Obama Addresses Fiscal Cliff

By Jeralyn, Section Obama Administration
Posted on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 12:39:41 PM EST
Tags: fiscal cliff (all tags)

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President Obama is about to speak, addressing the fiscal cliff. You can watch here.

Preventing a middle class tax hike has been his top priority. An agreement is within sight. But it's not done. Issues remain. He's hopeful Congress can get it done.

The agreement would extend tax credits for families with kids, extend tuition and clean energy tax credits and unemployment benefits. He would have liked a grand bargain, a bigger deal, that deals with taxes and spending. But, that was too much to hope for with this Congress. So it will take several steps.[More...]

The wealthiest 2% of Americans will pay more taxes permanently. He talks about spending cuts.

He's willing to consider cutting medical costs in Medicare. But that has to go hand in hand with changes in the tax code.

If Republicans think he will agree to only spending cuts after today that will hurt seniors and students but not ask anything from millionaires, then they have another thing coming.

It has to be a matter of shared sacrifice.

He expects Congress will likely wait to the last minute tonight to get the deal done. He wishes everyone a happy new year.

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Obama Addresses Fiscal Cliff | 20 comments (20 topical)

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Look, I love my country (5.00 / 3) (#1)
by Dadler on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 01:13:23 PM EST

And Obama doesn't strike me as a completely corrupted human being, but...The Grand Bargain he wishes for, let's be serious, is the codification of the Great American Paradigm that Money Matters More Than People.

This is such worthless, inexcusable absurdity it makes my b*alls ache. Seriously, we use fiat currency, we can design any game we want, that ensures any minimum level of humanity we want, but we don't...because we are greedy and stupid and led by people who have infinitely worse issues than we do, as people happy to live our lives and be decent folks.

When you seek power, but you do not wish to use that power you attain for the genuinely broader good, when you abandon Free American Imagination on the alter of horsesh*t bipartisan fantasies that take no account of the real psychology of human beings...then you deserve to get some serious heat, because you are phucking up.

Obama should be calling the networks every day, setting up a studio in the White House every day, saying "I'm waiting for the serious member of the opposition to show up and argue his humanity with me, but I see no one."

Imagination has left American government as the buffalo have left the prairie.

IOW, we have killed it.

I like you, O, but I don't love you. Love comes from seeing a man willing to risk it all for what he knows is right. You risk nothing for what you know is tepid tapwater.

But it's my anniversary today, 20 years since our NYE first date, 16 since the NYE wedding. And love is all that is worth the headache.

Phuck the roof, raise the goddamn floor already!!!

Peace and Happy New Year, my fellow TL peeps. And I owe you some dough, Jeralyn, for the great site you run. Payment coming in the next hour.

: Happy Anniversary. Forget about (5.00 / 2) (#2)
by oculus on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 01:18:41 PM EST

politics and enjoy.

: Exactly, oculus. (none / 0) (#5)
by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 01:53:52 PM EST

Happy anniversary, Dadler, and a very happy new year.

: heart of the matter (none / 0) (#7)
by coigue on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 02:26:35 PM EST

"led by people who have infinitely worse issues than we do"

I haven't followed this as closely (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by lilburro on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 02:05:11 PM EST

as I might've in the past...I guess the novelty of watching this group negotiate has worn off.

Seems like Obama is more afraid of the fiscal cliff than anyone else (despite earlier posturing to the contrary). Based on the fears of Geithner perhaps or other Wall St connected advisers? And their hopes that the Obama Administration will have more leverage at some unforeseen future point?

I suppose I'll wait for this to play out before drawing my final conclusions but so far I'm disappointed that the Obama team isn't driving a harder bargain. Someone did tell them they won the election and don't have to run again, right?

Pet Peeve: (none / 0) (#3)
by the capstan on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 01:26:13 PM EST

"If Obama thinks...he's got another think coming."

I know, I know, most everyone gets it wrong these days. But consider what he needs to do: he needs to THINK again

your pet peeve is a typo? (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by coigue on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 02:28:24 PM EST

That is not usually a type. (none / 0) (#9)
by the capstan on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 03:19:28 PM EST

(It may have been this time.) But I see it in print and hear it spoken often enough. The 'mis-spoke' word comes from hearing the phrase only, never seeing it in print. That's hardly the only old-time phrase that is misunderstood. I read a book where much mention was made of an 'old bitty'--which should have been an 'old biddy' (comparing a little old woman with a type of very small hen.) Country phrases do not always come across correctly.


Pretty funny that when criticizing J's typo (none / 0) (#10)
by Peter G on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 03:36:26 PM EST

you make your own typo in your subject line, with "type" for "typo"! Or was that a level of intentionally ironic humor that I missed?


Peter, it may be (none / 0) (#14)
by Zorba on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 03:59:35 PM EST

funny, but we do not get to edit our mistakes after we post on this blog. "Another think coming" versus "another thing coming" is a completely different, well, I must say, "thing." See my post #13.
Just sayin'.
At any rate, be well, my brother, and have a Happy New Year.
Namaste. ;-)


: How well I know that we don't get to edit (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by Peter G on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 06:41:14 PM EST

our comments on this blog, once posted. That's why I try to proofread mine at least twice, using the Preview function. And still that doesn't always suffice. Happy New Year to you and yours also, Ms. Zorba, and to all my other TL friends.

it was a typo (none / 0) (#20)
by Jeralyn on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 10:54:48 PM EST

I was transcribing his comments live, typing as I was listening and trying to watch as well.


And, yes, (none / 0) (#4)
by the capstan on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 01:28:26 PM EST

It is the Republicans who have to think again.


Supposed to be 'another THOUGHT coming' (none / 0) (#11)
by ruffian on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 03:38:02 PM EST

I think he conflated that with 'think again' on the fly...like my boss who once said, of a professional dispute with another group- ' there is a loggerjam'.


To be clear, Obama did say 'think coming'. (none / 0) (#12)
by ruffian on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 03:40:59 PM EST

J either had a typo or misheard that.

I think the way Obama said it is very grating which is why it sticks in my head having heard it a couple of times on NPR in the last hour.

Like 'irregardless'.


: I have often heard (5.00 / 1) (#13)
by Zorba on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 03:54:19 PM EST

the "another think coming" version. It's an idiom which is quite common.
Link.
Link.
Link.
And for other examples, just Google the phrase. ;-)

I've never heard this phrase garbled. (none / 0) (#16)
by oculus on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 06:52:12 PM EST

But , then, when was the last time I heard it? My mom when Inwas a kid?


It is a phrase that I have used, used in recent (none / 0) (#17)
by caseyOR on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 06:58:52 PM EST

times. I say "another think coming" and then usually stop and wonder if I've used the wrong word. :-)


I once sd., I could care less, which brought all (none / 0) (#18)
by oculus on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 07:00:53 PM EST

conversation to an abrupt stop.


: I suppose you meant, (none / 0) (#19)
by the capstan on Mon Dec 31, 2012 at 08:21:40 PM EST

"I could not care less!"? Here's one for us all:
"May the worst of 2013 be better than the best of 2012!"