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We are roughly 16 hours from the fiscal cliff deadline Washington time and it seems the Obama Administration may have played its final card regarding the Senate negotiations, Vice President Biden:
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Vice President Joe Biden engaged in furious overnight negotiations to avert the fiscal cliff and made major progress toward a year-end tax deal, giving sudden hope to high-stakes talks that had been on the brink of collapse, according to sources familiar with the discussion.
McConnell and Biden, who served in the Senate together for 23 years, only started talking Sunday, after negotiations between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and McConnell sputtered.
Meanwhile back in the House, if Speaker Boehner actually wants a deal he is going to have to wrangle the Tea Party faction of his own party, something he has been proven unable to do previously:
The roughly 50 members elected to the House two years ago have been a challenge for the more moderate House Speaker John Boehner since they took office. Perhaps most memorably, many of them refused last year to support a debt-ceiling bill because they said it didn’t reduce federal spending enough.
Just last week they squashed Boehner’s fiscal plan by refusing to compromise and vote on a tax increase for any American, despite the House speaker — in his so-called “Plan B” — having suggested extending tax cuts only for those making more than $1 million annually.
And their most powerful vote might be yet to come, should Tea Party-backed House members reject a possible Senate proposal over the next two days to extend tax cuts and perhaps avert massive federal spending cuts that start January 1.
In the scenario that may – repeat may – play out: Biden and McConnell cut a deal, it passes the Senate and goes to the House but Boehner does not have the backing of the Tea Partiers.
So now does Speaker Boehner get Democratic votes to override opposition from within his own party? Doing so could trigger a leadership challenge. Tick Tock.
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since the president started ‘negotiations’ where we wouldn’t even be happy if it were the final deal, that means this “furious’ negotiation gave away even more ground, and that means it’s even more then the republicans wanted in the first place
man this obama sure knows how to play a straight flush, doesn’t he?
The real issue will be if Boehner actually ALLOWS any final deal to be put before the House at all, since any deal that doesn’t placate the Tea Party thugs would violate the “Hastert Rule” of legislation having support of a majority of the Republican caucus. Either way, he’s probably gone as Speaker anyways.
Looks more and more like we’re going over….and hopefully, Nancy Pelosi can flip 20 reasonable Repubs (if she can find them) to back a more progressive bill.
The Progressive Caucus needs to flex some muscle here, and hold firm on preventing social spending cuts. If they allow the Democratic establishment to roll them over this time, all hell will break loose.
imho, the progressives will fold
The legislature has a trajectory of harming the interests of the people. Don’t expect this to change until the whole thing crashes…
No matter what happens, Boehner is the scapegoat. He’s a goner come January. And Cantor will have opposition.
The final result on the fiscal cliff is unknowable. It is not about policy but about taking the, er, “credit”. And that dance will likely go until the Waterford crystal signals midnight and the coachmen start turning into rats. Expect split screens on New Years Rocking Eve.
Media is shameless with a “Countdown” clock.
Maybe they will show a split screen, cliff/New Years.
What a joke.
Is that the one where all the cards are the same color?????
“fold”..is that where you take your quacomole and chips ad leave???
I am willing to endure practically anything if it will harm and/or get rid of Boehner.
Aren’t they the SAME????? Or is it like the “shot clock” in the NBA,sometimes a few seconds difference???? I really don’t know. I’m not familiar with “cliffs”. :-)
you have in nailed – - this whole issue is BS – - let all the cuts and taxes take place as scheduled. The media is the main problem – this story warrents only two min. of reporting every hour – - what a bunch of corp. propaganda!!
of course they will fold. they always fold. WHY?
DSW…you’ve really been doing a good job. You and DDay have a very similar style and sometimes I have to remind myself you’re not him.
It’s obvious that McConnell and Obama don’t get along. I think sending in BIden to deal with that SOB is a smart thing.
Once you let the teabaggers out of the looney bin, it’s hard to wrangle them back in again…especially given the size and maneuverability of those fancy little Medicare-financed Hoverounds.
So will we end up with Speaker Cantor or Speaker Ryan?
Comedy you can believe in.
Oh, God, I can’t WAIT to hear what Biden gave away…
I’m pretty sure Biden will give enough away to get a deal. But watch this. More to come later when they “negotiate” the debt limit. Or maybe Biden will give enough away now so we don’t have to endure this again. Who knows?
This whole thing is unknowable except that Obama will cave at some point. He doesn’t know what a straight flush is, even if it starts at the ten of spades. Pass the Kool-Aid!!
Yahoo has the list of “concessions” negotiated thus far.
As usual the Democrats got 1 concession for every 5 given to the GOP if that. But yayyy, our absurdly bloated defense department AND people making 9 times the median are SAFE since both sides have agreed to protect them.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/two-sides-now-absurdly-close-124000145.html