Fiscal cliff talks may go past Christmas

[brooklynite]

Source: Politico

Congressional leaders warned lawmakers Wednesday to hunker down for Christmas in Washington, as the fiscal cliff negotiations basically stuck in neutral ahead of a fast-approaching Dec. 31 deadline.

The warning followed a phone call Tuesday night between President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner that was described as tense by sources familiar with the call.

The call didn’t go well, a Democratic source said, because a GOP counteroffer from earlier in the day asked for a permanent extension of the tax rates on the wealthiest two percent of Americans, which the White House viewed as a step backward.

But House Republicans disputed the characterization of their latest proposal, saying White House officials were being “either intentionally misleading or do not understand what tax reform means.” Republicans have always said they wanted to raise fresh revenue through eliminating deductions, not raising rates, and that they would pursue tax reform next year.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2012/12/eric-cantor-christmas-eve-84965.html?hp=t1_3

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Good thing the Republicans got the right message out of the election...

[dipsydoodle]

1. Rename January 1st

as "kick the can down the road" day.

[BanTheGOP]

2. We'll win either way

We will win either way:

1. If the rethugs don't agree to Obama's sensible proposal, then they will be castrated by the public for jacking the rates of the vast majority of working class progressives in this country. Future tax increases can be done in 2014 when we retake the complete Congress, including another supermajority in the Senate.

2. If the rethugs DO agree, then we can FOREVER be safe from ANY tax cuts in the future, because now even the hillbilly sheeple rethugs will be shown that the Reagan and Bush tax cuts were the reason for the vast majority of poverty in this country. This will make it easy for ANY Democrat or progressive to win in their election against rethugs because all we have to do is say that even THEIR party knows that tax cuts kill people.

Win-win. President Obama is now officially the GREATEST PRESIDENT in the HISTORY of this country for FINALLY righting the progressive instinct of this civilization and destroying capitalist intent.

[Pryderi]

3. News is going to be unwatchable until then n/t