A Republican congresswoman said the GOP is “kind of trying to find our negotiating legs” on the fiscal cliff after President Obama’s re-election.
“The timing of this probably couldn’t be worse for negotiation purposes from our perspective to some degree, right before the holidays, which is a tough time for politicians anyway,” Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.) said on CNN this morning. “In some terms we feel like it’s light years between now and the new year. It’s really not. It’s right around the corner. Lawmakers will continue to feel a lot more pressure between now and then to get something done.”
“But at the same time we’re coming off the heels of this election. So to some degree we’re kind of trying to find our negotiating legs, if you will.”
Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.) accused his party of carrying a share of the blame.
“It is the same people negotiating the same deal all over again. And so when you get into that — what is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result?” he said. “When we did the super committee last time, that was a complete failure. So no one should be surprised at where we are. And I would say this, that neither side has put up a credible plan.”
“They’re all the same ideas we’ve been talking about for 18 months, for two years. It’s the same ideas,” Mack continued. “So we’re going to put up things about revenue but not on tax increases because we know tax increases will kill people’s opportunity to find work. So we’ll find revenue but not through tax increases. We’ll make spending cuts to programs that the government and the people of this country don’t need, don’t want, don’t deserve.”
Bono Mack noted that in May hearing she asked Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to name one state that had higher economic growth than a state that had lower taxes and less regulation.
“He could not name a state. And yet what he’s proposing is higher taxes and more regulation,” she said. “That’s what this administration has done over the past four years.”
When asked if Congress would raise taxes, Bono Mack said, “Look, it depends on what you mean by raising taxes.”
“This is a nuanced position right now. You know, we’re talking about on our side closing loopholes. I don’t know why that can’t get traction on the other side,” she said. “But the question is, why is this happening? How should the American people feel? They should be angry about it.”
Mack lost his Senate bid to oust Bill Nelson (D) and Bono Mack lost re-election to Democrat Raul Ruiz. Their numerous joint appearances on news shows since the election suggesting they may be doing team political commentary in the future.
Gary Johnson and Ron Paul put up credible plans. Plans that every mainstream politician and the media called “Extreme”, “Radical”, and “Crazy”.
Ron Paul would not know “credible” if someone sprinkled it on this morning toasted bagel.
Gary who? Johnson? Who?
Thanks for making my point.
Duh?
If a Congressman/Congresswoman cares about staying in their office they know better than propose a plan that leads to hardship* for anyone. Unless you are a firm district you will be demonized by everyone for stating the truth. It will make Paul Ryan pushing granny off the cliff seem like a Disney movie.
*here, “hardship” means anything other than money and/or a pony for everyone.
Lost election.
WTH?
And they’re going to tag-team commentary now? Because Americans love a tag-team of losers.
Right.
“The timing of this probably couldn’t be worse”
yeah, because nobody could have predicted that with 18 months to negotiate a resolution, nothing would happen. The “fiscal cliff” is a crisis in the same manner that nightfall is a sunlight crisis. I just hope our honorable politicians can come together to raise taxes, spend more money and kick the resolution can down the road. Otherwise, some reality may set in and that would be a crisis…
When asked if Congress would raise taxes, Bono Mack said, “Look, it depends on what you mean by raising taxes.”
“This is a nuanced position right now. You know, we’re talking about on our side closing loopholes. I don’t know why that can’t get traction on the other side,” she said. “But the question is, why is this happening? How should the American people feel? They should be angry about it.”
Closing loopholes can’t get traction on the other side because the Democrats want loopholes so as to exempt their donors from the tax increase.
If Bono Mack really doesn’t understand that, it’s yet another reason why the Republicans are called the Stupid Party. Not that another reason is needed.
Exactly. If rates go up, the wealthy will just continue to hide money through shelters. A bunch will go offshore to accounts in the Caymens next to Romeny’s, Wasserman-shultz and Pelosis.
Net revenue will go down, the upper middle class and small business people making 250k will pay more taxes and we’ll continue to expand the welfare roles. That’s the Dem plan. Cloward-Piven on a national scale.
The GOP plan will close a few loopholes/deductions that primarily hit the upper middle class, expand the welfare roles and continue on down the same road.
Letting the Bush tax cuts expire will bring Romney’s 47% onto the paying tax roles and bring in revenue, Sequestration will bring an across the board 10% tax cut that will help reduce the amount of increased debt.
I’m just not seeing much of a downside to going over the so called fiscal cliff.
It’s another way of saying “forced cuts in spending”.
Even though $500 billion over 10 years of 1+ trillion per year debt spending is a drop in the bucket.
Why the GOP House can go over the cliff with impunity:
Their reputation really can’t be damaged any farther, whereas Obama’s can. The GOP should not sacrifice to preserve something that is not allowed to exist anyway. If no cliff, the GOP will just get blamed for something else. That’s the problem when you demonize someone–they can start doing what they believe, because they have no good reputation to protect anyway.
In other words, no extra-special damage will accrue by a cliff, in and of itself, and good might be done. If making a stand on easily understood principle that makes sense, the cliff can be explained away eventually. The people will be forced yet again to examine media bias, and will, eventually.
This is not 1994, because conservatism is not on the rise.
Stand fast for that ye believe.
– Rep. Tom McClintock.