Boehner's latest floor rant calls into question progress in negotiations

[ProSense]

Boehner's latest floor rant calls into question progress in negotiations

by Joan McCarter

House Speaker John Boehner spoke briefly on the House floor Tuesday, reiterating the same talking points and staking the same ground he's been on in fiscal cliff curb negotiations since the election: no tax hikes and all spending cuts. What he said wasn't necessarily unexpected, but the fact that he picked right now, and a fairly high profile way of doing it, raises questions about whether there's been any progress at all in negotiations.

The intensity of negotiations between the White House and Congressional Republicans has increased in recent days. Boehner and Obama met Sunday at the White House in a session the speaker described as “a nice meeting, a cordial meeting.” He said he’s “hopeful” for an agreement.

“But we’re still waiting for the White House to identify what spending cuts the president is willing to make as part of the ‘balanced approach’ he promised the American people,” Boehner said.

The speech is not a promising sign: If Boehner felt compelled to go to the House floor to publicly address negotiations, it means that talks aren’t progressing well behind the scenes.

To which White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer responded with a tweet: "The irony of this is that the White House offer had very specific cuts, the GOP counteroffer had almost none."

Boehner could be trying his hand at upping the pressure on the president, after the White House unleashed its most powerful tool by asking supporters to flood Republican phone lines. Judging by the White House response, that didn't work.

Or Boehner could be putting up a front, telling his restive caucus that he's still standing firm against tax hikes on the wealthy. Or it could really be that talks are at a standstill. But what is certain is that if Boehner doesn't come up with some tax rate increases that his caucus can live with, taxes on the middle class and the wealthy go up next month. And that'll be on his head.

11:58 AM PT: Sen. Harry Reid basically tells Boehner to pound sand.

Sen. Reid: Will be hard to reach a fiscal cliff deal by Christmas; Democrats aren't going to make an offer on spending cuts for Republicans.
— @CNBC via HootSuite

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/12/11/1168981/-Boehner-s-latest-floor-rant-calls-into-question-progress-in-nbsp-negotiations

I see a cliff in Boehner's future.

Mitch McConnell demands Democrats negotiate with themselves
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021961718

[spanone]

1. let mr boehner run his party and the country over the cliff....go ahead johnny boy, dare you.

[Vincardog]

2. Let's talk about doubling taxes on the rich making them 75% and settle at 60%

[fleur-de-lisa]

5. Exactly!

[DollarBillHines]

3. He must be taking serious flak from the whackjobs.

I'll bet he's thankful that the drinks are free.

[democrattotheend]

4. I read something encouraging on Politico

Of course, any rate increase for Republicans — one that rank-and-file lawmakers could back and defend — would have to come with serious cuts to entitlement programs. And there’s no evidence President Barack Obama and Democrats have given in on any specific entitlement cuts in closed-door negotiations — especially enough to offset a rate change and an increase in the threshold for the rich.


Obviously, the article neglects to mention that Republicans don't actually have to agree to the tax hike for the rich, but the fact that there is no evidence (other than Ezra Klein guessing) that the president has actually agreed to any substantial Medicare and SS cuts.

I think mobilizing and speaking up to oppose the Medicare age hike is important, but it is significant that I don't think we have actually heard any Democrats come out in favor of it. And the fact that the president was willing to consider it in 2011 does not mean that he is now. For one thing, he has a stronger hand now. Second, I realized that July 2011 was before the Supreme Court ruling that states could reject the Medicaid expansion, and before so many GOP governors opted out of the exchanges. So it is very possible that President Obama and Democrats on the Hill are less open to raising the age now that it is apparent that the ACA would not provide an alternative outlet of coverage for everyone ages 65-67.

[Cha]

6. Boner's job is to lie, whine, and, cry.. That must be it..

that's all we ever get from him.

[ProSense]

7. It's hilarious watching Republicans squirm.