| Of course. That's what he does. |
It's about what I thought would happen. The Dems are sticking with their spend, spend, spend position and making the "fiscal cliff" happen. When it does, taxes go up, up, up, and they'll do their best to hang the blame on the Publicans. The Publicans being as inept as they are, they'll end up with it.
Top Democrats and Republicans groped for a compromise before a punishing package of government spending cuts and tax hikes come into force on January 1 which could roil global markets and send the U.S. economy back into recession.
Senate Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell warned that, despite through-the-night talks, negotiators were still a long way from success, as they raced against the ebbing 2012 calendar in search of a compromise.
McConnell said he had got no response to a "good faith offer" to Senate Democrats, and called on his old friend and sparring partner Vice President Joe
Foreign Policy Whiz KidBiden
The former Senator-for-Life from Delaware, an example of the kind of top-notch Washington intellect to be found in the World's Greatest Deliberative Body...
to join the fray in the hope of breaking the stalemate.
Senate Democratic leader
Harry Reid... the charismatic senator-for-life from Nevada, currently majority leader ...
agreed talks were at a standstill, raising the prospect that Americans will ring in the New Year with no deal to avert a budget disaster known as the "fiscal cliff."
Reid said Democrats were unwilling to brook talk of social security cuts.
"This morning, we have been trying to come up with some counteroffer to my friend's proposal," Reid told the Senate. "We have been unable to do that."
Earlier, Democratic President Barack Obama
On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes -- and I see many of them in the audience here today...
, accused Republicans of causing the mess, saying they had refused to move on what he said were genuine offers of compromise from Democrats.
"Now the pressure's on Congress to produce," Obama said, in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that was recorded on Saturday, a day after he expressed modest optimism that a deal could be reached.
Obama said it had been "very hard" for top Republican leaders to accept that "taxes on the wealthiest Americans should go up a little bit, as part of an overall deficit reduction package."
But Republicans were irked by Obama's tone and matched his accusations. The ugly mood could suggest that hopes for a consensus are fading -- or be the kind of political-base pleasing rhetoric that sometimes heralds a compromise.
"Americans elected President B.O. to lead, not cast blame," said House Republican speaker John
It is not pronounced 'Boner!'Boehner
... the occasionally weepy leader of House Republicans...
, arguing Republicans sought a 'balanced' deficit deal while Obama insisted on higher taxes that would kill jobs.
"We've been reasonable and responsible. The president is the one who has never been able to get to 'yes.'"