Republicans are considering a “Doomsday Plan” if fiscal cliff talks fail. The ABC’s Jon Karl reports:
It’s quite simple: House Republicans would allow a vote on extending the Bush middle class tax cuts (the bill passed in August by the Senate) and offer the president nothing more – no extension of the debt ceiling, nothing on unemployment, nothing on closing loopholes. Congress would recess for the holidays and the president would face a big battle early in the year over the debt ceiling.
Two senior Republican elected officials say this Doomsday Plan is becoming the most likely scenario. A top GOP House leadership aide confirms the plan is under consideration, but says Speaker Boehner has made no decision on whether to pursue it.
Under one variation of the plan, House Republicans would allow a vote on extending only the middle class tax cuts and Republicans, to express disapproval at the failure to extend all tax cuts, would vote “present” on the bill, allowing it to pass entirely on Democratic votes.
By doing this, Republicans avoid taking blame for tax increases on 98 percent of income tax payers. As one senior Republican in Congress told me, “You don’t take a hostage you aren’t willing to shoot.”
This is a time for mending bridges damaged during the election. The ability of the President to unify rather than polarize the two sides of the house will be tested in the next few weeks. Let us hope that he measures up.
So if I read this correctly , the hostage is the US electorate. At what point did the people cease being employers of the as politicians as opposed to pawns on a chess board.
Regarding your last sentence, the only thing I have seen with regard to “ability of the President to unify” could be to come in & ‘pick up the pieces’ after chaos results from some in Congress trying to do the right thing, with another unConstitutional administrative action that takes over more of American’s Freedoms.
Recent history is clear after the take over of health care and the nationalization of the entire financial system, you should expect more from the same wish list such as draconian EPA actions against legacy energy interests, CFPB actions against private property ownership/financial institutions, and administrative actions against anyone(states/companies/individuals) fighting the implementation of Obamacare.
Unify?…….I’m not sure where you get the logic this could happen given the double-down history and historic unConstitutional actions of the 1st four years. Also, there is little in DC that is the friend of the US citizenry so if something should happen to benefit the Public’s dilemma, Im convinced it would have to occur via a slip-up or error by the current administration and/or Congressional power structure that deters them from their intended course.
The political system is not working. Who is going to fix it? That will only happen when both red and blue voters recognize that they are both losing.
Ever wonder how the 1% can wield so much power that they can stop our government from the business of running our country?
Ever wonder why the 1% would want to harm the economy when they are major beneficiaries?
I don’t think that the 1% want to harm the economy. They just want to stay at the top of the pyramid (at all costs) and keep their tax burden at or below a manageable nuisance.