A top Democratic official said talks have stalled on this question since Obama and congressional leaders had their friendly-looking post-election session at the White House.Steve Benen comments:
"Republicans want the president to own the whole offer upfront, on both the entitlement and the revenue side, and that's not going to happen because the president is not going to negotiate with himself," the official said. "There's a standoff, and the staff hasn't gotten anywhere. Rob Nabors [the White House negotiator], has been saying: 'This is what we want on revenues on the down payment. What's you guys' ask on the entitlement side?' And they keep looking back at us and saying: 'We want you to come up with that and pitch us.' That's not going to happen."
Some of this is the result of a noticeable lack of Republicans with real policy chops. GOP officials have some relatively clear ideas about ending Medicare and replacing it with a voucher scheme, but since that's not going to happen, the party opens its file named "Our Other Medicare Ideas," and finds it empty. They want Obama to go first because, beyond knowing they want cuts, their own vague wish list is superficial and lacking even hints of depth.Empty indeed! LOL
This is the party - if you will remember - that had one goal...to make Obama a one-term President. How'd that work out for them? Obstruction and hostage-taking have been their only tools. What I've been saying ever since the debt ceiling deal was negotiated is that those tools aren't going to work this time. That's because President Obama and the Democrats crafted this fiscal cliff in such a way that they can walk away from the deal - that's their leverage. And its on the Republicans to act proactively...or lose it all.
This one almost makes me feel sorry for those progressives who are so caught up in their "chicken little" narrative about the big bad Republicans that they can't see how our side is totally kicking ass this time.
OK, I said "almost."
;-)
I remember Ms. Palin saying "hows that hopey changey thing working for ya"! Well Ms. Palin quite well, thanks for asking!
ReplyDeleteThis is the stuff dreams are made of:
*Myth & supporters still in fog of disbelief re: loss of presidency contest
*PBO re-elected by a landslide
*4 yrs for PBO vision for this country to develop and
*thousands of citizens trained as community organizers.
He has given it to us AGAIN but can we keep it? It the same question we have been asking for 200 yrs.
Smilingl8dy
The Republicans honestly thought they would win this election and therefore didn't have any other plans other than voucherizing Medicare. Now they are in a terrible position not having thought about any other possibility.
ReplyDelete.
ReplyDelete"Are you guys enjoying this as much as I am?"
Yes!
"This is the party - if you will remember - that had one goal...to make Obama a one-term President. How'd that work out for them?"
It is near-mathematically perfect joy of watching smug and contemptible creatures of the right dodge, swerve, make excuses, and, most of all, whine. There is no joy in the kingdom of man so great as the joy of seeing bullies and hucksters laid low, and watching people who have arrogantly spent years assuming they were right about the world living to see all those haughty assumptions die before their eyes.
Having said this, it is not time for progressives/liberals to simply gloat (which I enjoy doing too). Keep pressing forward for the benefit of all.
This past election was not an end. Now what? Where we go next? Focus. Move forward!
Ema Nymton
~@:o?
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