How Do You Spell “Win?” F-A-I-L
It might be tempting to paint the Fiscal Cliff Cave (if I may mix metaphors) as something for a win for Republicans. After all, as Conn Carroll wrote, “Obama’s first offer was for a $1.6 trillion tax hike and an infinite debt limit hike. Boehner countered with $800 billion. The final deal was for only $600 billion.”
But that’s only looking at one side of the deal. The GOP demanded unspecified spending reforms and cuts, and received some pretend cuts at a miserable 41-to-1 ratio. Since the cuts won’t happen and their simply aren’t any entitlement reforms, the actual ratio is 41-to-nothin’.
So long as the GOP leadership is willing to accept fiat promises in payment for tax hikes, there’s nothing to stop Obama from coming back for more — and getting it, too.
Steve, a while back you said, “once the Gov runs outta money, whaddya need Democrats for?” Well, if you’re not going to be an opposition party, whaddya need Republicans for?
+1
With the fiscal cliff manufactured crisis the President was going to get his higher rates on “the rich”. The only question was whether the rates would hit everyone else by default. And, yes, the President blinked when it came to the top rate bracket. When it comes to the debt ceiling increase the Republicans will have much more leverage as the deficits must cease and real, really big spending cuts must happen immediately if nothing is done.
WADR, Steve, I think you are falling into the same trap as far too many Democrat cultists. Basically anything the Republicans do is classified as a total failure unless it is a 100% win. And any tiny advantage eked out by Democrats, even in the face of huge concessions, is spun as a huge victory. Don’t fall for it!
If only they had a place to stand.
I’m looking at this differently. Tax hikes and/or spending cuts will not balance this budget, because the hikes and cuts will be manipulated to hit the productive and necessary functions of the economy and government. So the “ratio” doesn’t matter in reality and this deal was only ever going to be a big fat nothing-burger. Simply in order to prevent catastrophe, regulatory agencies, taxes, and entitlements must all be reformed; not just “increased” or “cut”, but completely revamped.
Hint: that ain’t going to happen in the next four years. In the next two years, the best we can hope for is that the House can prevent passage of a VAT and major gun control measures.
So, the only thing that matters now is spoon-feeding the public a pro-growth story that they can swallow. Perhaps the most important facet of this task is to make sure that the president and assorted leftists in government and the media take the blame for the consequences of their policies. That is a long road ahead of us.
On that criteria, I think the cliff deal was a minor win. The president got what he claimed to want, and much (though not all) mischief was prevented.
The French still celebrate their great victory at Waterloo. You can tell by the many monuments to the Emperor on the battlefield. Maybe they’ve never heard of that great fiddle tune, Bonaparte’s Retreat.”
Think the Prez is going to come back and demand more taxes in a couple months? Think again.
Wait until everyone in the country, at least those with jobs, get their first paycheck in 2013. The FICA tax is 2% higher. And I don’t know anyone who’s health insurance is cheaper this year.
We ran payroll processing for Friday’s (4-JAN) paychecks this morning, and out of about 20K paychecks, only 1500 or so are higher, because they had a pay raise. All others were lower, if only by a few dollars.
Almost everyone gets direct deposit, so they’ll be on smart phones and computers checking their bank account Friday morning. If anyone calls me to complain, I’ll just have them call their Congressman.
Not one of them will blame Obama.
Not. One.
So, after all this noise, we got more of the same, and we got the same Speaker. I think these guys do not mind losing, as long as they still get a seat at the table. No, on second thought, I think these guys LIKE losing. No, on third thought, they don’t think it’s losing. It’s a game where the only losing move is to not play. It’s the opposite of “Wargames”. It’s like kids’ games, now. Everyone gets a trophy for just participating. There is no winning or losing. No one even keeps score.
Aaargh! I just learned that the fiscal cliff deal only postpones the defense sequestration for two months–right about the time Congress has to deal with the debt ceiling.
Boner’s a farking idgit.
Yup.
He remained Speaker because everyone else knows a disaster is coming, and whoever’s got the job will get the blame.
If he was smart, he’d have told Obama he was happy to negotiate, but it would be televised on C-SPAN. And when Obama doesn’t show up, go on C-SPAN and read christmas stories, occasionally cutting to pictures of Obama vacationing in Hawaii instead of doing his job in DC.