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By Karoun Demirjian (contact) 
Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012 | 6:24 p.m.
Washington — They’re eating pizza. They’re wearing jeans. And they’re bracing themselves to be in session on New Year’s Eve — the first Congress to do so in more than forty years. This is what the fiscal cliff looks like from the perspective of rank-and-file lawmakers on Capitol Hill. As of Sunday, the Senate and the House of Representatives are back in Washington, D.C. Most of them are just sitting around and waiting. “They’re telling us that we may very well be here on the 2nd, and if you’re planning on going home for New Year’s, which I will not be … ...
This a classic Washington charade again lead by Reid. While Reid is faking a conjuried up a plan - Obama hit all the Sunday talk shows. Then Reid went home early Sunday after not even going to the Senate on Saturday.
Well what did we really expect out of this debacle.
Pretty clear Obama and Reid do not want a deal
Obama and Reid ran out the clock by staying in Hawaii until just before New Years Eve.
The great 2012 faux fiscal cliff negotiations failed American
We are no closer to a solution to reform entitlements and addressing the nation debt.
Obama will be running around calling any deal a tremendous victory for himself because some rich people have to pay a lot more taxes at the expense of losing 700,000 jobs.
No deal!! Obama wins - yippee
But this is a huge American failure that will be passed to the next generation - if we last that long before China pulls the plug on propping up US bonds.
Obama failed to meet his fundamental 2008 and 2012 campaign promises to limit the growth in spending.
America is the loser. The people are the losers.
Obama and Reid should have remained in Washington DC during the Xmas period. This is so important that they should have taken their duties more seriously. Blaming the Republicans does not cut it anymore.
Funny how you never see anyone in the seats in the background when they're making these silly speeches. WHY??? BECAUSE NOBODY IS IN THE ROOM!!!
Then suddenly yesterday, all the seats are occupied, while they make like they're working.
Our government has become a 3 ring circus that only cares about getting itself re-elected instead of leading the country. Sad.
It is nearly 8:00 EST
where is Harry Reid
Harry is nowhere to be found
Harry shutdown the Snate mid afternoon on Sunday
Where in the WORLD in Harry Reid
At this point any bill would be meaningless, let the fiscal cliff fall... I am one of the people the democrats are trying to protect...I say if you can't do it right don't do it at all..Bill Clinton himself told us how good it would be under the fiscal cliff terms, ie no Bush tax cuts so let's go..everyone in the boat.
The fiscal cliff will be good for the country.
We will finally be able to cut defense spending, which is TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL.
The US spends more money on weapons and killing than the EU, Russia and China COMBINED!
The US is basically a war machine. That Eisenhow- A MILITARY GENERAL WARNED US ABOUT.
Falling off the fiscal cliff is good for America, our children and grand children.
If the President and Congress are going to spend like shopaholics the bill has to be paid by those who benefit from the spending, us!
Nothing will change in Washington until the Majority Leader in the Senate is replaced! Their numerious house bills from both parties gathering dust in the Senate addressing these pressing problems and Senator Reid will not give them a hearing.
Elections have consquences, how's that change working out for?
"The US spends more money on weapons and killing than the EU, Russia and China COMBINED!" from Bob635
Russia's average military spend the last three years is 4.1% of GDP compared to 4.8% of GDP in the US. Lets lower military spending to 4.2% but lets not lower it below Russia's now with Putin back in charge.
Typically the only people who have to work on holidays are responders and emergency personnel and minimum wage slaves. I don't care if the overpaid, underworked parasites in DC have to work 24/7. It would be fitting.
Phantom spending cuts. For the children.
There are hard realities that are being intentionally ignored and overlooked.
The End Strategy for the President in this negotiations: Cut Taxes for 98% of America and raise Taxes for the wealthy 2% of Americans, and raise the debt ceiling.
The Republicans will take action after December 31, 2012. They will vote in 2013 to extend tax cut for 98% of America people. Thereby keeping their promise not to raise taxes, but to cut taxes.
The Democrats and the President will hold true to Barack Obama's campaign pledge of cutting taxes for 98% of Americans, and holding firm against cutting Medicare and Medicaid.
Two Top Priorities: Raise Taxes for 2% of Americans. Raise the Debt Ceiling!
Why?
First, the President wants Tax Reform. He cannot get Tax Reform without without the Rich or the wealthy leading the charge. They need to have a direct interest in this fight. You do this by raising their taxes. This President is smart, he knows 98% of Americans have no interest or the money to fight to change the tax code. Rich People do! Secondly, the President knows we cannot have another fight over the ceiling like in 2010.
And there are some very obvious actions by Republican lawmakers that are starting to be the topic of open conversation in Washington and around kitchen tables in America. In the past Washington lawmakers always paid on the Nation debt. Now, somehow, things are different! Why?
President Obama politely mentioned it in his press conference a few days ago, and David Gregory mentioned it on Meet the Press on Sunday. "Why do the Republican have a hard time saying yes to this President"? In the past with other presidents, both democrats and Republicans, this was not an issue?
Many People are thinking it. Many People are saying it in small groups and general discussions. Many People of diversity have a strong perception from day one of Barack Obama's presidency, that many lawmakers in Washington are Racist. Pure and simple, out and out Racist. Bias and special treatment directed at this President. The evidence speaks volumes in terms of actions and words. Only a person in denial would say otherwise.
This is a reality that reveals itself more and more each day. The power of the vote can help in removing those lawmakers who in the past have displayed their bias and prejudices. We will have this opportunity (it is our right) to vote in 2014 to make much needed changes to the old style, dated culture behaviors that are killing America.
Just BEFORE the election, Obama, on The View, said EVERYBODY's taxes WILL go up. The middle class and / or working class will pay for spending.
We see the Congress "had time" to re-up the Farm Bill. More nonsense. A one year extension WITHOUT fixing prices for today's economy. Once again, taxpayers pay to keep milk prices down--to pretend that unsupported kids are not an absolute drain. Why can't we have real legislation that modifies the price supports and gradually gets us out of Farm financing? Many consumers have turned to other beverages such as Almond Milk, Soy Milk....yet we must keep paying to pretend cow milk is healthier and cheaper.
With a congress this incompetent can "American Spring" be far behind.
All people making negative comments about Harry Reid during this national emergency should be tracked down and arrested. Thank God for Harry Reid. It is also time to get rid of the USA military and replace them with troops from Cuba and China.
The thing is that all of the players have known that this was coming for a long time. You have even had bills passed on one side or the other. The House passed both spending and tax bills this summer that would have averted the fiscal cliff but they were not allowed up for vote in the Senate. The Senate has passed bills that were not considered in the House. We just have an environment where both sides seem to believe that it is easier to address a crisis rather than handle the situation in a reasonable fashion. The advantage is that the crisis gives everyone cover for doing things that they claim to not want to do, since they can claim that they had to do it to save us all. And we will get to go through this all again shortly as the debt limit approaches and we get another round of brinksmanship. But the real beauty is that in 22 months when we have the next national election, probably nearly 90% of those people up for re-election will win. So, they must be doing what most people them to do and that is truly scary.
I bet they get an 89 to 8 deal.