I have yet to be all that convinced that the GOP-E even want to avoid the cliff. I do believe, by now, they are in on the fix. There is no other way to explain their consistent retreat, piddling with the edges of the obvious problem but never firing on the target center.
Oh, me. Without some drama rising from some portion of the people, from some quarter, we are locking our own chains. Massive protests, nope. Check. Tax revolt, nope. Check. Business shutdown, nope. Check. Boycotting union products & manufacturing, nope. Check. Planning one damn thing, nope. Check.
We may deserve the cliff. Apathy, sloth, has consequences.
People keep forgetting that these people created the “fiscal cliff” in the first place.