For weeks we have been watching Speaker of the House John Boehner negotiate with President Obama to no effect.\u00a0 It seems like every day Boehner caved a little more.\u00a0 It was becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between his plan and the most liberal Democratic proposal.\u00a0 But yesterday, John Boehner was on his game.\u00a0 He called a press conference and made the following statement:<\/p>\n
Tomorrow, the House will pass legislation to make permanent tax relief for nearly every American,” Boehner said. “Then the president will have a decision to make. He can call on the Senate Democrats to pass that bill or he can be responsible for the largest tax increase in American history.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The Republican proposal will raise taxes on only people whose income is above $1 million.\u00a0 The Bush tax rates continue for everyone else.\u00a0 He proposed no spending cuts.\u00a0 No deal on the debt limit.\u00a0 No new stimulus spending.\u00a0 The only thing being proposed is what Obama said was his principle objective:\u00a0 increasing taxes on the rich.\u00a0 It is identical to what Nancy Pelosi proposed last year.\u00a0 Then he challenged the President to either sign that bill or let the Bush tax cuts expire.\u00a0 Suddenly, the only person in a position to stop us from going over the fiscal cliff is the President of the United States.\u00a0 The only action he is required to do is sign a bill doing exactly what he proposed in the first place.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Boehner sure looks like a man who is fed up. \u00a0\u00a0It is going to be extremely difficult for President Obama to veto that bill.\u00a0 It is also going to be difficult for Harry Reid to block that bill.\u00a0 This is a brilliant political move.\u00a0 Boehner called the President\u2019s bluff.<\/p>\n Boehner just put Obama between a rock and a hard place.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know if we got here because of a brilliant strategy on the part of John Boehner, or mere incompetence on the part of the President.\u00a0 Perhaps it doesn\u2019t even matter.\u00a0 What matters is that John Boehner just made the President an offer he can\u2019t afford to turn down.\u00a0 It\u2019s a beautiful thing.<\/p>\n TDM<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For weeks we have been watching Speaker of the House John Boehner negotiate with President Obama to no effect.\u00a0 It seems like every day Boehner caved a little more.\u00a0 It was becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between his plan and … Continue reading