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Republican vote counters not sure Boehner’s Plan B can pass the House

And late Tuesday, Boehner was running into resistance from some of his own members for his own option. That uncertainty persisted even after a second closed-door meeting between Boehner and rank-and-file members, which was itself a follow-up on an earlier meeting in the day in which the speaker first unveiled his so-called “Plan B.” Having to hold two such meetings in one day to explain such a proposal is likely not a good sign for its chances.

However, some members said they would back Boehner’s plan. “I’m going to be for it, I kind of feel like I’m a lifeguard and there’s millions of Americans that are about to drown in a huge tax increase and I’m going to save as many as I can,” said Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Ohio.

But others wondered why — with little chance the Senate will pass the Boehner alternative and since it comes with no spending cuts attached — House Republicans should go on record as voting to raise income taxes on any earners.

“Once you cross that line and say it’s OK for some people’s taxes to go up, I think it’s a mistake for the Republican Party, so I think that’s what a lot of members are struggling with,” said Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

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“Once you cross that line and say it’s OK for some people’s taxes to go up, I think it’s a mistake for the Republican Party, so I think that’s what a lot of members are struggling with,” said Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

Well, the choice isn’t no tax increases or tax increases. It’s Huge tax increases versus small tax increases. Don’t sit on your hands on Election Day.

cpaulus on December 19, 2012 at 2:43 PM

1. Obama pressures Congress to shed ‘fiscal cliff’ ‘partisan war paint’

2. Veto plan B

Pelosi then + Pelosi now = zero

Obama always equals zero.

Boehner always = dummy

Schadenfreude on December 19, 2012 at 2:49 PM

The fact that the Weeping Boner was out negotiating on his own, without knowing what he could negotiate and what he was just blowing hot air about, just proves what an inept boob the Crybaby is.

Dump the Crybaby. He thinks he is negotiating for himself and then trying to hold conservatives hostage to vote for his cr@p. It’s beyond obvious that the Crybaby, like Crist and Christie, is a dem who is just looking to suck up to and onto the Indonesian Dog-Eater. They should all go straight to hell together.

ThePrimordialOrderedPair on December 19, 2012 at 2:52 PM

Let it burn.

Red Cloud on December 19, 2012 at 2:52 PM

Part of the problem is there plenty of new income/investment taxes being imposed on Jan 1, 2013 because of ObamaCare. And they want to add on even more taxes. Absurd!!

Dasher on December 19, 2012 at 2:53 PM

But others wondered why House Republicans should go on record as voting to raise income taxes on any earners.

You just say that it was just a political ploy and you are exonarated.

WashJeff on December 19, 2012 at 2:55 PM

where’s the list of republican congressmen who want to throw us down the cliff along with boehner?

what are the names of those cowardly hyenas.

crow dance time!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMCdc6c7tww

renalin on December 19, 2012 at 2:56 PM

ThePrimordialOrderedPair on December 19, 2012 at 2:52 PM

I’ve seen a lot of criticism of Boehner, but I haven’t seen a lot of alternatives offered. I’m curious, what would your tactic be? Do nothing?

cpaulus on December 19, 2012 at 2:56 PM

Well, the choice isn’t no tax increases or tax increases. It’s Huge tax increases versus small tax increases.

cpaulus on December 19, 2012 at 2:43 PM

Wrong. It’s a matter of class warfare in the tax code. If you want taxes to go up, then they have to go up for everyone. The Crybaby and Barky and Reed are the ones who voted for the Sequester. They thought it was a great deal, then. Now, all of a sudden, the Crybaby thinks the deal HE MADE in order to allow Barky and the Dems to continue on with their insane, unbudgeted, un-Constitutional spending free-for-all is some monster that’s been forced on him by a space alien? I don’t think so. The Sequester was the “concession” that this Crybaby idiot claimed to have wrung out of Barky and the Dems in exchange for another trillion+ in debt ceiling … Great. He loved this deal then.

If the Crybaby wants to lets taxes go up, then he needs to stick by his original deal and let them all go up, together. They all signed onto this deal before. ALL OF THEM.

ThePrimordialOrderedPair on December 19, 2012 at 2:56 PM

I’ve seen a lot of criticism of Boehner, but I haven’t seen a lot of alternatives offered. I’m curious, what would your tactic be? Do nothing?

cpaulus on December 19, 2012 at 2:56 PM

Pass extensions to the Bush rates in the House and let the Senate or barky kill them and bring on the Sequester that they had all agreed on, already.

Boner is a friggin loser of momentous proportions. He should have been tossed back in March of 2011. There is NO DEFENSE of that idiot, whatsoever. NONE.

ThePrimordialOrderedPair on December 19, 2012 at 2:58 PM

It’s Huge tax increases versus small tax increases. Don’t sit on your hands on Election Day.

cpaulus on December 19, 2012 at 2:43 PM

No, the choice is between a progressive tax system and a bizarrely progressive tax system. Changing peoples attitude towards spending is more important than letting as many people as possible off the tax hook.

Valkyriepundit on December 19, 2012 at 3:00 PM

If Jim Jordan wants the higher rates to stay the same, he can propose that as a decoupled bill. But it’s moronic to not make permanent the lower rates.

Force Obama to endorse almost all GWB tax rates as permanent law of the land.

commodore on December 19, 2012 at 3:10 PM

“House Republicans should go on record as voting to raise income taxes on any earners.”

Because then it forces the democrats to vote against something that would save the middle class from a tax hike. Even if they voted for it, Republicans are the adults in the room who actually put something together to save the middle class. Tada.

Zaggs on December 19, 2012 at 3:14 PM

I’ve been critical of Boehner, but I think this is a good move on his part. Including how he conducted the presser. I’d even think it was a good move if the cap was lower. Because if he doesn’t do it, the Dems will initiate it and force him to do it anyway (after the cliff). And then the Dems will get to be the party of tax cuts while any GOP resistance plays into the party of the rich meme.

besser tot als rot on December 19, 2012 at 3:23 PM

No, the choice is between a progressive tax system and a bizarrely progressive tax system. Changing peoples attitude towards spending is more important than letting as many people as possible off the tax hook.

Valkyriepundit on December 19, 2012 at 3:00 PM

Ok, so what, he passes tax reform. It dies in the Senate. Obama uses bully pulpit and says get serious. Nothing happens Democrats say that Republicans raised taxes on everyone by not acting, which would technically be true.

We lost the election. This is what happens when you lose elections because Romney wasn’t the perfect candidate for conservatives. You don’t get reform when you lose elections, especially in red stats like Indiana and Missouri.

Plan B undercuts Obama’s Millionaires and Billionaires talking point. Here’s your tax on the millionaires you campaigned on. Veto it. It shows he’s full of BS.

cpaulus on December 19, 2012 at 3:23 PM

Here is plan C:
pass a balanced budget for 2013, send it to the Senate, and resign the house. Do not raise the debt, do not pass any continuing resolutions, do not pass go, do not collect $200

Resolute on December 19, 2012 at 3:25 PM

This is what happens when you lose elections because Romney wasn’t the perfect candidate for conservatives. You don’t get reform when you lose elections,

cpaulus on December 19, 2012 at 3:23 PM

Wouldn’t have gotten reform with a Romney win either. And Romney was an awful candidate all around. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have lost to one of the worst Presidents ever.

besser tot als rot on December 19, 2012 at 3:29 PM

Well, the choice isn’t no tax increases or tax increases. It’s Huge tax increases versus small tax increases. Don’t sit on your hands on Election Day.

cpaulus on December 19, 2012 at 2:43 PM

I favor huge tax increases over small tax increases in this case. I favor the Republicans doing absolutely nothing. Stand back and let it burn. Give the voters what they asked for. I am opposed to any fiscal cliff deal what-so-ever. I am opposed to walking back sequestration. Raise the taxes. Slash defense. Do it all. Let. It. Burn.

Shump on December 19, 2012 at 3:31 PM

We lost the election. This is what happens when you lose elections because Romney wasn’t the perfect candidate for conservatives. You don’t get reform when you lose elections, especially in red stats like Indiana and Missouri.

This isn’t “reform”, but thanks for moving the left’s talking points along. The Sequester was already agreed on by the Crybaby, the Indonesian, and Reed BEFORE the election. In fact, Boner thought it was a great concession to extract in order to allow Barky and the dems to run up over a trillion more of debt to be totally wasted and end up on our bill. Did you like Boner back when he “negotiated” that genius deal?

Plan B undercuts Obama’s Millionaires and Billionaires talking point. Here’s your tax on the millionaires you campaigned on. Veto it. It shows he’s full of BS.

cpaulus on December 19, 2012 at 3:23 PM

LOL. When has Barky ever been held to anything? He and the dems forced through the most hated piece of legislation in American history. Do you think they’re scared of this stuff?

And, as I already told you, Barky has already started with his, “the GOP has conceded that taxes have to go up on the rich” (i.e., for the slow of thinking, ‘the GOP is complicit in class warfare’) – which Boner and the GOP don’t bother addressing, as usual – though they don’t have much of an argument this time. And you are under some delusion that the GOP will somehow emerge as the protectors of … something in all this?? Really? Have you been in a coma for the last four years?

ThePrimordialOrderedPair on December 19, 2012 at 3:40 PM

I favor huge tax increases over small tax increases in this case. I favor the Republicans doing absolutely nothing. Stand back and let it burn. Give the voters what they asked for. I am opposed to any fiscal cliff deal what-so-ever. I am opposed to walking back sequestration. Raise the taxes. Slash defense. Do it all. Let. It. Burn.

Shump on December 19, 2012 at 3:31 PM

The only way to let it burn is to make the House stand back as they pass Obama’s proposal. Going over the cliff is a piss poor let it burn strategy because as soon as we go over the cliff, the Democrats will move to cut taxes for those under 200/250 and the GOP will have (a) comply, or (b) be the party of the rich and high taxes for 98% of the bottom earners. If they don’t go along, they’ll get the blame for any resulting calamity (not the Democrats, as is implicit in the LiB strategy). And if they did go along, the meme would be that the Democrats are the party of tax cuts and the GOP only went along because they were forced to. Wonderful.

besser tot als rot on December 19, 2012 at 3:41 PM

According to this post by Jennifer Rubin even Grover Norquist is supporting this. If Republicans do not vote for this, they are voting for higher taxes for everyone. That is the truth of it.

This is from the linked post:

Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck was more terse in his reaction: “The White House’s opposition to a backup plan to ensure taxes don’t rise on American families is growing more bizarre and irrational by the day. Republicans have always said a broader, ‘balanced’ plan is the ideal solution, and we have put one forward. In the absence of a ‘balanced’ solution from the President, however, we must act to stop taxes from rising across the board in 12 days. If Democrats disapprove of this bill, then there is a simple solution: amend it in the Senate and send it back to the House.”

Grover Norquist, whom the left-wing media likes to demonize as obstructionist, showed he too can play a tough game of chess. In a statement, he said of course saving all but the top sliver of taxpayers from a tax hike is consistent with the no-tax pledge his group has sponsored. (“Republicans supporting this bill are this week affirming to their constituents in writing that this bill — the sole purpose of which is to prevent tax increases — is consistent with the pledge they made to them. In ATR’s analysis, it is extremely difficult — if not impossible — to fault these Republicans’ assertion. In particular, in this Congress the House has already voted twice to prevent any tax increases on any American.”) Make no mistake, the White House is getting squeezed

Terrye on December 19, 2012 at 5:14 PM