Behind Scenes, Boehner Failed to Sell Republicans on Taxes, While Obama's Spending Plans Rankled


http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB10...j&mg=reno64-wsj

excerpt --

A review of the negotiations, based on interviews with a dozen aides and lawmakers, suggests the problems lay in Mr. Boehner's inability to coax his rank-and-file to support a deal that raises taxes on higher-income Americans. Another factor was what Republicans saw as President Obama's unwillingness to bend when a deal was in sight, jamming the speaker with a deal his party couldn't swallow.

The negotiations offer little evidence November's election brought the president and House Republicans closer together. If anything, the talks poisoned an already distrustful relationship.

Mr. Boehner could soon face a decision whether to call for a vote on some sort of plan that could avert the cliff's spending cuts and tax increases but might imperil his position if he had to rely on Democrats to pass it.

Mr. Obama repeatedly lost patience with the speaker as negotiations faltered. In an Oval Office meeting last week, he told Mr. Boehner that if the sides didn't reach agreement, he would use his inaugural address and his State of the Union speech to tell the country the Republicans were at fault.

At one point, according to notes taken by a participant, Mr. Boehner told the president, "I put $800 billion [in tax revenue] on the table. What do I get for that?"

"You get nothing," the president said. "I get that for free."

After the election, Boehner aides tried to shape the debate by offering early concessions, including that the GOP would agree to raise new tax revenue. A speech Mr. Boehner planned to give was rewritten 18 times and included input from top Republican leaders.

He and Mr. Obama didn't sit down together for another 10 days. The session began genially. But tension quickly emerged over the president's call to include increasing the U.S.'s borrowing limit in any final package.

Responded Mr. Boehner: "I've found in my life that everything I've ever wanted has come with price."
Mr. Obama told the speaker he wasn't willing to play games with the debt ceiling.

Staffs got to work on the outline of a deal. In their first offer, Republicans wanted to essentially preserve Bush-era rates set to expire Dec. 31 while raising some new revenue through a tax overhaul in 2013. The White House made clear it wouldn't agree to a plan that didn't raise some tax rates immediately.
The president repeatedly reminded Mr. Boehner of the election results: "You're asking me to accept Mitt Romney's tax plan. Why would I do that?" At another point, the speaker noted his GOP majority would also return next year.

The White House's first formal offer, presented Nov. 29 left Mr. Boehner incredulous. It included a request for $1.6 trillion in additional tax revenue over 10 years, a permanent increase in the debt ceiling and money for road projects and other year-end priorities. In return it offered spending cuts of $400 billion—25 cents for each dollar in new revenue.

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http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB10...Tabs%3Dcomments

What an egomaniacal bully.

What a pair. The worst Speaker. And the worst President. 2013 is going to be such a pleasure.

Rick Santelli asks a most pertinent question:

If the Fiscal Abyss Is THAT Important, Why Are The President and Congress on Christmas Vacation?

"he told Mr. Boehner that if the sides didn't reach agreement, he would use his inaugural address and his State of the Union speech to tell the country the Republicans were at fault."


If Oblunder does this as a whole the entire Republican caucus should get up and walk out.

If only they would do that.