the entire nation over the fiscal cliff and raise taxes on people who can't afford it (and hurt the economy as well) in order to answer to the 2%
I'm sorry but isn't the President doing the same exact thing just to punish the 2%? Why are people so eager to punish the 2% we'd all love to be a part of? Jealousy is an ugly thing. And isn't it ironic that the in less than a year the evil 1% has already become the evil 2%? How long until you are part of the evil 25 or 30% and you're singing a different song?
Tom - Ever heard of gerrymandering?
Tom (#9.1) That would be thanks to the gross redistricting and gerrymandering that the Republicans pulled off since 2010. The Democratic candidates got more votes overall, but because of the way the Republicans protected seats with redistricting, those seats became uncompetitive.
No, he isn't. He is doing his best to fulfil his promises to the people of this country who believe in him. And there will never be an evil 25 or 30%, because the 1-2% are not going to get their sorry asses off the wealth they have stolen and use some of it to actually allow people to make something resembling a living wage. It's a clear case of "I've got mine and you can't get your grubby hands on it so screw you" and that's not going to change as long as they can lie effectively to "the great unwashed masses", aka "you people".
Getalife: Not at all. The president knows he'll get what he wants on Jan. 1st. The top rate goes up and the Bush cuts end. Democrats can simply present the bill that has already passed the senate to extend the cuts to those making under 250K and the republicans in the house won't dare block it. Anyway you spin it Obama is representing the wishes of his party, republicans aren't. As for punishing someone why are those on the right so willing to punish those that can least afford it to spare those who can afford it the most?
Goodbye GOP in 2014 - giving the Middle Class "coal" for Christmas and representing the sole interest of the 1% "Scrooges", will bring down the Republican Party for good.
Yup, give us that single party system of Communism. Good luck with that comrade.
If republicans continue with their radical agenda they'll cease to be a factor but another party will emerge. When radicals like DeMint stated he'd rather have 30 true believers in the senate rather than 60 that merely talked the talk he shows the insanity of the tea party. If they dropped to 30 their party would have no more significance than the green party. It wouldn't be democrats destroying the republican party it would be your own radical right. Clearly you belong on the right equating raising top tax rates 4.5% as communism. Welcome to obscurity.
"chuckzul" it is not the Democratic Party's fault that the Republicans have backed their own butts into a corner by pandering to the ignorant, crazy minority of their party instead of working for the interests of all Americans?
The demise of the Republican Party is solely the responsibility of the Republican Party and lazy people like yourself that are incapable of holding their elected representatives accountable.
Why don't you little teabaggers combine what brain cells you can dig up and form your own damn party if you are so afraid of the "commies".
Just got through reading the article on the site about Democratic Senators wanting a delay on the tax increases on medical devices per Obamacare. Did not see one comment from the liberals on here that always post. Where were you at defending this?
Tip of the iceberg!
When even political junkies like me are bored with the endless posturing, it is a bad sign.
There does not seem to be anyone in the GOP in Washington who has the vision to see beyond the 2014 primary elections. They aren't thinking of anything but their far right base and how to appease them. A very sad situation that the entire nation is held hostage to this.
You & me both, Steeler Fan! ☺
Steeler Fan & Feisty -
Count me in too - I'm totally bored with all these reindeer games as well. I've seen elementary school Christmas pageants that were more mature.
But here's a thought......if these guys want President Obama to fail as badly as they claim to, why keep fighting him tooth and nail every step of the way? If they'd have just given him even half of what he's asked them for the last four years, then by their way of thinking (and I use the term lightly), he'd have failed so miserably that even Rick Santorum or Herman Cain could have beaten him this year, they'd have increased their lead in the House and taken over the Senate and would now be in the position to enact whatever their little hearts desire. So why keep opposing him?
Geez, you'd almost think they were afraid his ideas might actually WORK and the country would prosper, and gosh, THEN what would they do?
(P.S. - To whoever's about to reply that they were just protecting the American people, save it, okay? If you believe that, you must believe reindeer have red noses and can fly, too......)
I'm not bored, I'm FURIOUS! This is a non-partisan issue. 70% of Americans want to avert going over the cliff. My GOD we just got out of a freakin' recession!!!!!!!
Me three... Steeler Fan and Ms. Feisty...
In other news: The latest indication that things have gone a "shade too far" was when Boehner moved his family into a fine up-scale neighborhood only to see property values plummet and have a cross burned in his front yard... Both the investigation and the tanning sessions are ongoing at this time.
Amen! Add me to the list as well.
"if these guys want President Obama to fail as badly as they claim to, why keep fighting him tooth and nail every step of the way?" Obama is failing all on his own - he'll spend 4 mil going to Hawaii for Christmas and not get anything finished.
Steeler, add me to the list of bored political junkies. Watching the GOPers posture when they have no cards to play is the equivalent of watching paint dry.
Good point, JoAnne. I've wondered the same thing--except the truth is they know President Obama and democrats are right; had they allowed President Obama even half of what he asked, the economy would be humming along, the deficit reduced and Happy Days would be here again. They couldn't risk that so they preferred to allow the country to suffer to defeat one person.
Wyo2... I am calling you on President Obama spending 4 mil going to Hawaii. Show me the source of this info, otherwise you are just spewing some Faux News.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2075958/Obamas-annual-holiday-Hawaii-costs-4m.html
LOL "Daily Mail" Ha Ha
Trying to make the temporary cuts permanent--who didn't see this coming when they made them "temporary" in the first place? The GOP knew the only way they could do it was to claim they were temporary, then spend the rest of their careers trying to make them permanent by insisting that letting them take their natural course by expiring as written somehow equals 'raising taxes".
Secondly, I'm still trying to figure out what makes any version of increased revenue OK for the GOP if they're so down on increasing tax rates for the wealthy. Where do they imagine their revenues will come from, if not those who have the most? If it comes from somewhere else, that's either a) businesses, which the GOP would fight, or b) the middle class, who the GOP doesn't seem to show much concern for except in speeches.
Seriously. If a store has a sale, and then puts its prices back to pre-sale levels when the sale is over, we don't call that "raising prices." I guess they think we're as stupid as their base.
flbikerchick... the sad fact is that when stores have sales, it is usually to get rid of items that don't sell and they want to get rid of their excess inventory. The sale usually ends when they run out of product. I guess that means the GOP has run out of ideas and they are recycling the same old crap and are hoping that we won't notice.
Ryans original tax revamp would have eliminated the employer health plan exemption and home mortgage deduction where 90% of the revenue would have been raised from the poor and middle class. Apparently raising taxes on the 98% doesn't violate the Norquist pledge.
Boehner = Drunk
Obama = Lazy
Unfortunately, we will still be left with an enormous yearly budget deficit, even if Obama gets everything he wants. $1.4 trillion in tax hikes and $600 billion in spending cuts... that's over ten years. Net effect: we reduce the annual deficit by $200 billion. That still means we are spending $900 billion more per year than what we take in. You could raise taxes on the rich to 100%, and we'd still be running a deficit. Tax hikes aren't going to fix this problem, not even close. But you won't hear that from a liberal.
But somehow you folks seem convinced that cutting Planned Parenthood or PBS funding will make a difference. If you're going to base your decisions on what fiscal actions are worthwhile on whether one single thing will solve all problems, you're going to be looking for a long time. If you're going to just pick things you disapprove of as being wastes of money that should be part of spending cuts then repeatedly insist that tax cuts costing many times more would be pointless to terminate, you're just going to prove you're a hypocrite.
Funny how the deficit is such a big deal now-wasnt a problem when GW started 3 wars and gave the rich & powerful all they wanted!Thats rt 3- Iraq.Afghanistan & the world wide war on terror and didn't pay for any of it!Guess he thought Iraqi Oil would pay for everything-lol
But gpac dontcha know ... Cheney (the Richard) stated the "Reagan proved that deficits don't matter"..
Stephen Why give those organizations money that they don't need?
We give Planned Parenthood less than 1/3 of their budegt. They can make that up by charging more for their services. MEANS TESTS!
PBS makes more money from Tickle me Elmo that they get from the tax payer. WHY DO WE NEED TO GIVE THEM MONEY?
We have 45 different Jobs programs PLUS 5 jobs programs just for Vets. Do we need that many programs? Can't we do with say 5 jobs programs and 2 just for Vets?
The GOA put out a study back in 2010 I believe that said we could save 150-200 BILLION per year just by cutting DUPLICATE PROGRAMS! WHY DON'T WE JUST DO THAT?? No need to raise taxes we would save close to 2 TRILLION in 10 years!
slodon--why give the people who have the most money... in your words, "money that they don't need"? We give them a hell of a lot more money than we do to Planned Parenthood and PBS.
Ignoring your issues with those particular spending items, give me one cogent reason why babying the people who have already acquired the vast majority of the nation's wealth, by rewarding their wealth with more wealth, is more important than ensuring the people who need assistance the most have adequate medical opportunities? "Oh just charge more!" That's like saying increasing taxes on the rich won't help so we have to raise taxes on the poor. Where the hell do you think the people who depend on Planned Parenthood are going to come up with more money? Get serious, stop trying to punish those who the system as currently built has left in a tough situation and stop trying to give more to the ones who, again as a result of the system in place, already have by far the most.
Stop pretending you're going to get any money from those who have least that will have any impact, and stop pretending the rich deserve to be showered with money because they have money. And none of this "job creator" bs either. If business owners refuse to create jobs if their taxes go up--especially after clearly proving they didn't care about creating jobs when the rates dropped--then go ahead, hold your gun to the heads of the working class, screw everyone else because you have yours, and let your business go to someone else who actually wants to succeed. Because if these so-called "job creators" can't figure out how to succeed with a trivial tax increase, they don't deserve their wealth and positions and someone who can make it work can take over. Free market, right?
Tom8896: No liberals are smart enough to know our deficit is so large you have to increase both revenue and cut spending. It isn't democrats refusing to compromise it's republicans. As for the deficit Bush's last budget which ran from October, 2008 through October 2009 had a deficit of 1.2 trillion dollars. Why was it only a problem after a democrat was elected?
Slodon: I don't disagree on the need to cut waste, however your 2 trillion over 10 years is only 1/6 our yearly deficit. Sensible people would say to eliminate unneeded programs, stop duplication, cut spending and raise new revenue. The wealthiest are paying the lowest tax rates in histroy which was fine when we could afford it. Bush's last budget was 1.2 trillion in the red. We can no longer afford it. Going up 4.5% on those who can most afford it makes more sense than cutting essential programs even more than they'll have to be cut. I'd also point out Obama didn't create any of those duplicate programs and republicans didn't seem to mind it when they had the presidency.
One would think that people like "tom" would be a little less obvious that they spent all 8 of the Bush years slobbering on themselves to Fox "news".
They're not even clever enough to be embarrassed by their oblivion.
It's time for Boehner, McConnell, and every Congressional Republican who agrees with Boehner's proposal to resign.
More than 50% of Republicans believe tax rates need to go up on the wealthy.
Even Reagan raised capital gains on the wealthy from 15% to 28% in 1986.
So THATS how he proved to Dick Cheney that deficits don't matter!
Get off the computer
and call
Jonh Boehner's office
202 225-6205
Call your congress member and your Senators.
Call him to say "Keep up the good work!"
The more this keeps dragging on and the more Boehner keeps talking on the camera, the more he looks and sounds pathetic. He still cannot get the message from the election and poll and after poll showing the majority of the public and even the business community are NOT on his side.
The serious differences between the parties are the Republicans retain what control they have because of gerrymandering and the Democrats have control based on a true popular vote. The Republicans live in a smallish bubble and think they are doing the Lord's work and the Democrats live in the real world where we are fighting to save a country.
Wish I could vote for this more than once...
Well said Benet!
Really - Obama doesn't know how to negotiate. It's both parties that have overspent and ran up the Nation's Credit Card. Get rid of both parties.
Benet, spot on!!! Much said with few words.
Democrats have Gerrymandered the State of California so much that they will have complete control of the state forever!!
A state with 50% hispanics that vote 70% democratic has to gerrymander? You sound desperate and foolish. Maybe the reason you can't respond to facts posted be deomocrats is because your party can't defend it's positions.
Larry
The Democrats have been do this for 40 years! FOOL!
I can see by your picture you're perpetually soused so I'll excuse you. Hard to translate "The Democrats have been do this for 40 years! FOOL!" but I guess you mean gerrymandering. Even if that's the case it doesn't change my point that California has such a large Hispanic population it would hardly be needed. Sober up and work on the grammar.
Yes, reality does have a way of getting in the way of the latest crop of Republicans. Give me the good old Republicans that knew how to debate and compromise (of which I was one).
And yes, I'm beginning to be like many people: let the fiscal cliff happen. I'm willing to pay more taxes if this is what will help with out megadeficit, as long as those big cuts also take place, so the money isn't frittered away in more of those dam wars and etc!!!
Secretly, I am with you on this one. I think it should just happen, honestly we would be a much stronger country for it.
Seems Boehner glass is full (of $%^#) and the only thing that's going to dribble out of his mouth is BS!This deficit stance is all smoke & mirrors & why is it "The President" against the the Republi-cons?Cut the crap Boehner,your team lost and its time to start doing whats right for the Country & not the people lining your pockets with gold!
Boner and the Boys emulate the thread of continual stupidity that was evidenced throughout the GOPygmies campaign. They just continue to say lie, after lie,..............don't see the 800# Rush L sitting in the front room and go on with a lot of superfluous rhetoric that gets us nowhere. Go to House emails and send the brain dead redneck pygmies an email..........if you overload their email server, maybe that will get their attention...........try Mitch the Bigot's........I think it shows him wearing his Grand Pubba hooded sheet.
You do realize that even if Obama gets everything he wants, we will still be adding to the deficit at a rate of $900 billion a year? Our budget deficit last year was $1.1 trillion. Obama's proposals will reduce that by not quite 20 percent. We'll still have a huge annual deficit. So what comes next?
Hopefully an economy growing at about 4.5%+ for several years.
The economy continues improving, increasing revenues and decreasing costs.
"tom"...Are you calling Dick Cheney and every "entertainer" on Fox liars? Why are you crying over the deficit when those who washed your brain told the world the deficits do not matter?
You admit freely that you were lied to by the right wing and now you willfully sing their new song? Does that seem intelligent to you? What kind of a person does it make you when you continue to support people you fully admit to be liars?
What comes next?? USC United states of China
Breaking from Newsmax.com
Poll: Obama Has Mandate To Raise Taxes, Protect Entitlements
President Barack Obama won the public argument over taxes so decisively that almost half of Republicans now say he has an election mandate to raise rates on the rich.
Majorities of about 2-to-1 also read the election results as an endorsement of Obama’s pledge to protect Social Security and Medicare benefits, according to a Bloomberg National Poll of 1,000 adults conducted Dec. 7-10.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just sayin'
GNOP - we don't believe in polls except our own.....(and 100% of our 1 respondent - Grover - sez don't raise taxes - and we ALWAY listen to our majority)....
GNOP - facts...we don't need no stinkin' facts...we makeup the facts...
There is a fact that hasn't got much press: Ending the Bush tax cuts on the rich is generally agreed to raise $700 Billion. Obama wants tax increases of $1.4 Trillion. Where is the other half of that revenue going to come from? The not so rich?
We will probably get an extension, because at this point, the Republicans are not looking at the necessary tax rate increases, and Obama is not talking about any substantial cuts or where the other half of the "revenue" is going to come from.
It would be interesting to see what the President would do if the Republicans agreed to some tax rate increase.
Doesn't matter. Whatever it takes. We accept things had gotten out of hand when Bush's last budget had a deficit of well over a trillion dollars but we, unlike republicans aren't holding the country hostage to protect our funders.
Hey Democrat Geniuses, we can't "Protect" entitlements without going BANKRUPT. It's nice that people think they're entitled to something even though were Trillions in debt and counting. The average person on medicare put in 100k over their lifetime, but will take out 3X that in benefits....ON THE BACKS OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE JUST STARTING OUT! You democrats are just the most SELFISH, SLIMIEST people on the planet. Who cares about the young people and future generations as long as your happy, right? The Republicans have given in and agreed to more revenue by getting rid of tax breaks. Now it's time to SCALE DOWN these entitlements to something reasonable. IF you don't believe that, then you're a total pig.
And I blame those fools that re-elected the Republican House majority with our present fiscal cliff problems. How could they do that with their approval rating in the teens?
Yes, I know the new electees aren't in yet, but if the Republicans would have lost the House majority, it would have sent a striking message that the public wants the fiscal cliff resolved. As it is, Boehner says the election shows he has support to continue with his path of non-compromise. What fools, we. We have met the enemy...and they are us.
I know I know - because they are ignorant of the facts about anything they are lead by emotion only and they do not like this President. decide for yourself what that reason is. I think it is so obvious it is black and white
It is interesting that the majority of newly elected republicans haven't signed Norquists pledge unlike 95% of the previous ones.
we can't "Protect" entitlements without going BANKRUPT. It's nice that people think they're entitled to something even though were Trillions in debt and counting. The average person on medicare put in 100k over their lifetime, but will take out 3X that in benefits....ON THE BACKS OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE JUST STARTING OUT! You democrats are just the most SELFISH, SLIMIEST people on the planet. Who cares about the young people and future generations as long as your happy, right? The Republicans have given in and agreed to more revenue by getting rid of tax breaks. Now it's time to SCALE DOWN these entitlements to something reasonable. IF you don't believe that, then you're a total pig. Thank GOD that the house is still run by REASONABLE people who don't want to ruin the prosperity of future generations. Just because there's more takers than givers in this country that voted for Obabma, it doesn't mean they did the right thing.
Do not understand how the GOP can afford to keep this incompetenr BOOZER in that position. Hopefully President Obama will let the Bush tax reduction Dissapear at the end of this month. Then the GOP can see what a boob they have in the SPEAKER position. He will be gone in 2 yrs do to his incompetence and the GOP will be sucking EGGS again in 2016.
Boehner, the tricky dick (boner?), is the worst Speaker ever.
Unfortunately the area of Ohio he represents is densely RED. I'd love to see him gone, but that area just won't let it happen... Maybe the budget agreement should cut the pork from his district..see if he gets re-elected then..
Does Obama need a hearing aid?
Or does he just choose to listen only to the sound of his own voice? He is going nowhere without a compromise. Time for posturing and trying to force his will upon the masses and Congress is over. There is no mandate. There is compromise or failure.
The outcome solely rests with Obama. Will he lead, will he compromise? Surely he realizes there is nothing to gain by failing now, like he failed with the debt ceiling.
Pig- no, that honor goes to Nancy "we have to pass it before we can see what's in it" Pelosi
It is both pathetic and scarey when you realize that The Boehner is now the leader of the Republicans.
Boehner and the entire GOP must still be living a fantasy that the supreme court may come to the rescue and declare Romney the victor. Why else would they still deny that they lost and Obama won. It's the GOP that must compromise. Wake up GOP you guys keep this up and you will never win another national election.
Republicans hold rallies talking about controlling government spending and they cheer. Somehow it doesn't seem to soak in when their next sentence is about throwing another 200 billion a year at the military and starting up a new space program costing another 100 billion that they might not be serious about controlling spending. What? You mean we 'd have to pay for that, I thought we'd just run them off budget like Bush. Duh.