WH willing to go over fiscal cliff if absolutely necessary
David Corn has a piece up this morning arguing that John Boehner is hampered in the fiscal cliff talks by his right flank — the House Tea Partyers who oppose compromise with the White House at any cost, just as they did during the 2011 showdowns. The difference this time is that the White House has far more leverage over Boehner than last time — putting him in a particularly difficult spot. …
“This basic dynamic — Boehner cannot haggle freely with the president due to the intense opposition to a deal within his own ranks — has not fundamentally changed. What has changed is the president’s hand. According to senior administration officials, Obama is not eager to go over the cliff, but he is willing. If no deal is reached by the end of the month, all the Bush tax cuts — for the rich and not-rich — will evaporate. Obama would then demand in early January that the new Congress immediately pass legislation to reinstate the lower tax rates for the bottom 98 percent.”
I have just confirmed that this is accurate — Obama is willing, albeit very reluctant, to go over the cliff.
Blowback
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Look up “insufferable” in the dictionary and there is a picture of David Corn as its meaning.
Joey24007 on December 3, 2012 at 4:23 PM
Let’s do it – it’s a cliff of obama’s making, and dems know it – so, let’s roll!
Pork-Chop on December 3, 2012 at 4:24 PM
[Obama]. Please oh please, don’t throw me into the brior patch.
The narrative builds…those mean GOP’ers are going to make do something I don’t want to do.
WisRich on December 3, 2012 at 4:25 PM
Let’s go, then… We don’t need no water.
Gingotts on December 3, 2012 at 4:26 PM
As it is written, so shall it be done.
HerneTheHunter on December 3, 2012 at 4:26 PM
Let them go, heads down and first.
Schadenfreude on December 3, 2012 at 4:27 PM
And since he’s willing to do that, the prospects for any type of “fair” compromise are basically non-existent. I still wonder or not that’s actually true…slipping further into recession and having unemployment rise once more wouldn’t be a great start to his 2nd term. On the other hand, he probably doesn’t care, assuming he can just browbeat Republicans into passing more of his policies to get us out of it.
changer1701 on December 3, 2012 at 4:27 PM
Cloward – Piven
It is a feature not a bug.
Let it burn!
trs on December 3, 2012 at 4:27 PM
Dummy, let him drive the bus over the cliff.
Schadenfreude on December 3, 2012 at 4:28 PM
Crash for Clunkers!!!
Schadenfreude on December 3, 2012 at 4:28 PM
Let’s do this!
Cindy Munford on December 3, 2012 at 4:30 PM
We’ve been over the cliff for decades.
Dante on December 3, 2012 at 4:31 PM
Wow, the National Socialist Left isn’t even faking it anymore that their BSM brethren are pretending to be objective.
They know that most of the press in their pocket and don’t care who realizes it.
Chip on December 3, 2012 at 4:33 PM
How many ways do I detest bho/team/d’s, let me count the ways?
L
letget on December 3, 2012 at 4:36 PM
yepper
cmsinaz on December 3, 2012 at 4:39 PM
I’m ready when you are.
Lost in Jersey on December 3, 2012 at 4:42 PM
What do you mean “if absolutely necessary?” That’s been his plan from the start. Drive the economy into the ditch, blame the Evil Republicans and Capitalism for everything and then assume emergency powers to deal with the crisis. Just like FDR, save that FDR actually sent his stuff through congress.
Browncoatone on December 3, 2012 at 4:53 PM
Willing? They are salivating at it.
Tax hikes, cuts in military spending and leave all welfare spending untouched.
What’s not to like if you are far-left liberal?
Norwegian on December 3, 2012 at 4:57 PM
As long as I don’t have to hold his hand when we go flying over….I’m ready.
tommer74 on December 3, 2012 at 4:58 PM
David Corn writing about Republicans is like Barney Frank writing about women.
But this is the liberal fantasy, that they foment a civil war within the GOP that fractures it going into the 2014 midterms, and set up that election as “Democrats fighting for the middle class vs. Republicans fighting to protect the stashes of the top 2%.”.
But think about that: they just won the White House and gained seats in the Senate; but the only way they can get what they want is by hoping for the outnumbered Republicans to fight among themselves and cripple themselves.
Does that sound like a strong hand to you?
If Republicans stay united, regardless of the outcome of this “crisis,” Obama LOSES.
rockmom on December 3, 2012 at 4:59 PM
Not exactly, the sequester also means $500 billion in domestic spending cuts. Liberals do not want any cuts to anything, so there will be some screaming about this if Obama goes that way.
rockmom on December 3, 2012 at 5:00 PM
Non’t be thuth a meanie.
slickwillie2001 on December 3, 2012 at 5:18 PM
Evidently, “necessary” means not getting a $1.6T tax hike with no spending cuts (indeed, with spending increases).
No. He’s hindered by Obama and the Democrats who are negotiating in bad faith and offering nothing but tax hikes. And, note, offering a plan that dramatically different from anything that he campaigned on. It would be nice if the press had actually pushed him on his true plans, eh?
I think that you mean that Boehner cannot haggle freely with the president due to the fact that the president has no interest in haggling with Boehner.
You mean: “over the cliff or $1.6T in tax hikes, Obama doesn’t care either way.
Maybe. Maybe not. I think that Obama wants the extra money in the coffers, so I suspect that he wouldn’t push for the <$250K cut. Or, he may push for it publicly, but put so many poison pills into it that the GOP couldn't vote for it. And he would count on the press to cover for his games. I'm sure they'd oblige.
besser tot als rot on December 3, 2012 at 5:23 PM
If a vote comes up for the tax rates for everyone under $250K, the GOP had better vote for the lower rates, or they will be digging their own grave. The press already paints them as being for tax cuts for the rich rather than low taxes for all. Such a display would be used as Exhibit A in the “GOP is only looking out for the rich” meme.
besser tot als rot on December 3, 2012 at 5:27 PM
Higher taxes, higher debt, higher unemployment, is what America voted for.
Give it to them.
Rebar on December 3, 2012 at 5:43 PM
Let’s find out if we’re dreaming or not. Off the cliff we go!
Fallon on December 3, 2012 at 6:22 PM
So isn’t this the GOP Doomsday Plan? Middle class tax cuts but we go over the cliff anyways?
DeathtotheSwiss on December 3, 2012 at 7:31 PM