It would be foolish for the Reps to make that argument since the bill would never have passed without GOP support. We are part owners now of the problem.
It really doesnt matter what really causes it, but it has to happen or all those warnings that it will from Rs the past ~ 4 years will appear to be just another WMD argument to general voters dooming Rs again.
If you stick to your principles and be consistent, then you can make such arguments. Once you compromise your principles by helping to pass a 156 page pork-laden monstrosity, you lose all credibility not only with independents and the Dems, but also with your base. That was always Obama's objective, divide and destroy the GOP. I am more convinced than ever that we will see the rise of a third party populated by conservatives and some libertarians. It will probably happen after the Hillary is elected in 2016.
No they didnt, they stopped a massive $4T tax increase that would have plunged us into a recession and avoided getting the blame for it, they just didn't stop the 1% from getting that automatic tax increase(by law Dec 2010) because they only had one House.
But that is the 1% they claimed thousands of timers were the job creators so the economy must slow down for them ever to be believed again.
There is no principle in calling extension of tax cuts(avoidance of $4T of tax increases) a tax increase .
That is pointless suicide.
Technically on Jan 1 taxes went back up to the higher Clinton rates.
So on Jan 2 Rs in the House helped pass a $1T tax cut that lowered them back down to the Bush rates.
Now the R house dissenters knew they could not make the argument that you are, that if the price for stopping that pork is that 99%(you and me) must pay a 1T$ tax increase then its worth it.
They knew that argument would kill them.
So they simply lied and said the tax cut was a tax increase.
No principle in that.