The President will not change his offer - until the GOP tells Grover Norquist he has lost.

WSJ:

A senior administration official said the White House would make NO new offers until Republicans changed their opposition to raising top tax rates.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323751104578151322684021276.html


http://www.politico.com/playbook/

MORE HERE:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/12/01/1166459/-White-House-No-new-Offers-until-GOP-drops-opposition-to-tax-increases

Mitt Romney looks out the windows of his beach house here in La Jolla, a moneyed and pristine enclave of San Diego, at noisy construction workers fixing up his next-door neighbor’s home, sending regular updates on the renovation. He devours news from 2,600 miles away in Washington about the “fiscal cliff” negotiations, shaking his head and wondering what if.

......................

The defeated Republican nominee has practically disappeared from public view since his loss, exhibiting the same detachment that made it so difficult for him to connect with the body politic through six years of running for president. He has made no public comments since his concession speech in the early hours of Nov. 7, and avoided the press last week during a private lunch with President Obama at the White House. Through an aide, Romney declined an interview request for this story.

...........

After Romney told his wealthy donors that he blamed his loss on “gifts” Obama gave to minority groups, his functionaries were unrepentant and Republican luminaries effectively cast him out. Few of the policy ideas he promoted are even being discussed in Washington.

“Nothing so unbecame his campaign as his manner of leaving it,” said Robert Shrum, a senior strategist on Democratic presidential campaigns. “I don’t think he’ll ever be a significant figure in public life again.”

MORE:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-detached-romney-tends-wounds-in-seclusion-after-failed-white-house-bid/2012/12/01/4305079a-38a9-11e2-8a97-363b0f9a0ab3_story.html

...................

Romney has been keeping in shape with bike rides around La Jolla, past the bistros and boutiques that hug the rugged coastline. The son of Detroit - who boasted of the Cadillacs he owned as a sign of support for the U.S. auto industry during the campaign - was spotted driving a new black Audi Q7, a luxury SUV manufactured in Slovakia.
http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/12/01/romney-seclusion-friends-say-hes-not-bitter

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The GOP set its own trap. Instead of governing, they choose a four-year campaign to unseat Obama.

Obama set the Bush Tax Cut trap in 2010. He also set the sequester trap in 2012. The GOP hoped that he wouldn't get re-elected which would render all of his accomplishments moot, including Obamacare.

.......................

Obama could actually do nothing and cut the budget as well as end the Bush tax cuts.

This would be sweet payback for the four-years of racist-tinged rhetoric, record-breaking filibusters and grandstanding.


more:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/12/01/1166398/-For-Obama-Revenge-is-a-dish-best-served-cold

Several CEOs — under the guise of a campaign known as “Fix the Debt” — have recently called for cuts to Social Security and other entitlements. Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, for instance, said that “there will be things that, you know, the retirement age has to be changed, maybe some of the benefits have to be affected, maybe some of the inflation adjustments have to be revised.” “The solutions [to the fiscal cliff] are – it’s the retirement age; means testing Social Security and Medicare,” said Aetna CEO Mark Berolino.

.................[...] Blankfein has nearly $12 million in retirement assets, while Bertolini has $1.5 million. Adding insult to injury, many of the CEOs calling for cuts to the social safety net are underfunding their workers’ retirement accounts — CEOs Looking To ‘Fix The Debt’ By Cutting Social Security Sit On Huge Retirement Accounts



http://underthemountainbunker.com/2012/12/01/fix-the-debt-plutocrats-are-turning-up-the-volume-on-the-class-war/

Source: The Guardian UK

US government announces opening of Atlantic coast for offshore wind farms
Department of the interior will offer lease sales on areas off coasts of Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Virginia

The first offshore project, Cape Wind, a 130-turbine farm in Nantucket Sound, ran into fierce opposition from the late Senator Ted Kennedy and Indian tribes. It is due to start producing power at the end of 2015, after nearly 15 years of legal battles.

Officials said the areas chosen for the new lease sales were the "best suited" to wind development, and had been sited to avoid environmental concerns or conflicts with locals.

The first wind zone, off Rhode Island and Massachusetts, is just 10 miles off the coast. It will be leased in two parts. The proposed lease area in Virginia is about 23 nautical miles off southern Virginia.

Officials said the lease sale announced on Friday represented a first step in opening up offshore areas. Other blocks identified include areas of North Carolina and New Jersey. There are also plans to eventually site wind farms on the Pacific Coast, in Oregon and Hawaii.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/dec/01/us-government-offshore-wind-farms-atlantic

Karl Rove: American Crossroads Was 'Worst Volunteer Job I've Had In My Life'
Posted: 11/30/2012 11:24 am EST Updated: 11/30/2012 12:54 pm EST

....................

The Republican political operative also sounded unhappy with the experience, although he placed much of the blame on warring candidates.

"I was involved in a group called American Crossroads. It's the worst volunteer job I've had in my life," Rove said. "I was in charge of raising money. We raised $324 million. And I got sick and tired of spending money in races where the moderates and the conservatives had gone at each other and made victory impossible."

He called for Republicans to show more forbearance, saying, "It's got to be something that people are willing to say, 'Fine, I'm looking at politics with a longer frame. You and I may not agree on everything but we agree more often than not, and I'm going to live to fight another day.'"

After a pause, he added, "Easier said than done."

MORE roveshit here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/30/karl-rove-american-crossroads_n_2218080.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

November 30, 2012 11:59 AM
Odds Improving on Filibuster Reform
By Ed Kilgore

When you go through the list of holdouts, however, the number likely to buck Reid (who has himself reversed his position since the 2011 vote on a very similar Udall/Merkely/Harkin measure) begins to shrink. John Kerry, who has additional reasons to be a team player right now, is “leaning heavily” towards support. Jay Rockefeller says he’d prefer “radical over nothing.” Daniel Inouye’s doubts are only about the “talking filibuster” ban (entirely legitimate doubts, as Jonathan Bernstein keeps pointing out). Diane Feinstein is similarly on board a ban on filibustering motions to proceed. Bill Nelson doesn’t like the “constitutional option,” but says “I’m supporting Harry Reid.” Max Baucus and Jack Reed seem entirely neutral at this point, which makes it unlikely they’d buck Reid and the Caucus and kill reform.

That leaves two Senate Democrats who voted against the 2011 bill and haven’t said anything indicating a change of position: Carl Levin and Mark Pryor. If they and Donnelly wind up being the only holdouts, then Reid would comfortably have the votes without any concessions to bring a Republican or two on board. And you’d figure Levin might be susceptible to some back-home Blue State pressure if push comes to shove.

MORE:
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2012_11/odds_improving_on_filibuster_r041499.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+washingtonmonthly%2Frss+%28Political+Animal+at+Washington+Monthly%29

#!
am I in the right place?
loved this and wanted to share...
anything that brings the world closer together
is OK by me!

PEACE, kp