President Obama Blames Republicans - John Boehner Squeals [View all]

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President Obama Blames Republicans - John Boehner Squeals

by eXtina

You know the Republicans are losing the negotiating battle and the PR battle over the so-called 'so-called fiscal cliff". President Obama is taking full advantage of his decisive electoral victory and using the bully pulpit to shame the Republicans into doing something, or at least knowing they will be held responsible for middle class taxes going up.

In a statement after President Obama's brutal (to Republicans) interview on Meet the Press, Speaker Boehner tried 'rebuking' President Obama for casting blame for no deal on the 'cliff' firmly on the Republicans.

“Americans elected President Obama to lead, not cast blame," Boehner said in a Sunday statement. "The president’s comments today are ironic, as a recurring theme of our negotiations was his unwillingness to agree to anything that would require him to stand up to his own party. Needed cuts and reforms that the president agreed to just last year were no longer on the table, as he cited an inability to sell them to Democrats."

Boehner continued: "Republicans made every effort to reach the ‘balanced’ deficit agreement that the president promised the American people, while the president has continued to insist on a package skewed dramatically in favor of higher taxes that would destroy jobs. We’ve been reasonable and responsible. The president is the one who has never been able to get to 'yes.'"

It's ironic that Boehner is calling the President's comments 'ironic', since he has already unsuccessfully tried the tactic of claiming that Obama is refusing to stand up to the Democratic party to make the needed cuts to entitlements (that don't affect the deficit).

In fact, President Obama put chained CPI Social Security benefit cuts on the table, in a move that was completely unnecessary. Boehner didn't snatch that great offer when he had the chance and is now trying to get that back on the table.

Just as a reminder here is what President Obama said about the Republicans' negotiating tactics:

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"We have been talking to the Republicans ever since the election was over. They have had trouble saying yes to a number of repeated offers," Obama said. "[S]o far, at least, Congress has not been able to get this stuff done. Not because Democrats in Congress don't want to go ahead and cooperate, but because I think it's been very hard for Speaker Boehner and Republican Leader McConnell to accept the fact that taxes on the wealthiest Americans should go up a little bit, as part of an overall deficit reduction package."

Even NY Times conservative columnist David Brooks backed up the President's assessment:

"Most of the blame still has to go to the Republicans," Brooks said. "They've had a brain freeze since the election. They have no strategy. They don't know what they want. They haven't decided what they want."

The Republicans are flailing. Little squeals from John Boehner will not convince Americans otherwise.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/12/30/1174888/-President-Obama-Blames-Republicans-John-Boehner-Squeals

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