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FISCAL CLIFF

President Obama 'Modestly Optimistic' About Timely Fiscal Cliff Deal

If Senate leaders can't forge a compromise, Obama asks Congress to put his own plan to a vote

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by Lisa Fine

Staff Writer t

Image: AP

President Obama announced today that he was still optimistic that a scaled-down deal could be reached with lawmakers to avoid the fiscal cliff -- $500 billion in automatic tax hikes and spending cuts that would kick in Dec. 31.

"I still want to get this done," Obama said in a White House press briefing. "The hour for immediate action is here. It is now. In just four days, every American's tax rate is scheduled to go up by law...everyone's pay check will get smaller...Congress can prevent it if they act now."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are discussing a potential agreement, the president said. If no compromise is reached in a timely fashion, Obama said both chambers should put his own plan to an up-or-down vote. Last week he outlined that proposal, which would extend tax cuts for those with annual incomes of up to $250,000 and unemployment benefits for two million unemployed workers.

Either of these deals would be scaled back from the so-called "grand bargain" that has been previously discussed. However, they would lay the groundwork for discussions on taxes and spending in the new year.

Via Politix

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Is a fiscal cliff compromise at hand?

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Comments (view in Forum)

  • Vance1
    !
    Is a fiscal cliff compromise at hand?
    Yes the liberal republicans are going to cave....as usual
    Taxes going up. Jobs going out the window.
    Too Bad "Children" you all lose!!!!
    Toss out your high school diploma's and your college degree's and move back in with mommy and daddy, You have no future!!!!!
  • ConserveUSA
    !
    4 more years of Dictatorship. Government Controlled Health Care System to Bathroom Usage. Everything Government Controlled...

  • View all 16 replies >

  • PoliticalSpice
    !
    We may disagree on what they will pass, but on that limited statement we are in full agreement. Course we later may disagree on what was stupid, but lets take this a step at a time...
  • jessejaymes
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    Oh you know they will. Whatever passes there will be more pork barrel spending by BOTH parties than the core bill contains.
  • methinks
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    @PoliticalSpice The definition of "stupid" is ANYTHING that isn't pertinent to this bill. But, that's what they do in DC, add shit to bills all the time. No wonder we're in debt over our collective heads!
  • Neo_NtheMatrix
    !
    Let's just give obama all the taxes and spending his little heart desires. He won the election and Americans spoke loud and clear that they want a nanny state that will take care of them from the cradle to the grave. Let's give the American people just that.

    Now when the country goes bankrupt because our credit rating is dropped again and the productive people in this country can't keep up with the backbreaking taxes, all those 'cradle to the grave' programs start getting cut. We'll see then how the unproductive, lazy people of this country respond then.

    Let's just go down obama's road to less prosperity and for the first time in our history our children will do worse than their parents. People won't understand what the Tea Party was trying to warn them about until they are living with it. At that point they'll be screaming for the exact same measures we are trying to promote now. Let obama fail and then conservatives can promote an agenda of prosperity. Maybe stupid Americans will be ready for it by then.
  • PoliticalSpice
    !
    You spound like my uncle, maybe thats why I like you. I still say I want over the cliff, so does he, but everything else you say is practically verbatim...
  • PoliticalSpice
    !
    @Neo_NtheMatrix when he is right i tell him, but it's only happened a few times. He has actually told me several times that everything I said was going to happen 20 or so years ago came to be, but never seems to grasp that what I am saying now will come to be in the future...
  • martydotcom
    !
    a repost: Nothing can happen due to GOP House Rules
    "The Republicans have passed and implemented a HR rule that the House will not consider any legislation unless a "majority of the majority" supports it. That means a majority of the R's mist say aye before a bill can be voted on. It prohibits bipartisan action.
    That means if 200 Ds and 100 Rs support a bill, it cannot come to the floor of the House even though it would pass 300-135. Obviously that shifts lot of power the wing-nut Rs and stifles any vote on ant legislation other than Tea party approved bills to be voted upon in HR none of which will pass the Senate
    CHECKMATE
  • PoliticalSpice
    !
    @martydotcom Well I never knew about the specific rule, but I kinda thought everyone understood that is what was going on, esp after he sent them home after the repub conference couldn't vote up his measure. It was common sense that if he really wanted to pass it he would have at least brought it to the floor and let the full house have a shot at it, but he didn't want to cause he feared it would pass. It was so obvious it never occurred to me to even mention it. Has anyone ever disputed this point?

  • View all 16 replies >

  • twinertia
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    Looks like it's up to YOU, America; the henchmen you've hired are incompetent lapdogs, too caught up in their phony-baloney titles to worry. Corporatize yourselves, use THEIR system, and fix their mess once and for all!
  • Rocker
    !
    Twin, I was amused by some of my buddies who were making noise like - vote the 'bums' out. What did they do, voted the self same party right back in there that was already there. Keep doing what you do, and you'll keep getting what you got.
  • Vance1
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    I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.
    "Thomas Jefferson"
  • Vance1
    !
    It is strangely absurd to suppose that a million of human beings, collected together, are not under the same moral laws which bind each of them separately.
    "Thomas Jefferson"
  • Vance1
    !
    @PoliticalSpice
    Great we agree on something
    Here is one of my favorites

    The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. "Thomas Jefferson"
  • mimi57
    !
    Well, he's back from Hawaii and ready for his Superman cape...he'll get his own way, taxes will go up for everyone either way. He'll continue spending and taxing the middle class, giving out tons of entitlements
    and taking credit for it. He'd be a much better actor than president , all he does is act for the people, his
    'subjects'...King Obama..New in America, we've never had a King before. Too bad we don't have a President!
  • DARSB
    !
    May I point out that if Mr Obama actually was a king he wouldn't be negotiating with Congressional leadership. There's plenty of hyperbole coming out of DC without the victims of the cliff adding to it.

    If you do have input regarding this crisis perhaps you could direct it to your elected Congressional representatives. Soon.
  • mimi57
    !
    @DARSB He hasn't been negotiating with anyone...That's the point. He has no desire to work with the Republicans, he never has and never will. He's a narcissist, and you can't deal with a narcissist...
  • DARSB
    !
    @mimi57 Other than being factually incorrect, your comment is not helpful. Do you seriously want 2 million unemployed Americans to lose the last bit of income they have? Do you want physicians to refuse to treat Medicare patients because their reimbursement will be cut 27% on January 1? Are you that eager to pay the government a minimum of $2000 on top of the taxes you already pay? Why are you willing to sacrifice medical care for veterans and military dependents? Was the last recession so much fun you want to do it again?

    This is not about a President most American voters supported and in whom have placed their confidence. This is about your relatives, friends and neighbors. The thing about a social contract is that it's sometimes hard to see - until it's no longer there. By limiting yourself to sniping here on Politix and not encouraging your representatives to grow the hell up and deal with this as adults with the interests of the country foremost in mind you are abdicating your obligation as a member of the most successful representative democracy in history. That's an anemic legacy. I don't really believe you want that.
  • martydotcom
    !
    @Mimi57 The time of name calling has long passed, unless you reside in a vacuum and have no assets savings etc at risk.. Grow up time here's reality Combining debt issues with cliff: Start with the treasury being unable to pay interest (coupons) on US treasury bills. What was the MOST secure safe investment in the world has become far less secure. Investors go into panic and a world wide sell off occurs.(As Fox advertisers say buy Gold) The dollar is devalued as is every asset we own, IRAs Stocks Bonds Home values every single asset loses value. Bank loans go,underwater cause bank failures no bailouts no money in other banks to insure FDIC.. Next SS checks stop going out, forget about your tax refunds due, MD's refusing to see Medicare and Medicaid patients, Defense Industry has to have massive cut backs, precipitating the destruction of economies of states like VA and CA to default.
    Tax increase for al levels of income pulls massive spending power out of circulation cutting demand as a result more layoffs occur. Payment to current unemployed halted and new unemployed result in massive demands on safety net programs. This will cause the government to take on more debt. Tax revenues fall due decreased spending biz activity and income causing government to take on more debt.
    This is just off the top of my head = there are many more implications
    It's appears that Boehner and McConnell and their merry band of Tea Party intransigents have a good time in store for all of us. It's time for DC to get to work for we the people not our party's principals
  • jessejaymes
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    @martydotcom Name calling of the opposition is bumper sticker politics and usually done by those who have absolutely no idea of how government works.

  • View all 34 replies >

  • Fishbone345
    !
    "Now more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature.... If the next centennial does not find us a great nation ... it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces."
    James Garfield, the twentieth president of the United States, 1877

    "The people of the United States are the rightful masters of both Congress and the Courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution." Abraham Lincoln (17 September 1859, speech in Cincinnati, OH)

    "Government can't solve the problem. Government is the problem." -- Ronald Reagan

    Thank you Ronnie. You were right.
  • u
    Jim49418
    !
    I agree!
    Bring it on. We are all going to have to pay more sooner or later anyway.
    I dont think the liberals will allow it to happen though.
    They dont want the spending cuts that will come along with it.
  • mimi57
    !
    Of course, he can get everything he wants then! However, there will be consequences down the road. He won't have a very good legacy, but he probably doesn't care about that either.
  • PNWest
    !
    I agree with you that there is a good chance that Obama intends to let the GOP shoot themselves in the foot and drive us over the fiscal cliff. If this does happen the majority of American people will rightfully blame the GOP for refusing to compromise. Boehner and his merry band of tea partiers (I changed the wording here just for you bobo) could vote on Senate bill that lowers taxes for 98% of us and end the suspense. John Boehner refuses to allow the vote to be voted on. This bill would pass the house with bipartisan support and Obama would sign it. Why not have an up or down vote and end this mess? By the way I checked your link about the so-called $1 Trillion tax hikes. As I expected a google search of the headline finds not a single link to a legitimate news source at least on the first few pages but link after link of right wing echo chamber articles. I wonder why that is?
    https://www.google.com/search...
  • Bobolinsky
    !
    @PNWest-- I'm honestly curious about your definition of "compromise." I want to make sure you don't think it means... "act the doormat"... because that seems to be a common usage of the word on the Left.

    You wonder why that is? Because the Mainstream media is bending over backwards to not report on the new Obamacare taxes that will hit on Jan 1st. Let me guess, you still think that Trayvon Martin wasn't in the process of rearranging George Zimmermann's face when George pulled his gun.
  • PNWest
    !
    @Bobolinsky Compromise is allowing the Bush tax cuts to remain for 98% of us. You want to make the tax laws then win the elections. Please spare me the false comparison with the Zimmerman case. Do the google search yourself for "George Zimmermann's face ", Here's the link: https://www.google.com/search...
    Plenty of main stream media reporting on it. None for your $1Trillion tax hike story. I'm sure that all of the right wing echo chamber sites are better sources though.

  • View all 27 replies >

  • jessejaymes
    !
    You know if there is one thing in this world I can't tolerate it's a hypocrite. The right is always whining about an "up or down vote". Obama is asking for an up or down vote on his plan. If he can't get it then it's back to the congress to solve it. But I think the President of the United States of America deserves an up or down vote on his plan when the congress can't compromise to pass one of their own.
  • PNWest
    !
    That is very true. But republicans don't want that. An up or down vote means Obama will win and the GOP places a higher value on defeating Obama than they do the welfare of the country. They are willing to not only drive the economy over the fiscal cliff but to put themselves in a significantly worse negotiating position after the 1st of the new year just so they can maybe take Obama's approval ratings down a couple of points.
  • ConserveUSA
    !
    The only thing President Obama is 'Modestly Optimistic' is about how much money can he robbed from Hard Working Americans that Michelle & him can live off of.
  • Real4WheelDrv
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    I think part of the problem is the perception that the President is strong-arming. Democrats have been crowing since the election about some mythical mandate, just like Republicans with Bush...3% or whatever he won the popular vote by doesn't indicate a mandate...you can bet if Romney had won the Dems sure wouldn't sit still for any talk of a referendum or rebuke.

    How convenient, the man quoted as saying "you get nothing" will swoop in at the 11th hour and ask for a vote on HIS plan...will we know EVERYTHING in it or do we have to pass it first?
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