December 31, 2012 by David K. Sutton

A Fiscal Cliff Deal? – Not Before We Jump

We are all jumping off the cliff at midnight. — Apparently there will be no vote tonight on a deal to avert the fiscal cliff. Earlier today it was announced by Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell that a deal on the tax side was reached, but a deal on the spending side is still pending.

But I gotta ask this: If a deal isn’t going to happen before we all go off the fiscal cliff, then why agree to anything at all? This question is posed more towards Democrats and liberals than Republicans and conservatives. We know all taxes go up at midnight. Why compromise at all on a tax deal when we know this is now going to happen?

President Obama did win re-election…Right? Republicans lost seats in both the Senate and the House…Right? Republicans lost big on a number of social issues on election night…Right? And President Obama campaigned on the promise to raise taxes on families making $250,000 a year or more…Right? And all taxes go up at midnight…Right?

So how is it that Republicans have any room to bargain on taxes?