President Obama is planning to meet with congressional leaders tomorrow, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said, for 11th-hour talks on a fiscal cliff deal.
It will be the first time all four House and Senate leaders will have sat down with the president to talk since Nov. 16.
It’s not likely to be a very cordial meeting, if McConnell’s anger on the Senate floor today was any indication.
“The president chose, instead, to spend his time on the campaign trail. This was even after he got re-elected. And congressional Democrats sat on their hands,” McConnell said. “Now, Republicans have bent over backwards. We stepped way, way out of our comfort zone. We wanted an agreement, but we had no takers. The phone never rang and so now here we are five days from the new year and we might finally start talking.”
“Here we are, once again, at the end of the year staring at a crisis we should have dealt with literally months ago. Make no mistake, the only reason Democrats have been trying to deflect attention on to me and my colleagues over the past few weeks is they don’t have a plan of their own that could get bipartisan support,” he added.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), also on the floor today, called House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) failed Plan B “the mother of all debacles.”
“It’s very clear now that the speaker’s number one goal is to get elected speaker on January 3. The House is not even here. He’s told me he will give them two days to get back here, 48 hours, not two days, 48 hours,” Reid charged. “They don’t even have enough of the leadership here to meet to talk about it. They have done it with conference calls. People are spread all over this country because the speaker basically is waiting for January 3.”
He further lamented that “you can’t legislate with yourself. We have nobody to work with, to compromise.”
“That’s what legislation is all about, is the ability to compromise. The Republicans in the House have left town. The negotiations between the president and the speaker have fallen apart, as they have for the last three-and-a-half years,” Reid said.
McConnell stressed that the GOP is not ready to “write a blank check or anything Senate Democrats put forward just because we find ourselves at the edge of the cliff.”
“That having been said, we will see what the president has to propose. Members on both sides of the aisle will review it, and then we will decide how best to proceed,” he said. “Hopefully, there’s still time for an agreement of some kind that saves the taxpayers from a wholly, wholly preventable economic crisis.”
UPDATE: The White House confirmed that Obama will meet with McConnell, Reid, Boehner, and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) behind closed doors in the Oval Office at 3 p.m. Vice President Joe Biden will also attend.
Alternatively, we could just hit the debt ceiling and force the Senate to come up with a balanced budget. There’s no tax deal that will cover the terrible deficits, and it’s farcical even to suggest one. Of course, this may be the cue to crank up the government printing presses.
On the other hand, the prospect of shock on the faces of millions of Americans when they realize the drunk’s been cut off, that we won’t just get another credit card in the mail, is kinda sweet. Reality check, beyotches.
Math!
You went all Zero Hedge for a second there.
It’s a trap!
Whatever the case, Obama and gang have ZERO intention of improving the economy, regardless of their blaterhings.
They do have plans, but not in the direction most rational citizens desire. And herein lies the crux – http://adinakutnicki.com/2012/12/27/dhs-americas-planned-deconstruction-via-valerie-jarrett-domestically-foreign-policy-wise-addendum-to-barack-hussein-obamas-deconstruction-plans-commentary-by-adina-kutnicki/
The ‘fiscal cliff’ is part and parcel of the eventual deconstruction. So too is the grabbing of legal guns. Hand and glove.
Time will tell…
May be now you will admit that the GOP and the Democrats are playing “good cop, bad cop” on you the moronic American public. When you are taxed more than 100% go and blame the illegal aliens, or Hollywood, or the Tooth Fairy but you have no one to blame for this but yourselves and your own stupidity. Welcome to the Third World, suckers!
When I was a kid I was so impressed with our form of government. I always thought we’d ‘do the right thing’ no matter how difficult – things would get ‘ironed out’ and the problems solved – and life would go on. Our government leaders were a moral lot destined to work with each other for the good of the people and the nation. This is what social studies and government classes told me anyway.
Turn the page – its the end of 2012 – the Mayans’ were either wrong or off by a few years – and we have ‘leaders’ in all three branches of government who are petulant – stupid – difficult – and downright intransigent. This is all about them. How much brain capacity does it take to figure out that sure – there’s blank checks in the checkbook – a credit card in the wallet – and NO EFFING money in the bank to pay for any of this crap any longer??? They all know this but they just don’t care! Whats the motive for wrecking our country? Whats the end game? Thats what I’d like to know – and I’d like one of them DC critters to explain that to us… I’m waiting…
How about you low speed yo-yo operators in DC that call yourself LEADERS get your shit together and ACT like leaders – quit worrying about your poll numbers – your next election – or trying to totally annihilate your political opponents for JUST ONE G-D’ed day and get serious about this shit?
I’m waiting…
Pardon the ‘french’ but I am so pissed off at these clowns.
We’re already over the cliff.
“[T]here’s blank checks in the checkbook — a credit card in the wallet — and NO EFFING money in the bank to pay for any of this crap any longer” — this was the state of affairs years ago. It got worse and worse, first by getting into wars we couldn’t afford and then by implementing the policies of the present incumbent and his ilk, being careful to “never let a crisis go to waste”.
What you’ve been watching intently the past few weeks is nothing but kabuki theater.
This man McConnell doesn’t get “angry” He gets miffed because he is a rudderless little bitch. He gets up on his little high horse now, but where was he throughout the Bush years? Just snorting and chortling about all of the pork he was sending back to “Kaintucky”. And afterwards, after a “hard” day at the office, a few cocktails with his best friends. Look back to his remarks about the Tea Party, Rand Paul and his limp-wristed assistance of Romney. That should tell you all you need to know about the Republican leadership. The ELITES!
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has introduced a new FY 2013 budget. Unlike his last effort, which cut exclusively — though deeply — from discretionary spending in order to show much could be cut without touching entitlements, this one includes some entitlement reforms. Paul claims his budget: Reduces federal spending by $11 trillion relative to President Obama’s budget Balances in five years, within the balanced budget amendment window supported by all 47 Senate Republicans Achieves a $111 billion surplus in FY 2017 Eliminates four Cabinet-level departments (Energy, Education, Commerce, and Housing and Urban Development) while privatizing the TSA Freezes foreign aid at $5 billion a year Reduces most discretionary spending to 2008 levels.
Rand Paul Unveils Latest Budget Proposal By W. JAMES ANTLE, III on 3.8.12
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/03/08/rand-paul-unveils-latest-budge
McConnell is right.
Reid can pass a budget or he can go stuff himself, and that applies to every Democrat in the Senate, the President, and his little dog, too.
Really? You think so? Do you think that anyone on the Right disagrees? Don’t you get it yet? The Republican leadership in Congress does not have the stomach to stand up to Barry. They are ALL seeing to their own political nests. This is what they do.
The only change in Washington will come when We The People turn that into a graveyard. After that we can dedicate it as a national park and call it “this is what happens to politicians when We The People get fed up.” I bet you we’ll have small government for a long while because crooks will be VERY reluctant to become politicians.
Get ready for a glorious revival of the Republic or a life of slavery under some emperor or other.
The President does not apparently respect the idea that moral authority actually resides in having a majority of opinions in the House of Representatives on one’s side.
Is there anything else his Majesty thinks should give way before him? For free?
“McConnell: Obama to Meet Congressional Leaders for First Time in More Than a Month”
Oh yeah? Well you be sure to bow real good and get that 70+ year-old up in the air. Because he owns you. He also owns Boehner. And he owns ALL of the candy-assed Republicans/Conservatives who stayed home this election year. That’s right, cowards. You chose to go along with Barry on this or that legislation? He owns you. You chose to stay home on election night to groom your butthole in front of the fire? He owns you. So shut up and OWN it. You gutless phoneys.
RE: McConnel : “Make no mistake, the only reason Democrats have been trying to deflect attention on to me and my colleagues over the past few weeks is they don’t have a plan of their own that could get bipartisan support,” he added.”
… and that is why the Republicans are losing…..
The democrats have a plan, they are executing that plan with precision, and it is working. What McConnel and the GOP do not realize is the democrat plan is designed to destroy the GOP as a viable political party. The GOP continues to attempt ‘compromise’ to get things done, to preserve the Republic by trying to appear to be reasonable, to pass legislation. The democrats want power, and want to destroy their political opponents, and are willing to destroy the country if they think it will help them gain the absolute power they lust after.
Exactly … Obama is AWOL and Reid is complicit. Obama wants to destroy the GOP and thereby makes it easier to rule like a monarch. Another “crisis” and another “demonize your opponent” Alinski moment. Only a complete moron could NOT see this coming. This should be the LAST time that Obama perpetrates this kind of tactic; no mas!!! The GOP will no longer be viable and as time goes on we will see the “young guns” of Tea Party principles take the helm; there may even be a renaming of the GOP. Thanks for that Obama. The real news here is that Obama is destroying the Dem Party … “shooting themselves in the foot”, so to speak. This is an exciting dynamic!
All GOP spokesmen must, at each and every opportunity, insist that all negotiations be carried live on C-SPAN.
No compromise on this. Every Sunday Talk Show. Every interview.
No exceptions.
I was thinking along a similar vein as I read this article. It would be interesting. I’m sure Feckless Won will rant on and make known his demands then dismiss the troops – pissed off that his vaca in Hawaii has been interrupted by this inconvenient and most irritating impasse. He’d rather rule by fiat.
Screw Obama, screw Reid and screw Pelosi. All of them can go straight to Hell on a toboggan. What I would give next month’s pay to see would be Boehner telling Obastard that there will NOT be any debt ceiling raise, the Government damned well better start finding a way to live within their means, and they would be televising the NHL playoffs from Hell before there would be a tax increase. Finally, on the way out the door, he could flip the lot of them off.
To Hell with the Democrats. Don’t give those bastards a damned inch!
The Democrat controlled Obambi Senate under the disgusting, reptilian Harry Reid has not produced or passed a single Budget in FOUR YEARS of the USURPERS rule and for TWO of those four years the Deem’o'crats controlled the House the Senate and the Presidency. So how these pathetic useless Democrats feel qualified to make any criticism whatsoever of the Republicans is beyond parody. The great ‘unwashed’ majority of America’s voters are of course too STUPID to even realise this fact.
Spending bills must originate in the House. Not the Senate, not the White House. Boehner should do his job or step aside. The Right will take the fall on this and deservedly so. Sorry, time to grow up.
“Time to grow up.” Who are you kidding? Spending bills and damned near everything else that has been passed by the House since 2010 has gone to the Senate and died. If there’s anyone that needs to “grow up,” it’s the Democrat Senate that hasn’t passed a budget in more than three years. Them, and idiots like you who want to blame this on the House.
As John Wayne said, “Life is tough and it’s tougher when you’re stupid.” You boneheaded lefties are going to get absolutely hammered by Obama’s policies and I’m going to laugh at you when you squeal. You deserve every iota of the pain you have coming your way, and there’s a lot of it coming.
Wholly preventable economic crisis? Wasn’t the whole point of the “fiscal cliff” to force the government to cut spending? Something the politicians seemed incapable of doing? So why is the fiscal cliff a crisis as opposed to the continuation of spending money that we do not have?
Methinks that this whole manufactured crisis is for one reason only. Obama is going to be able to blame the Republicans, and the public will agree that it is their fault. The whole point being the 2014 mid term elections, destroying the Republican Party, and regaining Democrat control of the House and Senate. With that control, Obama’s transformation of America, can proceed unchecked. Do not listen to the pundits, who say the party in control of the White House always loses seats in the midterm elections. We are working on a completely new dynamic now, and the pundits are still working on outdated political models. Beware.
I’ve gotten an acute case of hoarseness trying for four years to explain the depths of Obama desires to destroy every facet of the United States that so many of us revere: capitalism for starters; an army capable of defending the United States and our allies overseas; well intentioned politicians, at least some of the time; an overall resistance to a federally run health care system, more energy independence, the belief in the American dream. Of course, this doesn’t cover everything we care deeply about; it just hits some of the high spots on the list.
Over the past four years, though, President Barack Obama has, like a human wrecking ball, attempted to destroy every one of these base American ideals.
Not because of his incompetence. Because of his intent; his scienter.
The low information whites along with the ignorant blacks, with the help of an anemic Romney communication’s campaign, proceeded to B. Hussein in office for a second term, which will fundamentally destroy our nation.
With glee, and no consideration for the good of the nation, Oreo cookie Obama voters are mindlessly ready to trample on any of the Bill of Rights that Obama disagree with. Like the second amendment. They took the Sandy Hook massacre and ran with it.
While the Republicans sit in Congress on their hands like bumps on a log, fretting and trying to keep their jobs, with no idea how to extricate this nation from the clutches of Obama, Barack blithely lies to America till his mouth gets tired.
And the mainstream media laps up every ObamaWord, playing the role of the enabler, carrying Obama’s water, fawning all over Queen Michelle, covering for him like Obama’s the all knowing; like that’s the purpose of the media’s existence.
At the same time, the Republican party acts like a bunch of medieval eunuch fools dancing for the emperor with John Boehner, the lead Obama brown noser, obviously without the balls for the job.
And PJM is seemingly surprised that Obama’s to meet Congressional leaders after more than a month.
If this nation is to die under Obama’s sword, let’s die fighting, not acceding to every Obama wish. If this country is to have its throat cut by Obama on a 17 trillion deficit applauded by the newspapers, let’s invade the newspapers that act as the equivalent of his brownshirts and tear them from limb to limb.
If Obama is going to do his Hitler imitation, let’s take a page from the Russians, and and make it as difficult for him as we can.
Your country is being taken from you, and all you seem to be able to do is wring your hands. It’s time to wring necks.
TWhen that idiot Boner started crying “Ia had to suck dicks for a living when I was a kid in Ohio but now I am the Speaker, sob, sob, wah, wah…” it made me want to vomit. Ohio voted for them both O. and Boner because they are the same.