Obama cranks up "fiscal cliff" pressure, Boehner says talks stalemated

the gop otions are to compromise with someone they hate or be blamed for not doing so. which option helps 99% of america and which one helps their 1% wealthy supporters? time to show us your true colors.

A much bigger, more important cliff than the fabled “fiscal cliff” looms when this country does not get entitlement spending in line. Only that crisis will force real change. Right now we have the equivalent of a bankrupt family offering to give up super-sizing on fast food meals as their sacrifice.

A much bigger, more important cliff than the fabled “fiscal cliff” looms when this country does not get entitlement spending in line. Only that crisis will force real change. Right now we have the equivalent of a bankrupt family offering to give up super-sizing on fast food meals as their sacrifice.

If the fiscal cliff is so dangerous and the white house is stating “Demecrats and Republicans should come together to renew middle class tax cuts”, what does the president do? Leave town, that’s a great leader. The run and hide approach. If the country goes over the cliff he has a scape goat, Republicans. It looks like the American people will get another 4 years of a do nothing president.

Off to the campaign trail… getting old. His goal is to do whatever he an to make the republicans pay/look bad, citizens be da%ned.

The only way there will be entitlements cuts is if they are forced, which ultimately is going to be fine with the republicans. The lefties think that an ignorant public blaming the republicans will be substantial cover, but it will not, as half the country are behind them regardless. The same half the country that elected the republicans to oppose barry will simply do so again. Round and around and around she’ll go until a real leader shows up and guides them out of the impasse. Never going to happen with barry as presidente. Nope. They’ll go over the cliff, get the cuts to entitlement anyway (neutering barrys opposition), and then get re-elected in 2014 regardless. The only thing obama will win is embarrassment.

@UrbanDK: I don’t know what you think the President should be doing, but your complaint that the President ‘Left Town’ is far from accurate. You make it sound like nobody knows where he is, he just up and left without a clue. The President presented his proposal to Congress, Congress now has the choice of accepting his proposal or presenting a counter proposal. Those that think the President has this almighty power obviously have no idea of exactly how our system of government actually works. The President is little more than a figurehead who presents his ideas to Congress and hopes they agree with his ideas. If they accept it, great it becomes a law. If they don’t accept it, the President negotiates with them until they reach an agreement.

Boo Hoo Hoo. Boehner is on yet another cry. He can’t lead his caucus. He starts every conversation with non compromise. He can’t propose anything. So he boo hoo hoos. Enough. Leave the stage if you can’t handle simple negotiations John Boehner. America deserves far more than a cry baby in little boy shorts blaming others for YOUR deficits. Want leadership? Lead. YOU’RE supposed lead the house. Lead it you coward. Make your proposal or get out of the way…otherwise history is going to give you something to REALLY cry about, you big baby.

Obama created a good portion of this cliff,with his bailouts and failed stimulius program. He didn’t want any input from Republicans when he shoved Obamacare down the peoples throats.Now he wants the Republicans to bail him out. 4 more years of the same old political bickering is all we will see.

“Off to the campaign trail… getting old. His goal is to do whatever he an to make the republicans pay/look bad, citizens be da%ned.”

The GOP in general… is getting old. Refusing to allow for functioning government – filibustering everything from simple appointments or any bill for that matter in the senate to symbolic right wing legislation in the house that gets killed in the Senate. They say jobs job jobs but have not held a vote on any serious jobs bill other than tax cuts for the wealthy which in reality is not a jobs bill. We’ve tried that tactic already, it was called the Bush tax cuts and the great economic and job growth which was promised never came. And they’re still pushing for the same tired tactics that have hurt middle American prosperity in the long run, citizens be da%ned.

Plese don’t go and educate the public on your goals Obama we need to keep them in the dark and uneducated so they will listen to Fox and vote republican. The public has no business in knowing the details of your plan only ours.

If obama has the right “idea” what does he have to spend so much of our money “selling” it in a campaign?

Nice try Kuji, but they blocked a jobs bill that had so much bloat and no substance and no chance of creating jobs, just debt. Even the Senate voted 98-0 against 2 Obama budgets. Yep, that includes all the Dem Senators. If the Bush tax cuts did nothing, then let them all expire, not just on a certain group because they are successful.

Boehner and McConnell need to begin to negotiate in earnest. Their inactivity over the last three years has been harmful to the country. Comments about their one and only goal to ‘unseat the president’ are harmful and unpatriotic.

@DHites, the remark about the president leaving town is a statement about what the president has done. He has not proposed any new idea or even worked on compromising with the other side. So in effect he has done nothing and is not talking with congress to find a solution. Instead he leaves town to bolster the troops against repulicans while America suffers. This should sicken all of us. I’ve read that the republicans (some not all) are starting to concede on tax breaks for the wealthy, but I have yet to find any democrate that has talked about lowering spending. There are articles stating the democrates want to spend more instead of decreasing our debt. I’ve never seen a plan to spend your way out of debt that has worked. All I can see is more waste.

This is what you call a self-fulfilling prohecy, Obama wants to use this crisis to blame the Republicans. Obama could make a deal easy, but his only objective is to pummel the Republican House. Since most news organizations such as Reuters describe this as Republican obstructionism, the President wins the publicity battle. But really, will that help him a year from now when we’re mired in another recession? His legacy as President will be one of divisiveness and blame. Republicans will be blamed by the President and most of the media regardless of what happens, in fact if the President got what he wanted we’d still be in the same financial calamity. In other words, it doesn’t really matter – taxes will go up, spending will go up and the economy will go down …… and the more things change the more they stay the same.

The time for community organizing is over – it is extraordinary that in this situation a president is not in Washington participating in something substantive. Equally extraordinary is the declaration by Democratic leadership that any revision to Medicare/Medicaid is off the table – the things which are the source, if uncorrected, of an eventual economic collapse. Going over the cliff may not be a bad option – if in fact the GOP will be blamed by the uninformed, there is not a better time to do it with elections 2 years away. Some commenters continue to harp on McConnell’s statement about making Obama into a one-term president – their “sole” or “primary” goal – that is a distortion. The actual quote was that it was his primary “political” goal – there was nothing out of the ordinary in that – it is always the primary political goal of the out party to get back in. wasn’t the Democrats #1 political priority in 2004 to unseat George W. Bush?

What I wish to see from the GOP is go back to the basics on the origin of taxation. Remember why we had the historical tea party in the first place? Centuries later, we continue to be taxed further on our own earnings, to pay for the government where the elitists (in all parties) sit with lifetime benefits, while complaining for the need of tax reform. Why can’t I keep my money? Why is it illegal to have money the government doesn’t know about? This would truly be tax reform!

@ stickystones – exactly
“This is what you call a self-fulfilling prohecy, Obama wants to use this crisis to blame the Republicans. ” This is called campaigning for his party for 2014 2 weeks after his election. Blame Repubs, try to get more Dems in 2014. Sad part is, lots of sheeple will fall for this and we will end up with one party in control…never a good thing, regardless of side.

This “Cliff” the GOP so endears us with, was created by Bush, and forced Obama to renew it because the GOP refused to give it up. Going “Over” this cliff is not what the constituents want, but who is asking us?

This guy is doing what he does best: campaign, blame others and offer hope and change. End of the day, the man is an arrogant, far left politician who only sees his agenda. Instead of offering compromise, he starts blaming others. For the first few years, it was all Bush’s fault, coupled with ridiculous statements such as ATMs causing unemployment. Now, he has joined into the partisan bickering by blaming Republicans for all the country’s woes. His worshipers see him as a god and a man who can do no wrong, whose policies have been blocked by a party that is only in it for the 1%. Ironically, he ran the most negative campaign in the history of US politics, further dividing the nation, yet he now claims he wants to work with the other side. One just has to look at his offers to see he really only sees his way — fair plans such as Simpson-Boyles were rejected. This man proved in his first term that he is a failure and a politician who holds true to his own far left ideals. Why people believe otherwise is astonishing and proof of our nation’s steep decline.

As well they should. Lets not forget the the so-called “fiscal-cliff” was a wholly Republican creation. First by Republican Bush and his Tax Gift to the Job non-creators (so 12yrs and Wheres the jobs?) and secondly, Sequestration which was the result from the hissy fit Republicans made over expiring…you got it…Republican Bush’s golded gift to the job creators who didn’t create.

actually fixing the budget is easy….
1. let payroll taxes go back to their calculated income levels.
2. Take off the $108k cap on FICA (another gift to job non-creators)
3. Let AHCA do its job.
4. Cut defense spending to 50 cents out of every dollar.
Budget balanced………..not hard :)

Entitlements are a must all of these retirees the baby boomers now retiring who contributed and paid their taxes for it. Sorry but we are NOT going to go back to 1929 era Great Depression when our great grand parents had NOTHING to eat, destitute, no health insurance! READ your history, entitlements are NOT the cause of this but pure stupid greed on corporations, the lobbyist special interest and the corrupt government who looted entitlement programs.

Also, this country is rapidly and is where the once minorities are now the majority who control the votes. The demographics have changed and the GOP is a dying and some say DEAD political group.

Everyone is talking about the efforts of our nation’s leaders for “AVERTING” the $607 billion Fiscal Cliff and speculating as to whether those efforts are going to succeed or fail. But that’s a nonsense question. Here’s why it doesn’t make any sense:

Even if Fiscal Cliff negotiations SUCCEED in coming up with a long-term deal to reduce the deficit, the IMMEDIATE impact of any such deal still will include at least $150 billion in new revenues in 2013 because that’s a red line clearly set forth by President Obama (the only new revenue matters on which he agreed to remain open-minded are the form of the revenue increases and the precise income threshold). And it will include at least $300 billion in spending cuts in 2013 because that’s a red line clearly set forth by House Republicans.

So, while the size of the Fiscal Cliff might be reduced by 25%, no one has publicly suggested reducing its size below $450 billion

As a moderate Republican, i implore the GOP o see the light on this. Saxby Chambliss is one of the only ones talking sense at the moment

Let’s run some math here:

$6.7T deficit projected over the next ten years

+

$16T in current national debt

+

$52T in unfunded entitlement liabilities

-

$1.6T from taxing the rich over the next ten years

=

$73.1T in unfunded liabilities (debt) remain AFTER Obama has successfully taxed those evil rich people….

Where is Obama and the Dems plan for the spending cuts and entitlement reforms we need?

Why do liberals refuse to hold him accountable for his disingenuous “plan” when the arithmetic clearly dictates this problem is bigger than can be solved via taxation?

Why does this fool,Obama,insist that anything Bush did that helped the sainted middle and lower classes is fine but anything that helped the rich is evil?Either you raise taxes on everyone or you don’t.Stop all this class warfare and division.It is really hurting the country.Not all rich people just wake up everyday and money falls from the sky.Most of they made sacrifices that others refused to do,to get ahead.

Republicans put all their hopes on Obama losing. President Obama made it very clear his preferred route to avoiding the ‘fiscal cliff’. But the GOP, now licking their wounds, are acting like spoiled children. Now they have to make tough choices; vote for the country, or vote to appease the far right wing of the GOP party and Grover.

The voters made their preference known. It just hasn’t sunk in for some yet.

Every person who becomes dependent on govt,becomes another Democrat.By overtaxing those working hard to get ahead and bringing them down,Obama is just creating more poor and more potential voters.Good for him and Democrats,but bad for the country.

Maybe Boehner should look within himself to find an answer to the problem of the fiscal cliff, if he and rest of the republicans had not made the military bear all the burdens and make all the sacrifices for the ego war in Iraq and made all Americans make some sacrifices and bear some of the burdens we would not be in the mess we are now in.
This was the first time in the history of the world that a nation went to war and ALL THE PEOPLE DID NOT NOT BEAR THE BURDENS AND MAKE SOME SACRIFICES FOR IT.
The rich made out like bandits with massive tax cuts while the military and their families were make all the sacrifices.

Maybe Boehner should look within himself to find an answer to the problem of the fiscal cliff, if he and rest of the republicans had not made the military bear all the burdens and make all the sacrifices for the ego war in Iraq and made all Americans make some sacrifices and bear some of the burdens we would not be in the mess we are now in.
This was the first time in the history of the world that a nation went to war and ALL THE PEOPLE DID NOT NOT BEAR THE BURDENS AND MAKE SOME SACRIFICES FOR IT.
The rich made out like bandits with massive tax cuts while the military and their families were make all the sacrifices.

Maybe Boehner should look within himself to find an answer to the problem of the fiscal cliff, if he and rest of the republicans had not made the military bear all the burdens and make all the sacrifices for the ego war in Iraq and made all Americans make some sacrifices and bear some of the burdens we would not be in the mess we are now in.
This was the first time in the history of the world that a nation went to war and ALL THE PEOPLE DID NOT NOT BEAR THE BURDENS AND MAKE SOME SACRIFICES FOR IT.
The rich made out like bandits with massive tax cuts while the military and their families were make all the sacrifices.

Stand firm republicans, obama is an empty suit. He either waffles as he’s apt to (we’ll let him call it ‘evolving’ if it will help) and make entitlement cuts OR the nation falls into recession once again. Half the country will NOT blame the republicans, we know that already, so who really cares? Obama is effectively neutered and he knows it.

Forty years ago in the city of Cleveland there were industrial powerhouses everywhere. As I walked to school there were punch presses pounding, welding torches spewing sparks, whirring noises, and acrid aromas mixed with the sweet smell of bread baking at the local Millbrook factory. Employment was such that there was nary enough parking for all the cars. Virtually all of it is gone now, a ghost town of hollowed out dirty brick buildings and broken windows block after depressing block as far as the eye can see. Laughably this President boasts protecting the middle class while visiting, appropriately enough, a Tinkertoys factory. For the past forty-plus years not one politician from either side of the fence has done one whit of good protecting the middle class, and it isn’t going to start now. God help us all.

I find it laughable that people are surprised by the president’s first offer on the fiscal cliff. He made moderate offers during his first administration and was bashed for it by both sides because the final deals were often pulled toward the conservative side. This time he’s making an offer that is just as extreme as the GOP offer. As I see it, in this way, as the counter offers are made, both sides may be able to move toward a more moderate budget deal on tax increases and budget cuts. Then again, we could just end up in a stand off that means everybody’s taxes go up and the automatic cuts go into place. Either way, I see the president as the reasonable man after watching him for the last four years. The GOP hasn’t covered itself in glory when it comes to helping the country.

Republicans think no one should have a tax hike, that government spending needs to be decreased because we are out of money. It’s nice for everyone to think that only those darned rich folks should have to pay for government largesse, but they are already paying more than anyone else and half the country gets a free ride on income tax.No spending cuts have been placed on the table by the president or the democrats, and the president could easily propose some cuts since he no longer is facing another election. So why not propose some spending cuts and leave the taxes as they are now. Less or scared rich people equals less jobs, since poor people don’t do much hiring. The tax increase on the rich would only generate 85 billion or less each year in revenues, less than the money that would be saved by the government health care programs if tort reform was a part of the new health law. If the spending cuts don’t solve the problem then we are all in this together and everyone should have to pay more taxes, so maybe going over the cliff would not be such a bad thing. Why does the press always favor this president – how is the president not being intansigent and gambling with the fiscal cliff when he will not give in on this paltry amount of money from the “rich”.

The Decision: Act like the country is out of money and cut welfare while the rich enjoy record earnings but refuse to pay taxes….or force the rich to pay some goddam taxes before the poor start building guillotines and demanding real justice.

Republicans are thieves and liars, nobody should ever vote for them, everybody should be demanding they be forced out of office and put in jail.

Hard to beat Obama.
He can lie even better than Clinton or Bush, two draft dodgers and two of the greatest liars in the history of the country.

I think it’s time for the Republicans to just stop….it’s time to give Obama everything he wants – everything.

If he’s right then everything will be better…..but….if he’s wrong…..we will ALL suffer. It’s clear that’s the medicine we need to swallow.

Mr. President what are the details of the deal you are proposing? Both sides should be openly debating a deal in public where the public can really see what’s going on and what is being offered by both sides.

“the gop otions are to compromise with someone they hate or be blamed for not doing so. which option helps 99% of america and which one helps their 1% wealthy supporters? time to show us your true colors.”

Spoken like a true member of the herd jcfl. If you seriously think that the left is not as beholden to this nations wealthy then there is a bridge I would really like to sell you.

@zotdoc. All very good questions. I think the answers are found in: Hating the “rich” = Hating Republicans = Good. Cutting Spending = Hating the “poor” = Hating Democrats = Bad.

there is no way congress is giving this obamination more money to throw away! he got re elected by welfare recipiients but the rich and middle class still own and control america.money talks welfare checks don’t!

It is perfectly acceptable if it isn’t a GOOD deal Mr. President!

It is perfectly acceptable if it isn’t a GOOD deal Mr. President!

It is perfectly acceptable if it isn’t a GOOD deal Mr. President!

Neither is Obama’s “My way or the highway” approach acceptable. His newest proposal, through Geithner, suggested NOTHING in the way of compromise. It is the same plan he has been promoting all along, except he added the demand that he, with no approval from Congress, be able to raise the U.S. Government’s debt limit. It’s time for all of us to take a deep breath and go over the cliff. It won’t be pretty, but it will move both sides to substantive action.

Obama proposed a 1.7 trillion dollar tax increase. That’s 1700 billion or 1.7 million times a million, folks! So you can’t really blame “a handful of people” for not being amused. A few hundred billion here, a few hundred billion there — pretty soon that adds up.

President Obama is right. It is not acceptable for a handful of Republicans to block a vote to extend the tax cuts for the middle class. These Republicans do not realize the suffering that the middle class have endured for the past 12 years, since the Bush tax cuts for the rich came into effect. The tax cuts for the rich were meant to create jobs. The rich created jobs overseas, hid their money in tax shelters, and gutted the middle class in the USA. President Obama has turned around our economy, despite the NO Republican Congress. As a woman, and as a family physician, I am ashamed at the lack of cooperation by Republicans in Congress. I am especially disheartened by Mr Boehner choosing only WHITE MALES for committee heads in Congress.
Republicans, please grow up and become leaders who have learned the art of compromise.
Sincerely, Dr Rosemary Eileen McHugh

The rotting U.S. infrastructure needs $150 billions as a start to even begin to match the German infrastucture,yetthe normal intransigent Republicans will do everything that they can to kill the $59 billons modest proposal of Obama.

The proposed extension of the unemployment benefits will take care of the real citizens who work for a living as opposed to the Republican millionaires who delight in working over those real citizens.

A deferral of automatic cuts to the physician reimbursement is necessary so that those citizens who rely on Medicare will have access to a physician. The medical profession is now doing everything that they can to refuse patients who have only Medicare as their sole Healthcare. Cutting payments will assure that those on Medicare will have no options. That is the goal of the Republicans.

McConnell and Boehner seem not to understand that the Republicans have been defeated, that Obama has an overwhelming mandate, particularly from the under 35 demographic, to make real change.

The President must follow through and do what he has been mandated to do, he is now in the driver’s seat, otherwise the people who re-elected him , and the closely watching world, will see him simply as a failed politician who cannot lead.

The Republicans must blink and give up, they have no support except for that of the Fascist Oligarchy that has run the United States for the past three decades.

But it is somehow ok for Harry Reed to pocket veto the entire US budget for the last 3 years. Such BS.

Obama’s proposed plan-

-The first step would net $960 billion immediately by allowing the Bush-era tax cuts to expire on top earners along with raising rates on dividends and capital gains.

-Another $600 billion would come from overhauling the tax code (presumably next year) reaching the administration’s $1.6 trillion goal.

-$1.6 trillion in new taxes, in exchange for some $400 billion in CUTS TO ENTITLEMENT PROGRAMS to be negotiated next year.

Boehner is lying when he says that the president has not been serious about negotiations or put anything on the table. Timothy Geithner presented this plan to Boehner (and others) which gives the GOP their desired cuts to entitlement programs!

Obama is soliciting public support because he knows the people are with him and their voice needs to be heard by the GOP. The Repubs still are having a hard time accepting that the majority of Americans support the president, his plan, and his policies. 51% for Obama, 48% Romney…those are the facts!

Stop lying to yourselves and listening to Fox Faux News.

Additionally, the deficit is shrinking at its fastest rate since WWII. The Treasury Department report states the deficit is $300 BILLION DOLLARS LESS than when Obama took office!

Read More At IBD: http://news.investors.com/blogs-capital-hill/112012-634082-federal-deficit-falling-fastest-since-world-war-ii.htm#ixzz2DMVBo6Zz

So, stop all the talk of Obama’s run-a-way spending and big government, it’s simply not true!

It’s time for the Repubs to do their job and represent the peoples will!

@bemore – deficit $300B less than Obama’s first year? So, its now a deficit of $1.1T instead of $1.4T – this is great progress in solving a problem which threatens the entire economy? $960B gained by raising taxes on the rich? That is over 10 years – not even a dent in the deficit. The comparison to the deficit falling after WW II is laughable – that is choosing as the point of reference when the deficit would have to come down – an inevitable reduction from the unprecedented spending of a cataclysmic war.

arnaux called President Clinton and President Obama draft dodgers? Well, arnaux apparently you know little about the history of the draft. I know the draft history pretty well. During the draft numbers were assigned based on a national drawing for 18 year olds, and that number followed them during their draftable years until it was abolished in the 1970′s. President Clinton received a number that was so high he would never have been drafted. The draft was long since over before President Obama ever became 18 years old.

Next time you are watching the fake news network or reading hate literature from some “conservative blogger,” perhaps you should do some fact checking with snopes.com or factcheck.org before firing off such lies.

While everyone is crying about President Obama trying to “fleece the rich,” consider this. Mr. Romney paid 13.9% in income taxes as weathy as he is. Yet, even at that small rate (compared to my tax rate), he paid more than a very large number of millionairs and billionairs.

It has been reported that over 27 trillion is hidden out in off shore bank accounts to avoid the US tax system. Take that 13.9% that Mr. Romney paid and multiply it times that 27 trillion dollars, and that comes up with 3.57 trillion in taxes alone.

Anyone starting to see the picture here. Why should a wage earner such as myself be paying between 24 and 28% taxes on my income while multimillionaires are paying between zero and 13.9 percent. Am I supposed to feel sorry for them. Sorry, I pay my fair share and they should too!

Hey plang1. Turn off the Fake News Network and Karl Rove. President Obama got re-elected by far more than the welfare recipients. He got re-elected by people who also work for a living.

You and the Fake News Network are part of the problem – not the solution.

The President presented his offer. Now it is time for the Republicans in the House to present their counter offer. That is how the negotiation process works. In fact there are some Republicans in the House that say they would vote to pass the Senate version of a budget bill, but seriously doubt Boehner will let it come to the floor for a vote. So, it is time for the House to offer their proposal. It ain’t 2011 anymore.

Here is my problem. Raising taxes on people making $200k is not taxing the rich, it’s taxing the upper-middle class. Small Business owners are going to be heavily impacted by that. Raise that number to $750k or $1 million dollars a year and I would personally find it more agreeable. Furthermore, major cuts in the military are needed. We don’t need 692 bases throughout the world. Cut that number way back. Finally, abolish the Federal (privately held) Reserve Banking System. If anyone has followed the history of this corrupt organization than they also realize it must be abolished. Another thing I would consider is abolishing the Social Security System. I would pay all the money owed to people that are currently 40yrs old or greater (and they would continue to pay into the system until their retirement date) and I would refund the payments to everyone under the age of 40 so that they could invest it as they see fit. Retirement savings should be decided by each individual, NOT the Federal Government.

The recent US election has exposed the bitterness between the two parties. Republicans are probably angry because of the way the Democrats carried out negative campaigning against Romney. Many people believe bipartisanship is thing of the past.

@Robert76 – arnaux called Clinton and Bush draft dodgers (not Obama). You can make a case for Clinton being a draft dodger (by the convoluted way he sought to avoid the draft prior to the assignment of lottery numbers). Bush II was a pilot in the National Guard – some would call that draft dodging but it is very insulting to those who serve in that capacity. Yes, fact checking is important.

Republicans are still just plain delusional.

@JoeObserver, and there was NO negative campaigning against President Obama? Yet Obama has been very accommodating, even inviting romney to the WH for a lunch discussion, while you see the right complaining about how the election was ‘stolen’ or ‘bought by government gifts’. With all due respect, get real!

Nail em to the wall Obama! The GOP has slowly and steadily stolen from and hoarded from everyone in this country. Time they paid up like the rest of us.

Bohner is claiming that they’re at a stalemate. Actually, they’re not because the sequester will kick in. It’s not the best way of handling this, but apparently Bohner doesn’t have the leadership skills to accomplish much of anything, so sequestration is better than nothing. So be it. If the Speaker wants to he can lead the charge to prevent Democrats from passing Middle Class tax cuts after sequestration kicks in. Republicans lost the Presidential election, 2 seats in the Senate, and 9 seats in the House. Eventually enough Americans will wake up and decide our country is worth saving, their brains will kick in, and the the rest of the GOP will be kicked out. What a pathetic heap of old, white flesh.

Stand Fast Mr. President–that’s why we re-elected you!

Obama wants executive power to rasie the debt limit w/o congressional approval and presents no spending cuts. Raising taxes on the wealthy is not enough. He needs to put up or shut up. He’s not a king or dictator no matter how much he wants to be.

STAND FIRM GOP. We need to shrink government and reform the tax code. The wealthy need to have Capital taxed! People like Buffet don’t have much income…they get a tax holiday for years as their capital grows….it is time to tax them where their money is. Why do you think Goldman, Pelosi, Corzine, Kerry love our tax system…they get even richer without paying much in taxes. No more offshoring, trusts, shelters, deferred income….we need a fair FLAT TAX. That way people with the money are taxed as much as the people trying to get rich. They would pay a lot more if their gains were taxed each year like your income. Of course Obama is just following the time honored joke of yelling about taxing rich people while Kerry, pelosi, Goldman and buffet pat him on the back. Raise the rate DOES NOTHING!

SayHey wrote:

[@bemore – deficit $300B less than Obama’s first year? So, its now a deficit of $1.1T instead of $1.4T – this is great progress in solving a problem which threatens the entire economy? $960B gained by raising taxes on the rich? That is over 10 years – not even a dent in the deficit. The comparison to the deficit falling after WW II is laughable – that is choosing as the point of reference when the deficit would have to come down – an inevitable reduction from the unprecedented spending of a cataclysmic war.]

@SayHey- A drop in the bucket, yes. But, the accusations that Obama has done nothing to address the economy are false.

This deficit reduction was accomplished without any GOP support. This reduction was accomplished while Obama was lifting the country out of a severe recession. This reduction was accomplished while many other governments in Europe have had to resort to austerity measures to deal with the crisis.

I’m just saying give Obama some credit and stop with the lies.
If Obama can reduce the deficit (even by the slightest amount) while keeping our economy afloat and having no GOP support in the process, just imagine what could be done if the GOP stops with the obstructionism and actually embraces the concept of compromise. We have been held hostage for 4 years by the GOP obstructionism; it’s time for the Repubs to work for the American people instead of special interests.

They were sent there to govern, not to hold the business of government in limbo indefinitely.

SayHey: Dubya got his well-connected father to get him into the National Guard in order to avoid service in Vietnam, at a time when soldiers were in such short supply a draft was enacted. Then Dubya didn’t even fulfill all of his duties to the National Guard. He left early to go “work” on someone’s political campaign, but there’s little indication that he even did that.

The everyday American Joe, if he wanted to avoid service, had to resort to draft dodging. The rich just had their daddies do their dirty work for them–and then later run for President in a political party that is more interested in spin then facts. No?

Just consider the GOP accolades Dubya got when he commandeered an aircraft carrier and a fighter jet in a gross display of fake jingoistic bravado complete with a banner reading, “Mission Accomplished,” though it’s still not clear just which mission was supposed to have been accomplished. This was a big deal among Republicans, but it was nothing but spin, propaganda to promote the party and their President. Now compare that to the much more modest way Obama announced the death of bin Laden, something of substance, a very significant event. And consider how the Republicans reacted, downplaying the significance of assassinating the mastermind of 9/11 and criticizing Obama for taking credit, etc., etc. It all just makes me sick to my stomach.

Where is Obama’s plan? Instead of blathering about one or two inconsequential areas, why doesn’t this President have the guts to lay out a complete plan.

If Obama doesn’t have the intelligence or discipline, why not pass it along to one of his many cronies.

Now more than ever, America needs integrity in government and candidates who really care about our country.

neilc23: Actually, the budget is Congress’s job, so any criticism you level at the President goes double for Boehner. But the truth is that you aren’t really interested in anything Obama may propose. You just want to attack him, the way most Republicans have been trained to do. Because if you were REALLY interested in seeing what Obama is proposing, the very first thing you would have done would have been to go to the WhiteHouse website, look it up, and read it. If Obama was to present you with his budget, instead of analyzing what he offers, you’d be busy conjuring up another angle of attack. That said, here’s the President’s budget proposal (Now let’s see the GOP’s.) http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Overview

Once Again-

Obama’s proposed plan-

-The first step would net $960 billion immediately by allowing the Bush-era tax cuts to expire on top earners along with raising rates on dividends and capital gains.

-Another $600 billion would come from overhauling the tax code (presumably next year) reaching the administration’s $1.6 trillion goal.

-$1.6 trillion in new taxes, in exchange for some $400 billion in CUTS TO ENTITLEMENT PROGRAMS to be negotiated next year.

Boehner is lying when he says that the president has not been serious about negotiations or put anything on the table. Timothy Geithner presented this plan to Boehner (and others) which gives the GOP their desired cuts to entitlement programs!

Our economy before the Bush tax cut was doing very well, so what differene is it going to make to any of us if his ill advised cuts expire? I say let them expire its a good thing, and because the Republicans will not compromise it falls on their sholders if thing go to hell in a hand basket. If nothing really worse than what has already befallen us then we are ahead of the game, and if things get better so much the better. Entitlements, what endtitlements I’m 73 have missed working since I was 18 a total of 14 weeks and 8 weeks of that was due to on the job injuries 6 of it was on unemployment which I was entitled to 1 week of unemployment insurance because I had vacation coming when I was layed off. My Social Security is a joke so what entitlements are we talking about? Government employees maybe get a bit more for working than we in the public sector but that doesn’t mean there is any excess unless you happen to be an elected offical, then baby look out and the rich have more loop holes to jump thru than the rest of us have money. A lot of millionares are well know to end up not paying taxes for years, check out the number of your neighbors who can say the same. LET THE BUSH GIVE AWAYS EXPIRE!

The Republican’s are like cockroaches…you can kill the ones scurrying around on the counter..but there’s a bunch more hiding in the walls. They lost the election all around. Lost the Presidency and lost seats in the House and the Senate. America isn’t interested in the Republican vision of CUTTING taxes further and gutting Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
$160B in revenues and $400B in cuts to entitlements next year..and the Republicans laughed? What’s their plan?

Since Obama is unwilling to manage the budget and spending, let the Sequester go through and fix the mess Washington has caused us. Let’s get this over once and for all.

@xyz2055 Why wouldn’t they laugh? Leftists, like yourself, forget an important concept: debt is not free. We are on par to reach an interest rate of $1 trillion a year by 2020. If I may remind you, our national debt is $16,303,507,674,201. $400 billion is a joke, it does nothing.

Let’s get rid of spending on entitlements. get large corporations off of government
welfare, take away all their tax breaks & tax loopholes & other
entitlements & let our American Capitalist FREE MARKET determine their
fate.

bates148..the fiscal cliff is about $700B a year and the Republicans are crapping all over themselves to make sure that doesn’t happen. The Democrat plan cuts $560B from the debt next year. Sooo what have the Republicans offered up? I’m a just right of center Independent by the way. Was a registered Republican for decades. Then the Tea Party nut jobs came along and I got tired of Boehner’s “Contract on America” versions 1 and 2..he’s currently working on version #3. Which was a joke…remember when they promised to balance the budget when Clinton was in office. When GW and the Republicans took over we had an annual $18B deficit and a $5T debt..then they went on the wildest drunken sailor spending spree of all time. Are those the guys that you think should be running our government? Aren’t you the idiot that was trying sell that Wall Street supported Obama in this past election?

libertyville – “Since Obama is unwilling to manage the budget and spending…”

It never ceases to amaze me the posts like this that I see here. It’s a testimony to the poor education of many like yourself. About the only thing that Obama has to do with the Budget is either Sign or Veto it. Congress can have any Budget they want. They control ALL the purse strings. If the President vetoes their Budget, Congress has the power to override the veto and make the Budget they want law. Nothing the President (any president) can do about it. Don’t believe? Below is an excerpt from Republican Paul Ryan’s “Path to Prosperity” version 3.0 2013 which IS the House of Representatives Budget proposal for 2013. The statement below is on page 4 of that document.

“STATEMENT OF CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL AUTHORITY

Article I of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to appropriate funds from the Treasury, pay the obligations of and raise revenue for the federal government, and publish statements and accounts of all financial transactions.

In addition, the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Act of 1974 requires Congress to write a budget each year representing its plan to carry out these transactions in the forthcoming fiscal years. While the President is required to propose his administration’s budget requests for Congress’s consideration, Congress alone is responsible for writing the laws that raise revenues, appropriate funds, and prioritize taxpayer dollars within an overall federal budget.”

This document is a real gem by the way. Ryan wants to INCREASE defense spending. Not for any specific purpose…but rather he makes the insane case that we just simply aren’t spending enough on Defense based on a percentage of GDP.

So..libertyville..the next time that John Boehner goes on national TV and blames the President for not coming up with a plan to his liking…keep in mind that ACTUALLY it’s Boehner and the rest of Congress’s responsibility to put together a plan, write the legislation and pass it. They alone have the Constitutional Authority and Responsibility to get it done. Not the President. Try not to be so obtuse.

The SOLE reason that the President’s (any President) input is important in these negotiations is because when Congress gets done writing and passing the legislation they want to be sure that the President will sign it. Because if he vetoes it, they have to muster up enough votes to override his veto. Congress has the power to put the president on the hot seat IF they come up with, write and pass legislation (in this case attacking our debt problem) that most Americans agree with and Obama vetoes it.

Although the president talks incessantly on the campaign trail about what a rotten Christmas we’re going to have if we don’t raise taxes on the wealthy, he never seems to mention his other outrageous demands. Like wanting to eliminate Congressional approval for raising the debt ceiling limit (can you imagine the havoc this guy could wreak with an unlimited debt ceiling??!). Or the new “stimulus” spending he wants. Or the fact that he’ll only consider discussing spending and entitlement reform later. Maybe. No guarantees.

The proposal he sent to Congress was laugh-out-loud funny in its sheer audacity and rank foolishness (in fact, that’s what Republican leaders did, laugh out loud). It’s chances of passage are nil and he knows it. He doesn’t care. He’s back on the stump which is the only thing apparently he knows how to do and then he leaves for 20 days in Hawaii. Barack Obama is the most un-serious man we’ve ever had the misfortune of electing to the presidency.

Obama doesn’t have any pressure to crank up. He is president because Mitt Romney was so easy to dislike.

Obama won 51% of the popular vote.
53% of Americans live in states with GOP governors and state legislatures where the GOP controls both chambers.
In other words 53% of Americans reject Obama’s stance on spending and taxation.

He will take whatever deal Boehner gives him and like it, just like last time.

thesafesrufer..that totals 104%…great math..lol

Bush tax cuts are a joke and should never have been instituted. You don’t turn the country around and create jobs by subsidizing the under paid workers with food stamps, free healthcare, housing and earned income credits. You turn the country around with higher wages and putting people to work by creating tax breaks for small businesses so they can hire and pay good wages. Food stamps are just subsidies to keep the overpriced union grocery stores afloat. Lazy people on food stamps could care less about the cost of the food prices and will shop in their neighborhood Safeway and QFC’s.

I believe the Republicans should pull a “BO” and refuse to vote on the fiscal cliff plan – just vote ‘present.’ The Dems vote whatever program they want, likely some tax for being white. They will no more take responsibility for the cataclysm they create, but maybe, just maybe, the slumbering masses will wake long enough to take notice. Nay, probably not – everyone go back to your drug induced comas.