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Van Hollen: Boehner would give in to Obama after he wins reelection to speaker
Washington Examiner ^ | December 12, 2012

Posted on 12/12/2012 8:41:46 AM PST by NCjim

A top Democratic leader Wednesday accused House Speaker John Boehner of stringing out "fiscal cliff" negotiations with President Obama until after he wins his speakership reelection, when he would then cave in to Democratic demands to get a deal done without a majority of House Republican support.

"I hope he wouldn't avoid the tough decisions simply to take us into January and after his swearing-in, but I've become increasingly worried that that is exactly what's going on," charged Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen.

"I would hope that he would put the interests of getting an agreement before House Republican politics," added Van Hollen during a newsmaker breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor.

Suggesting that Boehner had a secret plan to dupe his caucus brought a quick response from the speaker's office. "That's nutty," said Boehner spokesman Michael Steel. "The speaker is doing everything possible to avert the fiscal cliff and protect American jobs right now. The White House just refuses to get serious about solving our country's spending problem," he added.

Twice during the breakfast, Van Hollen, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, suggested that Boehner is working toward a compromise Republicans will hate, one that presumably increases taxes on the rich beyond what the GOP has said it will agree to.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 112th; boehner; fiscalcliff
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To: NCjim

I’ve got news for Van Hollen. Boehner always caves in right on time. I am expecting him to come out boo hooing in his hanky any day now. As usual he will be sniffing and telling us its the best he could get.


21 posted on 12/12/2012 9:24:07 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: NCjim
Rats see a sure win, and no opposition, if Boner caves now, but Boner will go down if he caves before reelection as speaker.

If Boner is put out as speaker before caving, there MAY be stiff Republican resistance to Rat spending. A Rat win is not certain.

22 posted on 12/12/2012 9:30:17 AM PST by Navy Patriot (Join the Democrats, it's not Fascism when WE do it, and the Constitution and law mean what WE say.)
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To: Trapped Behind Enemy Lines

Most people trashing Boehner do not understand the difficult position he is in.

I take it you're okay with Boehner purging Conservatives from committee positions then, newb?

23 posted on 12/12/2012 9:37:22 AM PST by Qbert ("The best defense against usurpatory government is an assertive citizenry" - William F. Buckley, Jr.)
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To: Venturer
No higher taxes without spending cute(cuts)

I think most conservatives could live with that compromise for now: on the condition that the taxes would only go up in the next calendar year after the fiscal year when spending went down. You do it any other way, there will always be an "emergency" or two at some time during the year.

Then again, we're so far gone that I don't think anyone really cares. They don't have a budget to cut, and they define "decreased spending" as a decrease in the rate of increase.

I'm kinda rooting for the fiscal cliff.

24 posted on 12/12/2012 9:40:27 AM PST by j. earl carter
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To: NCjim

I call BS. That would be after the so-called cliff deadline. No, I think Boehner will cave any day now. He’s trying to ensure his reelection as speaker by bashing conservatives with a baseball bat.


25 posted on 12/12/2012 9:50:18 AM PST by Cyber Liberty (Obama considers the Third World morally superior to the United States.)
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To: NCjim
Boehner's from Uranus. MIB Pictures, Images and Photos Now, look at this and smile.
26 posted on 12/12/2012 9:53:43 AM PST by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: All armed conservatives.)
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To: Trapped Behind Enemy Lines
ALL of the pressure is on Boehner. Even if Boehner does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING (which is what some want) ALL of the GWB taxcuts expire automatically on Jan. 1, 2013. Boehner is under tremendous pressure to preserve as much of the GWB taxrates as possible. Boehener has few cards to play. The only ace Boehner is holding is the debt ceiling.

The so-called pressure is all on Boehner because he is such a chump & a weasel & scared sh_tless of 0dumb0. When the demoRATs were in the minority in both the House & the Senate during the first 6 years of GWB, that did not prevent the demoRATs from effectively styming and blocking GWB & the Repubs virtually at will. As much as I hate Nancy Pelosi, I would trade for her in a heartbeat (if she were Repub) over Boner/Boehner.

All Boehner has to do is 3 things.....

1) Pass the extension of Bush era tax cuts for everyone under $250,000. That way Boehner & the Repubs can rightfully declare that they are not blocking the tax cuts for the middle class.

2) Pass the extension of the tax cuts for those above $250,000... that way the tax cuts for the upper class are not linked to the middle class tax cuts, and we know already that the Senate & 0dumb0 will reject this anyway.

3) Go home for the Christmas recess... Period. Do nothing with extending the debt ceiling by even one penny and let 0dumb0 & the RATS scream & holler about this. As you pointed out in your post, it is the only trump card or ace that Boehner is holding, but he is too scared chicken sh_t to use it. Let the debt ceiling force the spending cuts right now, rather then "reducing the growth" over the next 10 years, which is completely bogus anyway.

27 posted on 12/12/2012 9:54:22 AM PST by rcrngroup
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To: NCjim
So he is saying Boehner tells Obama, “I will have more flexibility after I'm re-elected”.
28 posted on 12/12/2012 9:58:41 AM PST by annieokie
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To: Truth29

Did not say Boehner didn’t have a few cards to play. Perhaps the biggest card Boehner could play would be to threaten never to fund Obamacare-—Obama’s most precious achievement. And Boehner does have the debt ceiling. That all said, Obama and the Dems still hold most of the cards, the fact that the GWB taxcuts were designed to end at a certain time makes it much easier for the Dems to raise taxes without lifting a finger.....and for added effect they will blame the Republicans for allowing the GWB taxcuts to expire. You know how good the Dems are for blaming the Republicans. They blame GWB for the current economic mess. And they will blame the GOP if GWB’s tax cuts are allowed to expire. Ironic, but true.


29 posted on 12/12/2012 10:00:06 AM PST by Trapped Behind Enemy Lines
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To: NCjim

Boehner to Biden:

Just wait until after the (speaker) election; Tell Hussein I’ll have much more flexibility then.

Oh, wait, that’s what Hussein said to Medvedev isn’t it?


30 posted on 12/12/2012 11:13:57 AM PST by JewishRighter
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To: Tilted Irish Kilt

The TEA Party Caucus should simply walk into Boehner’s office and tell him he’s got two choices-step down as Speaker or become Minority Leader once they resign the GOP.


31 posted on 12/12/2012 12:59:36 PM PST by SCHROLL
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To: Trapped Behind Enemy Lines
Boehner could also prevent Obamacare from ever getting funded, he should play that card as well.

Ask Michele Bachman how bad he wants to defund ACA. The President may hold three aces, but if he can't put money into the pot he loses.

32 posted on 12/12/2012 2:08:45 PM PST by itsahoot (Any enemy, that is allowed to have a King's X line, is undefeatable. (USS Taluga AO-62))
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To: SCHROLL

Bingo, but they won’t do it, they ae politicians after all, not statesmen.


33 posted on 12/12/2012 2:13:30 PM PST by itsahoot (Any enemy, that is allowed to have a King's X line, is undefeatable. (USS Taluga AO-62))
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