What, with all these wonderful times ahead of us and I still find a way to be a grinch? We have the usual stalemate in Congress between the Republican controlled House and a Democrat controlled Senate and White House. Neither side likes the other’s deal but both sides speak desperately about avoiding the so-called fiscal cliff.
House Republican leaders on Monday made a counteroffer to President Obama in the “fiscal cliff” negotiations that would cut $2.2 trillion from the deficit with a combination of spending cuts, entitlement reforms and $800 billion in new tax revenue.
Republican officials said their 10-year plan contained more deficit reduction than the offer the White House presented last week while standing firm against Obama’s demand to increase tax rates on the wealthy.
The White House quickly panned the offer, saying it contained “nothing new” and did not “meet the test of balance.”
At this point it is getting hard to figure what “meets the test balance.” It was President Obama that commissioned the bipartisan Bowles-Simpson, then rejected their plan because of the cuts it suggested to government spending. But somehow defense cuts and tax increases are a better alternative?
Here’s a secret, we are going over the cliff. The pedal has been screwed to the floor. There will be no deal because no one wants a deal. Let me explain.
If we go over the so-called fiscal cliff four things will happen.
- The Bush tax cuts will expire
- Clinton era tax rates will be adopted
- Automatic defense cuts kick in
- Some human service programs will be cut
Presumably all of these combined will work at reducing the deficit so the country can start paying down its debt. “Presumably” being a very key word.
These are all the things Democrats want (minus the fourth point). The Republicans can’t give them these things without putting up a fight. They have to if they do not wish to face an army of primary challengers during the next midterm election. So they make an offer, then a counteroffer but neither side will come to an agreement. In fact, for an agreement to work it will have to look a lot like the four points mentioned. So it is a wonderful dilemma for both parties.
One side can save face with its constituents “by fighting fiercely ” and the other side gets exactly what it wants, while blaming the program cuts on Republicans. The Democrats see this as 3 to 1. They’ll take it.
The GOP can cave without caving. The president can say he tried without ever trying.
If the GOP thinks anyone is buying this little girly slap fight show they must be high on dog food.
GOP- you`re done.
This latest bit of theater is exactly what Jason has described, a contrived way to appear tough – that won`t work any more.
Obama has written the music (actually copied from Alinsky, Piven and other noted anti Americans) and the GOP in a pathetic bid to stay relevant is dancing like a geek at the prom.
The half of this Country that realizes whats coming must roll over the GOP in what Matt Kibbe has rightly titled a “hostile Takeover”
Thomas Paine must be watching with apprehension – there are ” soul trying” times coming.
Ironically, going over the cliff is the correct economic policy. If the initial recession and market crash are allowed to happen, deficits will decline and a healthy economy will ensue.
There is a small chance that the idiots in B.C. can avoid taking us over this fiscal cliff. In my opinion, there is no chance that we will avoid the much higher cliff of the fiat money, debt addicting, sovereign debt cliff in the not to distant future. It will take down the US, Europe and most of the world. Chaos will reign for some time.
@ CoF- if Maxwell Smart can whup chaos, by God, so can we. “…if they mean to have a war….”