What he’s doing is hiding behind the reality of everyone’s taxes going up and the need to stop those that Obama would agree to stop.
It’s a dodge that avoids the genuine issues at the heart of our fiscal ills. It also pretends the Republican philosphy of not raising tax rates is expendable with no downside. Not true. The downside is raising rates hurts the economy and gets LESS revenue not more, and once you flip your own principles you are nothing.
He’s assuming/hoping Obama doesn’t want to go over the cliff, ie doesn’t want everyone’s taxes to go up. But what Obama wants is for people to see their paychecks drastically shrink so he can blame the Republicans for it. At least that’s how I see it. Time will tell but it looks that way. Then Obama can propose a bill to rescind the rate hikes only for those that make under 250 thou/yr just like he demanded all along.
Boehner is under the impression that his position as Speaker makes him a SOMEBODY that Obama would want to negotiate with. Not true. Obama cares only about destroying conservatives, destroying Republicans, and taking this country into his own hands and making it something it was never, ever meant to be. Boehner is NOTHING to Obama. He might as well be Joe the Plumber.
THe whole reason the Bush tax cuts are expiring is because we were too numerically weak in the Congress back then to pass tax cuts that did not expire, and Obama has decided the temporary extensions must end now in order for him to play out his end game.
Of course the kenyan wants to go over the cliff. He gets his defense cuts and then can ride to the rescue with the Obama tax cuts. Only a dupe would think otherwise.
I think Boehner knows it. But he is desperate for a deal that includes some goodies for his K Street buddies.
“THe whole reason the Bush tax cuts are expiring is because we were too numerically weak in the Congress back then to pass tax cuts that did not expire”
And rememember why we were numerically weak: John McCain, Arlen Specter, Mike DeWine, George Voinovich and probably the sisters from Maine but I can’t remember.
These rates could have been made permanent years ago but the moderates just couldn’t abide them. I’m not forgetting and won’t vote for any more moderates. I left Scott Brown’s office blank on my ballot last month and will again should he be the nominee to fill Kerry’s seat.