It's lame duck for one guy. The parties are always positioning themselves to take credit or lay blame. It's how the system works. We need to get some stuff done, but make no mistake, people will take credit and/or lay blame. Team Obama and the dems are in a much stronger position if the repubs play ball at all. When they strike a deal, they'll be saying, if the stubborn bastards would have done this a couple years ago the economy would have improved sooner and stronger. Maybe it would have, maybe not, but it's the kind of unprovable argument Obama is famous for. Both sides will be calling the other stubborn and they'll both be right, but the dems will come out smelling better for the mid term elections. Politically speaking, that's a kick in the nut's for repubs.
" the economy would have improved sooner and stronger. Maybe it would have, maybe not, but it's the kind of unprovable argument Obama is famous for." Romney and Ryan are now famous for that argument, too. Not that they'll be back.
Who is trying to add days to their life? A collapse results in a reversion to what works and what is sustainable. Until then, the spending addict has no incentive to change.
The dems are in charge, Obama in the White House, and a democratic senate. It is now up to obama to come up with a plan to avoid the fiscal cliff which will guarantee extreme tax hikes on the rich and middle class. The republican congress won't pass these tax hikes. The result will be the default fiscal cliff which is the expiration of Bush tax cuts and the sequestor. Which is expected to reduce GDP by 2-4% and cause a recession. It seems to me the republicans have the upper hand, all they have to do is what Obama has done the last four years and that is nothing. The republicans just need to let the economy crash over the cliff, let the Dems take responsibilty and reap the rewards in 2014/2016.
Here's what will happen. Republicans and Democrats will agree to let upper income cuts expire. The Dems will let the cap rise to say 500k or 1 million so the Repubs can go along. They will ALL agree to serious tax/entitlement reform.............LATER. Anyone want to wager?
That's what they always do in one form or another -- kick the can down the road. Tax increases are always certain and immediate. Spending cuts are promises made for some ambiguous time in the distant future. That's the game.
Yes. They have no intention of making the spending cuts. All they want to do is create the illusion cutting spending. It's just the same lame trick over and over again. Most people are too stupid to see it.
hey let's don't pretend the media is going to do anything other than lie and carry water for the dempcraps.