Sen. Barrasso: Obama sees a ‘political victory’ in going over the cliff

The Hill ^ | 12/23/12 | Alicia M. Cohn

[Libloather]

Sen. Barrasso: Obama sees a ‘political victory’ in going over the cliff
By Alicia M. Cohn - 12/23/12 09:32 AM ET

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said Sunday he thinks President Obama wants to dive over the so-called "fiscal cliff."

"I believe the president is eager to go over the cliff for political purposes," Barrasso told Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday." "He senses a political victory at the bottom of the cliff."

The senator also said he believes the nation will go over the cliff, with the deadline just nine days away.

Barrasso said he thinks Obama is eager to blame Republicans if Congress cannot reach a deal by the end of the year. Polls have indicated that Americans would blame Republicans more than Democrats if talks fail.

Barrasso also pointed to a report in the Wall Street Journal late last week that said during negotiations, Obama threatened Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) that he would use the presidential bully pulpit to heap blame on the GOP during his "State of the Union" speech next year.

With just nine days until current tax rates expire and automatic, across-the-board spending cuts kick in, Obama left Washington after urging congressional leaders to consider a scaled-back plan to extend some of the tax rates and delay the spending cuts. His plan would extend tax rates for those making less than $250,000 a year and allow them to rise for everyone else.

Barrasso expressed doubt on Sunday that Obama's plan, however, could pass the Senate, and on the same program, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) expressed his own reluctance over the Obama plan.

"It may come to that but we can do better and we should do better," said Conrad.

Boehner, before shutting down House business the week before Christmas, offered his own bill to extend some of the tax rates, in lieu of a broader deal. His plan, which would have extended rates for taxpayers making less than a million, was summarily rejected by the White House and could not win enough Republicans in the House to guarantee passage.

Conrad scoffed at Boehner's plan, which he said "had no prospect of succeeding."

But he suggested that Congress should "split the difference" between Obama's last offer and Boehner's last deficit proposal in order to reach a deal. He also rejected the suggestion that Obama wants to go over the "cliff."

Conrad and Barrasso also split over whether Obama needs to show more leadership in negotiations.

Boehner said last week that the House has done its job and Republicans offered all the concessions they can, but now it is up to the president and Senate Democrats to come up with a deal that achieves broad agreement.

"There are 535 of us here that can provide leadership," Conrad argued, referring to the members of Congress.

[SkyPilot]

The 99+ weeker unemployment crowd will get “their checks.”. I guarantee it. Obama and his Communists have already insisted upon this at every stage of the negotiations thus far, and no deal will go forward without it. Moreover, the debt ceiling expires by mid February, and the Democrats will insist on unemployment checks at that stage as well. I reject your rejection that massive tax increases and gutting defense is “good”. It will kneecap the economy. Perhaps that is what Obama really wants.

[Hotlanta Mike]

Political victory no...Cloward-Piven yes. Start prepping now, after the crash the Obama mob will be coming for their fair share from you personally.

[mrsmith]

“raising taxes on the wealthy generates enough revenue to run our gov’t for what, 8 lousy days? “

But it’s enough to pay only the interest on loans to run it for a hundred days.
Leaving the continuing interest payments and principal still owed- destroying us even quicker!

[what's up]

But he suggested that Congress should "split the difference" between Obama's last offer and Boehner's last deficit proposal in order to reach a deal.

So That would be between $400,000 and a $1 M? Taxes rise on those earning over $700,000.

Would this include the SS being chained to CPI and alternative sequester cuts?

They might be able to get the requisite number with Repubs and a few Dems. I think Obama's base would be more angry (they HATE ANY SS reforms) than the Tea Party.

[Logical me]

There is no way we can go that Republicans will not get the blame. And what is worst is no matter what King Obama does he will win in any direction. We are in the toilet.

[Soul of the South]

“The 99+ weeker unemployment crowd will get “their checks.”. I guarantee it.”

How much unspent TARP money remains? TARP was a blank check for Obama. He can use unspent funds to extend unemployment benefits saving the 99+ weekers from the evil Republican who seek to deny them their just benefits.

[blueunicorn6]

Two days of no Obama in Washington, and the country hasn’t collapsed without him.

[Michael Barnes]

The question we all need to be asking the GOP is why did they agree to this disaster last year anyway.

That is simple, the GOP is a political party bent on survival. Do you REALLY think they care about us as individuals let alone the Constitution? Its all about power over US, no longer about empowering US.

The sooner people understand the GOP/RNC is just as bad as the DNC, the sooner we can get on with fixing this country starting with the individual first.

[mike_9958]

“The cliff is real.”

I don’t think so - I think it more of a step. And really who cares if the Reps take a hit.... they either stand for what they were sent to do your look like the bitches of the POTUS.

And really who remembers what happened 2 years ago in politics when the voting starts up again. The Reps should fix the economy and put bills forward that do that, anything else plays in the hands of the dems. The weaker we become the stronger the dems get.

The legacy is pinned on the POTUS not congress. (how much credit does Newt get for the “Clinton economy”.)

[mike_9958]

” have already insisted upon this at every stage of the negotiations thus far, and no deal will go forward without it.”

Then kill the deal.... we end the welfare state NOW

[foundedonpurpose]

If the cliff goes over, it means that the government runs out of money. Very simple, the people will learn to go on without there mighty government. Let the government fail, now is better than later, it really is!

[impimp]

But if there is no successful negotiation then we go over the cliff.

And then we have the following good:
1. 99 weekers cut off
2. spending cut

And the following bad:
1. taxes go up

I suggest to you that the combination above is better for America than anything Boehner can negotiate.

[SkyPilot]

That’s just it Mike.....almost 70% of all Federal spending is on automatic pilot......Entitlements. That’s why Constitutionally mandated responsibilities like Defense is now begging from the table. Over 50% of all households in the US now get a Federal check. It’s easy for you to yell “End the welfare state now!”. It’s another to do it. The only way I see it happening is:

1. A real war, where our backs are against the wall as is our survival. We would sort our priorities of what is nonsense and what is not.

2. A total economic collapse and worldwide reset in all currencies. The problem with this is I foresee our sovereignty being completely lost.

[SkyPilot]

Add the following to your “bad” column:

- About 2 million job loses in a very short time

- A seriously weakened and even further demoralized military which will now be, in real terms, a hollow force

- A possible acceleration of the world ditching the US Dollar as the world's reserve currency due to a lack of confidence by world markets that finally run out of patience

- An ensuing crisis that allows Obama, the media, and the Democrats to call for even more of a police state to “get us through the current crisis.”

Can't happen. Read your history books.

[impimp]

In the long run military strength and economic strength are the same thing. The fiscal cliff (and the debt ceiling - AKA fiscal cliff 2) strengthens America’s economy by constraining spending and therefore strengthens the military.

[Osage Orange]

And NO ONE....is talking about decreasing SPENDING!!

How many times do the INCOME TAX paying stiffs...in this country have to be SCREWED into believing the Feds will reduce SPENDING....only after TAXING us all again????

[SkyPilot]

In the long run military strength and economic strength are the same thing.

Yes, that is wisdom, because they are.

The fiscal cliff (and the debt ceiling - AKA fiscal cliff 2) strengthens America’s economy by constraining spending and therefore strengthens the military.

With respect, this is a completely contrary statement to your first.

You must understand several things. First of all, in just a few days, Defense budget authority will be cut with a meat ax by 9.4%. The ramifications of that are even worse than the number. Why? Here is why: Obama has ordered that veterans affairs and military personnel strength not be touched by that cut, and contracts already signed by companies must be honored by law. So the only way to implement these cuts is to slice Operations and Maintenance, called O&M. The percentage that O&M will be cut will be much higher as a result, perhaps as high as 1/3 initially to "pay the bill." I served in the military for over 20 years. In between operations tours, I was assigned to the Pentagon. I know how this works. The military is about to be gutted along the alimentary canal, period. There is no other way around this.

Secondly, Obama has already taken pounds of flesh from the DoD budget. It is the only department to take massive cuts before the looming disaster known as sequestration. The cuts he initiated totaled $500 Billion. Don't let anyone tell you those cuts were "smoke and mirrors." They were not. Thousands of jobs have already been axed, the military infrastructure has already cracked, and our future weapon systems will be a shadow of what we barely are able to maintain now.

Our nation has crossed the Marxist Rubicon river.

Sending out direct deposit Entitlements to both the deserving and the undeserving is now the primary function of the Federal government.

This will not end well. One, we cannot afford the $100 Trillion in unfunded liabilities (which is a fancy way of saying promises to send checks to millions of people for decades to come). But also because our nation is going to be tested in war again. It will happen. The current generation that has served loyally and with great sacrifice is almost burned out completely and broken. They have served multiple deployments, served in harsh conditions, and yet despite all of this our nation has broken faith with them.

Perhaps the looming fiscal and security disaster is what we deserve as a nation.

[mike_9958]

I’m a bit more optimistic.....

I don’t see a real war nor do I see economic collapse.

Rather I see an inflation in currency that will force the feds to balance because of the interest rates.... if the Reps can work on the fiscal mess.

Obama doesn’t want jobs and a healthy economy because that will limit the amount spending he can do. If we do get inflation interest rates will rise and fed budget will get hit hard with debt payments. Also his voter base will dissolve.

Unemployment payments are not on auto pilot.