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Updated 1:19 p.m. — A path toward resolving the impending the co-called fiscal cliff was suspended in limbo Friday following a dramatic defeat for House Speaker John Boehner, whose own rank-and-file members refused to support his backup plan Thursday night.
After conservatives balked at Boehner's "Plan B," which would have preserved current income tax rates for those making less than $1 million, the nation's top elected Republican shrugged off questions about whether his job was in danger. And as Washington prepares for a holiday break, Democrats and Republicans are further apart than ever on a plan to avoid the combination of tax increases and spending cuts scheduled to take effect in just 11 days.
And the Ohio Republican emerged Friday urging President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats to re-engage in talks toward an overarching deal toward resolving the fiscal cliff, the combination of automatic tax hikes and spending cuts (which fall heavily upon the defense budget) set to take effect on Jan. 1.
"I'm interested in solving the major problems facing our country," Boehner said at a press conference on Capitol Hill. "And that means House leaders, Senate leaders and the president are going to continue to have to work together to address those concerns."
With just 10 days until the nation goes over the so-called "fiscal cliff," lawmakers head home for the holidays. For the president, his stay in Hawaii will be a "working vacation." NBC's Kristen Welker reports.
In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., demanded that Boehner allow a Democratic proposal to extend tax rates for income under $250,000 to come up for a vote.
"There's nothing preventing the speaker from taking up our bill," Reid said Friday afternoon on the Senate floor. Boehner did say the House would "certainly take a look" at that bill, if the Senate manages to resolve a procedural holdup that would bar the House from considering the legislation. (Reid called that excuse "phony.")
But the speaker's task has become more vexing than ever; conservatives sent a powerful signal yesterday that they would not approve any tax increase, even on millionaires. Obama's demand that tax rates be allowed to rise for the wealthiest Americans amounts to a seemingly intractable standoff with House Republicans.
Boehner said that many lawmakers still prefer broad reforms to the tax code, but he acknowledged the difficulty in reaching any consensus: "How we get there? God only knows."
The president plans to work with Congress to prevent tax hikes and spending cuts that are expected to kick in on January 1 after House Republicans rejected a vote on House Speaker John Boehner's "Plan B" legislation. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports.
The speaker seemed unconcerned, though, about the prospects for an uprising from fellow Republicans.
"No, I am not," Boehner said when asked directly whether he should be concerned about his position. "If you do the right things every day for the right reasons, the right things will happen."
Republican leaders dismissed House lawmakers for the holiday weekend after pulling the vote on Thursday evening. Boehner said they would be recalled to Washington "as needed." The Democratic-controlled Senate is currently scheduled to reconvene next Thursday, Dec. 27.
"It's too bad Speaker Boehner wasted a week on this futile, political stunt," Reid said. "It's time for the speaker and all Republicans to return to the negotiating table."
The intervening time period might allow for Boehner and Obama to reach an agreement, though its final approval in the House would almost certainly involve the speaker turning to Democrats for votes. That would strengthen Obama's ability to insist upon tax rates, spending cuts and entitlement reforms that hew more closely to the plan on which he campaigned for much of this year.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Boehner has "done his part. He's bent over backwards." As an alternative, the top Senate Republican proposed extending tax rates for a full year with instructions to enact tax reform in the meanwhile. (Democrats rejected it out-of-hand.)
For their part, Republicans said they would look to Obama for action on a path forward.
"I don't want taxes to go up, Republicans don't want taxes to go up," Boehner said. "But we only run the House; Democrats continue to run Washington."
McConnell said: "It's the president's job — it's his job — to find a solution that can pass the Congress."
In the meanwhile, Boehner said he remained committed to working toward a deal, and said he was not interested in giving up his position as speaker.
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Classic....not even the rank and file support a GOP bill.
Ducky.
Hello Sequestration!
Why are all you libs upset over the Bush tax cuts expiring? I thought that was exactly what you wanted. I just don't get you people?
No we wanted what the President ran and won on which is to allow less fortunate Americans to keep the tax cuts while allowing them to expire for folks who would not even feel it. This way the middle class gets a lil boost and we all know its the middle class that is the engine of a strong economy.
luke, we don't want them to expire on the middle class which currently is just barely able to fuel the economy because they have little to no spending power left thanks to bush.
I have been reading everyone's comments. The overall conscensous is Washington has to fix whats broke. And I also see a lot of "the party blame game" on both sides. Its for this reason, I cant stand either party anymore. They are so self absorbed that they forget that they are Americans first and and their job is to protect the people. Not only through military but economically as well. I cant see how they can accomplish this when we have politicians who get paid regardless of their job performance, lobbyists that should all be thrown out of Washington, and earmarks that are thrown into the fine print on bills. I simply refuse to compromise some of my beliefs just to belong to a party. I would however compromise some of those beliefs to help my country get off its knees and stand straight again. The big picture. Drop the party crap and bar yourselves in a room and give and take. Its not that hard.
I don't know why people want to believe either party. They only do what they want to do to stay in power. I think that both parties need to stop spending money and pay off the debt first and formost!!!!!!
I pay enough taxes, period. Why do I want the government to take my money and give it to someone else? I work hard for what I make. I take chances and risks and sometimes they don't work out, but I keep trying!
I am glad that some of them in office got smart and told them no new taxes for anyone. We need to be the United States, not the Divided States. I have never ever gotten a job from a poor person. We need to stop the class warfare and start building unity with in our country. So vote for the person that will vote for a balanced buget (which we have not even had for the last for years,) and to pay off the debt!!!!!!!
I hope that everyone can have a great Christmas and remember that someone out there is in worst shape than they could ever be.
The National debt will NEVER be paid off...
Ever...
And yes,.. I fully realize you have NO IDEA what that involves,.. or even how our monetary system works..
I do understand the monetary system, better than you do. You can never spend your way out of debt. Also, printing more money means inflation and makes our money worth less.
We can pay off the debt if and only if we get the government set up the way that the constition was first written. Small fed government with strong state government.
To be a strong country we need to be out of debt, not spend more.
We've been printing quite a bit more money of late..
Inflation has been marginal at best...
You're a blathering ignorant rube...
Ignore
Phuk that lying SOS hairy read..
There's nothing preventing the speaker from taking up our bill," Reid said Friday afternoon on the Senate floor.
But ANYTHING the Repubs submit according to hairy reaid is "dead on arrivale." So who's really holding up the process? And, the @$$wipe demoslug controlled senate is leaving town until Dec 26. So who's really the party of no?
Simson-Bowles suggested $3 of cust for every $1 of taxes and obozo scuttled that idea because it's cutting into his welfare-entitlement voting bloc. obozo is another lying, methane-filled gas bag of shi*.
Thats because Republicans will not give in to the wealthy losing thier tax cuts. Get it now?
The Republican Party is completly Incompetent and, it is so well documented....
Right? Its way out in the open now just who they are and its sickening.
yah, of course "well documented" by the leftwing media and brainwshed loons like you. You fail to recall obozo's own "attempt" at a budget was voted down 97-0 by his own senate. And for you brain surgeons that can't count, even if they taxed ALL the millionaires 100%, it would fund this bloated f'n OVER SPENDING GOVT. for about 90days.
So why the need to "tax the rich? Because obozo is a f'n socialist with total disdain of the wealthy and free market and wants to turn the US into some sleaze back euro-country. How's that working our for greece, spain, france and italy?
Mr. Boehner.. I totally agree only God knows what the outcome of all this tax business will be.. I've read that those making 250,000 dollars are now included in the 2 per cent.. My question is.. i've not heard mention the name of one tax expert nor one economist expert nor any expert..why are our leaders not seeking help from the experts in the fields needed to put this tax issue.. medical issue.. behind us.. We have the best colleges in the entire world.. we have the most intelligent/smartest people if given a chance here in our country.. out of all the top graduates from our top colleges.. there must be some of them that is able to help you politicians solve this problem.. not put a bandage on it but solve it once and for all.. I believe with the experts and God we can get through this and move on to other issues... Like we Seniors that are in dire need of help in every area of our lives... Thankful the treatment of our retired Veterans has improved... now get the job done right...Please... Thank you
Wait.....Didi I just hear what I think I heard come out of the Mouth of a Republican??????
If that is true, then we would have t eh tax increase on 250K + earners and no clif to worry about.....
What he should have said is this..
If I were a Republican I would not worry about the Poles and reelection, most of the Republicans can see the writing on the wall, the Tea Party is nuts and their jobs are gone.....
They backed the radical crap of that reformist crap group bought and paid for by money and anger, now they cant get things done..
Think about it..
tea-party comes in and nothing gets done..
politics has and always be about compromise, give and take, not have a fit and the country be damn..
Do you really think the wealthy of this country care if this cliff is reached?
No not at all.
My politics...
Country First..Conservative Finances, liberal support of the unfortunate caused by the greed of teh few...
Simple.
Americans for America.
well said.
Sarah, you do know he won reelection with a plank of increasing taxes on the rich, don't you? He didn't need to, but the fact that he did shows he is willing to negotiate.
Going over a Cliff with no end in site should mean hitting the bottom where all retirement packages for Elected Government Officials be stripped before anyone else suffer!
Boehner, give up & resign your post. You are powerless. Better yet, change your affiliation & go back to being a Democrat like you were in your young and idealistic past. The GOP will soon be dead.
Put the blame where the blame is due my sheep!At the top is an ideologue who will not give an inch on spending your money and falling off a cliff to blame the house! Who has no influence in washington politics . The Dems are in total controll and hide like thieves in the night .This is pure democratic politics posturing for even more power over your ignorant lives! Sorry the truth always hurts!
Not to be too dramatic but......
Is it possible that this truly IS the turning point the Mayans reflected on in their calendar?
One path will take us to prosperity and social healing.
The other path will give us economic darwinism, every man for himself and lead to utter ruin for our country and by default the entire world.
Civilization collapse is NEVER a one day affair, it is a slow decay to self destruction.
I still find it funny how "Plan B" was aborted by the GOP. Seems that much of the GOP forgot that "Plan B" is the name for the morning after contraceptive!
comrade obama, Venezuela need a new dictator, finally a job that you have experience in!!!
Seems the Orange Boner will be looking for a new job soon! If only he'd take Weasel Cantor with him!
Boehner, McConell, Pelosi and Reid all need to get the boot!
Hallelujah my friend! Obama can drive.
$400,000 ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME IS RICH, even by NY and California..but noooooo Republicans are willing to see the economy crumble and the nation implode just to protect the uber rich. F*ck them all. Remember what happened to Marie Anoinette and history tends to repeat itself. Could somebody tell those from the Red States who she was?
She was on Hee Haw right? Played a banjo?
Boner needs a whipmaster to get his cockus in order....lol.
Maybe Cantor will dress like a gladiator and do it.
Or Gooober Numbnust with beat him with whips and his pledge!
The top 10% of earners pay 70% of the bills around here.
You bottom feeders should just say "thank you" and crawl back under your rocks.
and they own 80%of the wealth
And that 10% earns 500% of the money!
And they are the ones that work!
the top 10% pay 56% of the bill while making 80% of the money each year AFTER taxes. Big whoop. they can take another tiny hit.
hedward and gringo..I'll be sure that our troops in combat (who, by federal law, are not required to pay taxes because they are doing more than you ever fuking did for this country) get your message.
Additionally, do you really think the top 10% would have their fortunes without the contributions from the other 90%? Think about that for a minute. A big request I know given your limited number of brain cells, but you MIGHT realize just how fuking stupid your comments are.
And, for the record, I'm in the top 2% so you can just kiss my ass with your canned stupid response.
Do you check that little box on your returns and throw some extra money in the till??
F*cking leftist slime hypocrite.
hedward, I'm taxed 25% per year and I don't take deductions on my charitable donations to the children's cancer research funds. F@CK you!
Not all, but too many of the wealthy, blinded by greed, will not acknowledge that they consume more of public service and public infrastructure, and take more from the commons than workers with modest incomes. They arrogantly aver that they got wealthy all by themselves. They want a flat tax so they give less than they take. These are large scale takers. Like many persons with vices, they project their vices onto others.
Irving Berlin wrote this song in 1917 for use during WWI.
Does anyone know why he did not release it then?
He thought it "too sentimental even for the horrific inferno that was WW I.
The link below will take you to a video showing the very first public singing of “GOD BLESS AMERICA"
But, before you watch, you should also know the story of the song.The time was 1940. America was still in a terrible economic depression. Hitler was taking over Europe and Americans were afraid we’d have to go to war. It was a time of hardship and worry for most Americans.
This was the era just before TV, when radio shows were HUGE, and American families sat around their radios in the evenings,listening to their favorite entertainers. And no entertainer of that era was bigger than Kate Smith. Kate was also large in size, and the popular phrase still used today is in deference to her,“It Ain’t over till the fat lady sings.” Kate Smith, with her voice coming over the radio, was the biggest star of her time.
Kate was also very patriotic. It hurt her to see Americans so depressed and afraid of what the next day would bring. She had hope for America, and faith in her fellow Americans.
She wanted to do something to cheer them up, so she went to the famous American song-writer, Irving Berlin (who also wrote, “White Christmas”)and asked him to write a song that would make Americans feel good again about their country. When she described what she was looking for, he said he had just the song for her. He went to his files and found a song that he had written, but never published, 22 years before-way back in 1917. He gave it to Kate Smith and she worked on it with her studio orchestra. She and Berlin were not sure how the song would be received by the public, but they both agreed, they would not take any profits from “God Bless America ”–Any profits would go to the Boy Scouts of America. Over the years, the Scouts have received millions of dollars in royalties from this song.
This video starts out with Kate Smith coming into the radio studio with the orchestra and an audience. She introduces the new song for the very first time, and starts singing. After the first couple verses, with her voice in the background still singing,scenes are shown from the 1940 movie, “You’re In The Army Now.” At the 4:20 mark of the video you see a young actor in the movie, sitting in an office, reading a paper..it’s Ronald Reagan.
To this day, “God Bless America” stirs our patriotic feelings and pride in our country. Back in1940, When Kate Smith went looking for a song to raise the spirits of her fellow Americans, I doubt she realized just how successful the results would be for her fellow Americans during those years of hardship and worry, and for many generations of Americans to follow.
Now that you know the story of the song, I hope you will enjoy it and treasure it even more.
NOW HERE IS HOW "GOD BLESS AMERICA "SHOULD BE SUNG!
CLICK ON BELOW :
http://www.israpundit.com/archives/31462?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4d078e57bb39ba8d,
STOP PLAYING POLITICS!!! Both sides need to put the cards on the table and quit bluffing. It is time for you guys to work together and start negotiations. Get passed this current mess and start on long term solutions. Everyone knows (or should know) that we cannot continue this spending and we also need more revenues. Start by having actual cuts (no slowing the growth). $1 in cuts for every $1 in new taxes and we would be out of this mess soon enough.
the democrats stopped bluffing in october and every card left to throw is down on the table. We're waiting for a move in good faith by the gop. And 1 for 1 is not a good idea. 2 in cuts for 1 in revenues is more balanced given the middle class cannot lose any more of the little spending power they do have and still be able to help the economy recover.
Boner has lost all credibility with the Plan B vote.
So has the GOpee.
I wonder how many of those defense contractors are getting seriously po'ed by now with this stupidity?
The President compromised raising the limit from $250,000 to $400,000 and these political terrorists walked away again...
Calling that a compromise is embarrassing. If that is a compromise, then the republicans are bending over and grabbing their ankles to accommodate Obama. Boehner was giving Obama 90% of what Obama wanted, but the rest of the republicans couldn't handle it.
Put, did you actually read the budget? It was so overloaded with red state pork it was obscene and it gutted medicare entirely while reappropriating funds away from Planned Parenthood and the disadvantaged school lunch program to the military. F@CK YOU!
Sometimes I wonder why these people defend the indefensible.
T-Rex seems to be one of the top 1% that defend so passionately the position of the Republican.
I am very sure that in the districts these representatives were elected, God was not on the Ballot for that reason God is not in the Senate, so God will not help us here. Man up and do what you have to do. We have become the laughing stock around the world by the same people that want the world to look at us like the leaders of the free world. HA!!
I don't know why, but enough people re-elected Obama even though no one can defend his complete lack of plan and vision to get out of the mess.
First.. You finished last in school, right?
Obama got elected AND the GOP lost both House and Senate Seets..
Your side LOST, because of the stuff pulled lately.. Like the TP and the Orange Boner's game!
Put, he put his vision clearly on paper for all to read. If you put the budget to a national referendum, the people would have gone with his original 4 for 1 deal that boehner spat in his face on.
Of course only God knows how it will get done. Obama does not have the intellectual capacity to sit down and deal with anything or anyone else. He is exactly like a little kid on the playground that has to get his way or throw a fit for not getting it. How in the world this man could get elected with no experience in politics is beyond me but just look at what voted for him. The vast majority of these people cant tell you what party he is affiliated with, who his vice president is, who the speaker of the house is, how many branches of government there are and what they are or even what countries or bodies of water boarder the USA. I give them credit though. They do know who Snooky is or BOO BOO or GaGa. Liberals act as if stupidity is a virtue.
idiot, obama has done all the compromising to the point of pandering to the tea crazies. boehner needs to bend 1 degree yesterday and this needs to be settled the responsible way obama wanted it handled. 4 for 1 cuts for revenue increases. that was a fair deal and the gop said no because he wanted a tiny bit to come out of a very bloated military and very bloated federal prison system. Screw you and your partisanship!