Obama wants to go over the fiscal cliff

Luddly Neddite

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2011
63,929
9,959
2,040
John Barrasso On Fiscal Cliff: Obama Wants To Go Over The Edge (VIDEO)

"I believe the president is eager to go over the cliff for political purposes," Barrasso said. "I think he sees a political victory at the bottom of the cliff: He gets all this additional tax revenue for new programs, he gets to cut the military, which Democrats have been calling for for years, and he gets to blame Republicans for it."

Okay, now watch the rw's falling all over themselves to agree with this even thought they ALWAYS say HuffPo is liberal and never prints anything bad about President Obama or the Dems.

:lol::lol::lol::lol:
 
He doesnt mind. He wet dreams massive taxes on everyone. Not surprising that he has no solutions other than collect a few billion while ringing up 6 trillion in debt over 4 years and bitching that W was unpatriotic for his 4 trillion debt. Incompetent hypocrite.
 
Last edited:
Has the President submitted his proposal to Congress (yet)?

Three times.

Q. Has it been introduced as a legislative bill?

A. No.

Q. Why not?

A. Because the "fiscal cliff" debate is nothing more than political gamesmanship. Obama sold a load of snake oil to the voters and now needs the GOP to rescue him from his ridiculous promises. He now wants to eat his cake and have it, too, i.e., blame the GOP both for tax increases and spending cuts. His planning horizon is the 2014 election, after which he doesn't give a damn about the U.S. economy.
 
John Barrasso On Fiscal Cliff: Obama Wants To Go Over The Edge (VIDEO)

"I believe the president is eager to go over the cliff for political purposes," Barrasso said. "I think he sees a political victory at the bottom of the cliff: He gets all this additional tax revenue for new programs, he gets to cut the military, which Democrats have been calling for for years, and he gets to blame Republicans for it."
Okay, now watch the rw's falling all over themselves to agree with this even thought they ALWAYS say HuffPo is liberal and never prints anything bad about President Obama or the Dems.

:lol::lol::lol::lol:
OP is being misleading (again)

HuffPo isn't saying that, a Republican leader is saying that. HUffPo is merely posting the story.
 
Owe Bama wants to raise taxes on the "rich"... If we go over the fiscal cliff, he wins big time because he will have raised the taxes on everybody which is his real goal anyway. So, no matter what happens, he wins.
 
Granny says, "Dat's right - dey don't care `bout the pain dey causin' the public, dey'll just slap each other onna back an' vote demselves another pay raise...
:mad:
US Congress Shows No Urgency on 'Fiscal Cliff'
December 27, 2012 — Four days before Americans face massive automatic tax increases and deep federal spending cuts, Washington is showing no signs of forging a deficit reduction agreement to avert the so-called “fiscal cliff.” Many lawmakers are absent from Washington altogether, and the rest are pointing fingers and casting blame.
Watching official Washington, one might not know the nation is teetering on the edge of the fiscal cliff. President Barack Obama returned from a Hawaiian vacation Thursday with no events on his schedule. The House of Representatives is adjourned until Sunday. The Senate is in session, but debating a bill governing U.S. intelligence gathering, not the fiscal cliff. That the House is closed for business at a critical time was noted by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. “I cannot imagine their consciences. They [House members] are out wherever they are around the country, and we are here trying to get something done," he said.

The House adjourned last week after Republican Speaker John Boehner failed to muster enough votes to pass an extension of federal tax rates for all income up to $1 million a year, far above the $250,000 cut-off sought by Democrats. A clearly frustrated Reid accused Boehner of employing heavy-handed tactics to block legislation and cast America off the fiscal cliff. “The House of Representatives is operating without the House of Representatives. It is being operated with a dictatorship of the Speaker," he said. A spokesman for Speaker Boehner said, “Senator Reid should talk less and legislate more.”

In fact, both chambers are accusing the other of stymieing bills to avert the fiscal cliff. A House-passed bill that would extend all tax cuts for all income groups has not been taken up in the Senate, while a Senate bill extending tax cuts for income up to $250,000 a year has not been considered in the House. The Senate’s top Republican, Mitch McConnell, recounted a recent telephone conversation he had with President Obama. “Last night I told the president we would be happy to look at whatever he proposes. But the truth is, we are coming up against a hard deadline here. This is a conversation we should have had months ago," he said.

Political analyst Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia is doubtful a bipartisan deal can be forged by New Year’s Eve. “It will take a miracle to keep us from going off the fiscal cliff. The most likely scenario is that we do go off the cliff, and then Congress acts," he said. Sabato points out that Republicans who are loathe to vote for tax hikes now will not have to do so once taxes go up on all income groups on January 1. “By then taxes will automatically have risen, dramatically, for most Americans. Then, instead of having to vote on a tax increase, they can vote to decrease taxes, at least in some categories for some Americans," he said. Sabato says that however the fiscal cliff drama plays out, Washington has given itself another black eye, saying, “Congress has proven to be best at finger-pointing rather than legislating.”

Source

See also:

Fiscal Cliff Posturing in US is Old Political Game
December 27, 2012 WASHINGTON — With every day that passes the United States is edging closer to the fiscal cliff - a combination of tax hikes and federal spending cuts that could push the country back into recession. So why do some politicians appear to be moving so slowly?
From the floor of the U.S. Senate Thursday, a plea for action from Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid - and a swipe at Republican Speaker John Boehner and the House of Representatives: "They are not in Washington, D.C. The House of Representatives are not here," said Reid. "They couldn't even get the leadership together yesterday... John Boehner seems to care more about keeping his speakership than about keeping the nation on firm financial footing. It's obvious. Mr. President, what's going on around here?"

Ongoing gridlock

But what also is obvious to many Washington analysts is the usual politicking as lawmakers try to boost their support and their influence. Gallup Polling Editor-in-Chief Frank Newport said no one has gotten a bigger boost than President Barack Obama. "At the moment, President Obama's job approval rating for handling the fiscal cliff and also his overall job approval rating are fairly high. In fact, his overall job approval rating in recent days has been as high as we've seen it since the year he was first inaugurated," said Newport. Newport said Democratic lawmakers also have seen their approval ratings increase, while Republicans ratings have held steady.

Don Kettl, dean of the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, said that in the end, the politicians want to come out of the crisis looking like they were the ones who won - only it is not as easy as it used to be. "There would be little sweeteners that could be tossed out. A new dam for somebody's district; a new highway for somebody else's; a new research program that somebody was looking for. But the very fact that so much of this has to do with the budget and that everybody is holding the line on spending at the same time means that it's very hard to throw those extra sweeteners in," said Kettl.

Public pain
 
Yeah. Of course he does. He has everything to gain from taking us over the cliff. Been saying that for months.
 
Granny says Obama standin' up for the middle class an' unemployed...
:clap2:
Obama's 'Fiscal Cliff' Bottomline: Spare Only 'Middle Class' from Tax Hike and Extend Unemployment Benefits Again
December 28, 2012 - President Barack Obama said on Friday evening that if he cannot make a bipartisan deal with congressional leaders before the Monday "fiscal cliff" deadline, he has asked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to bring legislation up for a vote in the Senate that would extend the Bush tax rates for "middle class" Americans only and extend unemployment benefits for 2 million Americans whose government payments would otherwise expire.
"So if we don’t see an agreement between the two leaders in the Senate, I expect a bill to go on the floor—and I have asked Senator Reid to do this—put a bill on the floor that makes sure that taxes on middle class families don’t go up, that unemployment insurance is still available for 2 million people, and that lays the groundwork then for additional deficit reduction and economic growth steps that we can take in the New Year," said Obama. "But let’s not miss this deadline," he said. "That is the bare minimum that we should be able to get done."

“For the past couple of months I’ve been working with leaders of both parties a balanced plan that would cut spending in a responsible way, but also ask the wealthiest Americans to pay a little more," said Obama. "I still want to get this done. It is the right thing to do for our families, our businesses and our entire economy. “But the hour for immediate action is here. It is now. We are now at the point where in just four days every American’s tax rates are scheduled to go up by law," said Obama. "Every American’s paycheck will get considerably smaller. And that would be the wrong thing to do for our economy," said Obama. "It would be bad for middle class families. And it would be bad for businesses that depend on family spending. Fortunately, Congress can prevent it from happening if they act right now.

"I just had a good and constructive discussion here at the White House with Senate and House leadership about how to prevent this tax hike on the middle class," said Obama. "And I am optimistic we may be able to reach an agreement that can pass both houses in time. Senators Reid and McConnell are working on such an agreement as we speak. But if an agreement isn’t reached in time between Sen. Reid and Sen. McConnell, then I will urge Sen. Reid to bring to the floor a basic package for an up or down vote, one that protects the middle class from an income tax hike, extends the vital lifeline of unemployment insurance to 2 million Americans looking for a job, and lays the groundwork for future cooperation on more economic growth and deficit reduction.

"I believe such a proposal could pass both houses with bipartisan majorities, as long as those leaders allow it to actually come to a vote," said Obama. "If members of the House or the Senate want to vote no, they can. But we should let everybody vote. That’s the way this is supposed to work. If you can get a majority in the House and you can get a majority in the Senate, then we should be able to pass a bill."

MORE

See also:

Fiscal cliff: Obama 'optimistic' on Senate-led deal[
28 December 2012 - US President Barack Obama: "An agreement is being discussed as we speak"
US President Barack Obama says he is "modestly optimistic" that a deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff" is possible, after a last-ditch White House meeting. Mr Obama said Senate leaders were working to craft a bill that could win approval in both chambers of Congress. But if a compromise was not reached, the president said he would ask for a quick vote on preventing tax rises. Congress has only four days to reach an agreement before across-the-board tax rises and spending cuts take effect.

Analysts say sliding over the so-called "cliff" could tip the US into recession and set back the global economic recovery. If Senate majority leader Harry Reid and minority leader Mitch McConnell do not work out a deal, Mr Obama is seeking a vote to prevent tax rises on incomes up to $250,000 (£150,000) and ensure unemployment insurance is continued. He described that as the "bare minimum" Congress should get done before 1 January. "The hour for immediate action is here, it is now," Mr Obama said.

'Imperfect' deal

Earlier on Friday, Mr Obama met Mr Reid, Mr McConnell, House Speaker John Boehner and House minority leader Nancy Pelosi at the White House for just over an hour. Mr McConnell and Mr Reid said they were entering talks shortly after the meeting, and gave relatively upbeat assessments on their task. Mr McConnell said he was "hopeful and optimistic" that he could present a comprise to his caucus by Sunday, just over 24 hours before the deadline. His Democratic counterpart said he would "do everything I can" to make the deal happened. But Mr Reid cautioned that "whatever we come up with is going to be imperfect". The renewed effort towards a Senate deal that could pass both chambers comes after much of the focus in negotiations rested on House Speaker John Boehner.

An alternative plan proposed by Mr Boehner - which would have seen taxes rise only on those earning over $1m - failed in the House of Representatives late last week. Mr Boehner has called the lower chamber into session on Sunday. A staff member in the house speaker's office told Reuters that the House would consider Senate legislation. "The Speaker told the president that if the Senate amends the House-passed legislation and sends back a plan, the House will consider it - either by accepting or amending," the unnamed aide said. Mr Obama's plans to increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans have remained a point of division between the two parties since he won re-election in November. Many Republicans oppose new taxes as a matter of principle, and are demanding cuts to what they see as deficit-inflating public spending, putting at risk healthcare and welfare benefit schemes popular with Democrats. During the news conference on Friday, Mr Obama said any last minute action on tax rises would form the groundwork for further negotiations in the new year. "The American people are watching what we do here," he said. "Obviously their patience is already thin."

Cuts and benefits
 
Last edited:
I don't know what Obama wants but he will in fact be remembered as one of the worst Presidents in US history.

W has the worst president in history title locked.

Bush was one of the worst, FDR was still the worst. Fact is you just hate Bush because he's white, and older, 2 things together you hate more than anything, even mass poverty due to Progressive policies.

Or maybe we can go down this same dumb ass road where I ask you to list the policies that made Bush the worst, you stutter and realize that everything on your list has been done under Obama, much of it has been expanded by Obama so you crap some other nonsense about how much you hate white out your bigoted mouth.
 

New Topics

Forum List

Back
Top