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What Does Obama Want in Fiscal Cliff Compromise?
Political Realities ^ | 12/10/12 | LD Jackson

Posted on 12/10/2012 4:46:58 AM PST by LD Jackson

I never cease to be amazed at the audacity and the boldness of the liberals. When the fiscal cliff negotiations started, they were based mainly on raising taxes on the rich. President Obama is clearly still in campaign mode and everywhere he goes, he is declaring the Republicans are holding the middle class hostage, ruining their Christmas, all because they are trying to protect the rich from having to pay their fair share. The basis of any fight over the Bush tax cuts has been that the Republicans are not fond of raising taxes period. They have signaled a willingness to bend that line, but only if they receive spending cuts and entitlement reforms. At least, we knew where we stood, sort of.

Now, everything is changing. President Obama is adding new conditions to any compromise he agrees to on the fiscal cliff. Remember the fight in Washington earlier this year over the debt ceiling? He wants to eliminate any possibility of that happening again. His solution is for Congress to give him almost complete authority to raise the debt ceiling, at his own discretion. The only way Congress would be able to prevent such an increase is with a two/thirds vote. With the gridlock we have on Capitol Hill, that's as good as giving Obama a blank check. I would hope the Republicans would see the danger in agreeing to that, but one can never be sure what they will do. They are politicians, after all.

Besides the authority to raise the debt ceiling, other Democrats are pushing for another increase in long-term unemployment benefits. That's right, they want increased spending, when we should be focused on cutting spending. I wonder what other liberal goodies they would like to force down the throats of the Republicans?

Can we really take anything Obama says seriously? Is he going to continue in campaign mode, taking his case to the liberal strongholds, as he wages a war of political rhetoric and public relations? Even with his face to face meeting with John Boehner yesterday, can we really be sure he is negotiating in good faith? I have serious doubts about his good faith negotiations.

Clearly, there are splits in the Republican Party. More than a few Republicans are saying they are willing to compromise on taxes, if he conditions are right. Concerning the debt ceiling, Senator Bob Corker, R-TN says any increase should be accompanied by a corresponding amount of spending cuts. He also has some other interesting observations.

(Fox News) Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., became the latest Republican to open the door to tax rate hikes during an interview on "Fox News Sunday."

"There is a growing group of folks that are looking at this and realizing that we don't have a lot of cards as it relates to the tax issue, before year-end. I mean, we have one house, that's it," Corker said.

Corker suggested that Republicans instead focus on extracting entitlement cuts as part of the debt-ceiling negotiations.

"Republicans know that they have the debt ceiling that's coming up right around the corner, and the leverage is going to shift, as soon as we get beyond this issue," Corker said on "Fox News Sunday." "The leverage is going to shift to our side, where hopefully we'll do the same thing we did last time."

Corker said that if the president wants to raise the debt limit by $2 trillion, Republicans should press for $2 trillion in spending cuts.

That prospect is sure to infuriate the White House. After the bruising debt-ceiling fight from 2011, Obama recently warned that he will not "play that game" again. "We've got to break that habit before it starts," the president said.

The president argues that fights over the debt ceiling merely shake global confidence in the country's ability to pay its bills, and as part of talks over the looming fiscal crisis has called for a de facto permanent increase in the debt limit.

So, President Obama doesn't want to play that game? He just wants the Republicans to roll over and play dead, giving him everything he wants and taking all the blame when things go south in a hand basket? Personally, I'm not willing to see that happen. To be sure, the Republicans are going to receive the blame, no matter what happens. President Obama and the media will see to that. Since we know that will be the case, I say we stand our ground on principle.


TOPICS: Politics
KEYWORDS: boehner; obama

1 posted on 12/10/2012 4:47:02 AM PST by LD Jackson
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To: LD Jackson

2 posted on 12/10/2012 4:51:38 AM PST by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: LD Jackson
What does Obama want - destruction of the GOP and unchallenged authority to redistribute the remaining wealth of America to the takers and the rest of the world.
3 posted on 12/10/2012 4:55:49 AM PST by Truth29
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To: Truth29

Exactly!!


4 posted on 12/10/2012 5:02:09 AM PST by Conservativegreatgrandma
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To: LD Jackson
Bond: "Do you really expect me to talk?"
Goldfinger: "No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die."
5 posted on 12/10/2012 5:03:41 AM PST by ClearCase_guy (Republicans have made themselves useless, toothless, and clueless.)
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To: LD Jackson

No compromise!

0b0z0 wants no compromise to destroy the Republican Party.

For the communists, this feat is at hand because of the Republicans’ cowardice and their deadly fear of the communist MSM.


6 posted on 12/10/2012 5:12:23 AM PST by melancholy (Professor Alinsky, Enslavement Specialist, Ph.D. in L0w and H0lder)
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To: LD Jackson

Obozo and Boner meeting to discuss driving over the fiscal cliff. I notice that Obozo always has to paw those he speaks with. When he greets them he shakes hands and while doing so he places his left arm on theirs as though to demonstrate some control. May God deliver America from this fruitcake and the hoards of malingerers who support him.

7 posted on 12/10/2012 5:36:44 AM PST by IbJensen (Liberals are like Slinkies, good for nothing, but you smile as you push them down the stairs.)
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To: melancholy
"0b0z0 wants no compromise to destroy the Republican Party."

Establishment Republicans and Zero have achieved it. It's dead Jim.

8 posted on 12/10/2012 6:19:34 AM PST by showme_the_Glory (ILLEGAL: prohibited by law. ALIEN: Owing political allegiance to another country or government)
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To: LD Jackson

Obama has no principle he only has an agenda,note last four years of spending and debt.Socialism is the only answer for the progressives and the have the media tool to do so.


9 posted on 12/10/2012 8:59:10 AM PST by Vaduz
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