Boehner discussed with the Republican conference the possibility of letting tax rates go up for millionaires in order to avoid going over the fiscal cliff, which would raise taxes on all Americans. “I believe it’s important to protect as many American tax payers as we can,” Boehner said today.
Obama rejected the plan. “[Obama] is not willing to accept a deal that doesn’t ask enough of the very wealthiest in taxes and instead shifts the burden to the middle class and seniors,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said in a statement today. “The Speaker’s ‘Plan B’ approach doesn’t meet this test because it can’t pass the Senate and therefore will not protect middle class families, and does little to address our fiscal challenges with zero spending cuts.”
That statement might come as a surprise to Pelosi. “In our caucus, there is a school of thought that says let’s get rid of all the tax cuts,” Pelosi told The Charlie Rose Show earlier this year, per Buzzfeed. “I say, let’s begin by getting rid of tax cuts for people making more than a million dollars a year. I’m not even saying $250,000. The president’s saying $250,000. A million and above. Who can argue with that?”
Apparently, Obama can.
Obama has no inclination of compromising, meeting anyone halfway, or working with Republicans, period. They either accept his plan or he's fine with hiking taxes on everyone and definitely fine with slashing defense. But even when we go over, he's already got a fallback plan prepared for that as well...which results in the same outcome that if Boehner and Republicans go ahead and fold now: taxes hiked on those making $250K and over, and no entitlement/spending cuts.
A message to Boehner and Republicans: At this point, it's time to fallback on Principle. Withdraw your offer to raise rates on anyone, tell the American people that Republicans stand for no tax increases, but for spending reform...and let Obama take us over. Either way, there's no win with an Obama regime and a media propaganda machine...so why not stand on Principle?
