Obama on fiscal cliff: Blame the Republicans
“They say that their biggest priority is making sure that we deal with the deficit in a serious way, but the way they’re behaving is that their only priority is making sure that tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans are protected,” Obama said. “That seems to be their only overriding, unifying theme.”
With a little more than one day remaining before the nation faces automatic spending cuts and tax hikes that could impact an already-wobbling American economy, the president implied that there has been little progress in recent days to justify hopes of a last-minute deal to prevent going over the fiscal cliff at year’s end.
“I was modestly optimistic yesterday, but we don’t yet see an agreement,” he said in the interview, taped on Saturday at the White House. “And now the pressure’s on Congress to produce.”…
“So far, at least, Congress has not been able to get this stuff done,” he added. “Not because Democrats in Congress don’t want to go ahead and cooperate, but because I think it’s been very hard for Speaker Boehner and Republican Leader McConnell to accept the fact that taxes on the wealthiest Americans should go up a little bit, as part of an overall deficit reduction package.”
Blowback
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Ahh, no.
When Obama has his own “tax credits” to get rid of the Bush ones. all it is, is smoke and mirrors. And when those tax credits (or whatever he will call them) do not work.. then what, blame Bush again?
So, no.
upinak on December 30, 2012 at 10:11 AM
Yeah, that’s it – has to be!/
OldEnglish on December 30, 2012 at 10:11 AM
Spittle everywhere. Thanks a lot Mr President.
CW on December 30, 2012 at 10:12 AM
Blame the Republicans because everyone has pretty much forgotten about George Bush.
And it will work, too.
See: P.T. Barnum.
turfmann on December 30, 2012 at 10:13 AM
“I don’t think you or anybody who’s been watching the campaign would say that in any way we have tried to divide the country.”
BallisticBob on December 30, 2012 at 10:17 AM
With Obama: The Buck Stops… somehwere else…
BigGator5 on December 30, 2012 at 10:19 AM
I’ll bet David Gregory really put him on the hot seat about the raise he gave federal workers and the other spending increases Obama is advocating as part of his “deficit reduction package.” You know, since Obama is so serious about deficit reduction and the Republicans are not. Gregory must’ve really tore him a new one over that stuff…
Aplombed on December 30, 2012 at 10:21 AM
Hey, he did come back from Hawaii! See everybody? The president is working hard to find a solution – the repubs, not so much./
Hill60 on December 30, 2012 at 10:21 AM
You know, blaming Republicans just inspires them to give him what he wants. /snark
BigGator5 on December 30, 2012 at 10:23 AM
I really hate that man. He is a pathological liar, master manipulator, dangerous demagogue, and just plain evil.
He acts as though raising taxes on the so-called “rich” is going to magically cure our deficit problem. He knows this isn’t true. He just wants to take more money from the well off regardless of the impact to the economy. Recall what he said about capital gains taxes when he was told that raising them actually reduces incomes to the government. He didn’t care, he wanted to raise them because of “fairness”.
Republicans need to come to grips with the FACT that this president does NOT have the best interests of this country in mind. He only seeks to achieve hs redistributive goals and punishment of the successful the effects on the economy be damned.
He and his extreme Leftist oligarchy in his administration have pulled off a coup. When and how will we take back our government?
Charlemagne on December 30, 2012 at 10:25 AM
And why is NO ONE mentioning the fact that the $800 BILLION stimulus is now part of the spending baseline every year and wasn’t a one time expenditure?
Obama was successful in raising annual spending by 1/3 and he still wants more including $60 BILLION for Sandy spending most of which won’t go to NJ or be spent on 2013. That is almost as much as his tax increase on the “rich” will raise in 10 years.
Where the Heck is the money going?
Charlemagne on December 30, 2012 at 10:28 AM
“Deficit reduction package”? What a shameless liar. This is about confiscating money from one group to transfer to others, more class warfare, and nothing more. He’s YET to have a year with a deficit under a trillion dollars, and we’re supposed to believe he’s serious about cutting it when all he offers is the same song and dance about some people paying their fair share (while others pay NOTHING at all)?
Just too much BS to take. Good thing we have a media sure to call him out for the lies, though. /
changer1701 on December 30, 2012 at 10:33 AM
Gee, who didn’t see that coming?
single stack on December 30, 2012 at 10:35 AM
Bark also blames his putter for failing to drain a 3-footer.
Bishop on December 30, 2012 at 10:41 AM
I used to want the GOP to do something to prevent us fom going over the “cliff” but now I prefer that they do nothing and let it happen because it’s time that Liberals get the bill for supporting Democrats.
They’ve been protected for too long by GOP opposition to taxes and have been led to believe that there is such thing as a free lunch.
The GOP seems to believe they will be blamed when taxes go up on most people, and they may, but when people finally wake up to the bill for BIG government it is Democrats they will hold responsible.
Since the GOP won’t get the Dems to agree to spending cuts, let voters feel the pain of what they keep voting for.
Charlemagne on December 30, 2012 at 10:42 AM
No you blue-gummed mulli punk it’s your fault no matter what you say.
Rio Linda Refugee on December 30, 2012 at 10:48 AM
Graham congratulates I Obama on winning “Fiscal Cliff” “victory.”
Wants to raise debt ceiling. Wants to fight for “what we believe in as Republicans.”
The GOPe has betrayed you.
davidk on December 30, 2012 at 10:49 AM
Uh, none of the Democrat plans reduce the deficit.
gwelf on December 30, 2012 at 10:51 AM
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/12/28/Tesla-CEO-Buys-17-Million-Mansion-Got-465-Million-Govt-Loan
davidk on December 30, 2012 at 10:54 AM
If we had a real media they’d be pointing out that taxing the rich would fund current levels of spending for less than a week. That the Democrats are prioritizing taxing small businesses in order to fund their massive super state for a few more days.
gwelf on December 30, 2012 at 10:54 AM
Do what you can to protect yourself financially and physically. They may delay the day of reckoning but it’s still coming.
Charlemagne on December 30, 2012 at 10:54 AM
Hopefully 2016.. At least that is what I enjoy imagining. I also enjoy imagining all the revenge we can sow once we get it.. I think that we should focus our energies so that the spending cuts hit the snotty upper middle class elitists the hardest. Like for instance not allowing gov’t backed loans to be used for certain colleges. Or getting rid of PBS and NPR.
Illinidiva on December 30, 2012 at 10:55 AM
ALL Liberals are economic illiterates, even so-called journalists.
Charlemagne on December 30, 2012 at 10:55 AM
DITTO, +100!
L
letget on December 30, 2012 at 11:03 AM
The Republican leadership has for too long believed that you can come out of hiding for the two weeks prior to one of these cliffs, mutter something about tax cuts and growth and then win the opinion battle.
Rush is right about this — the failure of the 94 House was their refusal to try to educate the American people; just because you win an election or chamber of Congress, you can’t stop talking about the issues.
More than that, you have to push back every time the Democrats trot out their talking points about “fairness” and “tax cuts.” Is there a single Republican elected leader that has asked what’s fair for the goverment to take? Most Americans have been swayed by all this Buffet rule nonsense and think the highest rates are below 25% Most people don’t even know that we are talking about marginal rates that will push many to over 50% in taxes. Most Americans strongly object to this! Yet McCarthy, Boehner, Mitchell behave as if they never need to point to this out! They want to go back to the Clinton rates; has anyone heard Boehner or McConnell ask about going back to the federal share of GDP under Clinton? Have either McConnel or Boehner asked why it is that job growth is booming in the D.C. area?
If you want to win a public opinion war, the first thing you have to do is show up!
There are simple ways to explain this to the American people. For reasons only they know, Boehner, et. al., refuse to even try.
Maddening…absolutely maddening.
EastofEden on December 30, 2012 at 11:16 AM
There are no words to describe how much I hate that man.
gophergirl on December 30, 2012 at 11:26 AM
For our couch potato friends…FREE HEALTH CARE($1,ooo Billion)
For our shovel leaning friends…STIMULUS PACKAGE ($800 Billion)
For our political friends…TAX THE RICH (private property sucks)
For our voter friends…IT’S NOT FAIR (keep up the emotions)
For our msm friends…HIGH FIVE (bad news sells)
For our individual taxpayer with a brain…
deptofredundancydept on December 30, 2012 at 11:27 AM
Well said!
gophergirl on December 30, 2012 at 11:37 AM
I think it’s time Joe Citizen took to the floor of the House and Senate and lambasted these morons in Congress.
ButterflyDragon on December 30, 2012 at 12:04 PM
If we were friends, and I said: “you are totally over the top”, and made the “coocoo” finger sign, what would you say?
Can.I.be.in.the.middle on December 30, 2012 at 12:24 PM
Ummn.. why don’t you just go prostrate yourself before your God Emperor Obama already.. And please change your handle already.. People who drink Barry’s Koolaid aren’t in the middle.
Illinidiva on December 30, 2012 at 12:49 PM