Cliff Jumpers, Cliff Deniers & The President

Washington Democrats do not seem to have a cohesive strategy to tackle the ‘fiscal cliff.’ A large segment of Congressional Democrats want to take the country over the cliff, and another bloc of Dems deny it’s a cliff at all. When the President calls on Congress to cooperate, we hope he’s speaking to his own party.

The Crowd That Wants To Take You Over The Cliff:

“Call Them Cliff Jumpers”: Dems Not Afraid To Watch Defense Spending Get Gouged And Taxes Go Up On Every American. “A growing bloc of emboldened liberals say they’re not afraid to watch defense spending get gouged and taxes go up on every American if a budget deal doesn’t satisfy their priorities.” (Seung Min Kim, “Fiscal cliff: Will they jump?,” Politico, 11/27/12)

They Include Incoming Senate Budget Chair Patty Murray (D-WA). “Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and other Democrats have said their party’s leaders should seriously consider letting the Jan. 1 deadline pass and then negotiate with Republicans under sharply different circumstances.” (Andrew Taylor, “Some Dems: Drive Over 'Fiscal Cliff,' Then Bargain,” The Associated Press, 11/13/12)

The Crowd That Says The Cliff Isn’t Really A Cliff At All …. More Like A Slope, Or What Have You:

Some Democrats Say The ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Is More Of A Curve Or A Slope. “However, there's a school of thought that the cliff is actually a slope, and the economy could withstand the effects of the automatic spending cuts and the renewal of Clinton-era tax rates for at least a few weeks to give time for negotiations to continue.” (Darren Samuelsohn, “Fiscal 'Cliff'? Democrats Say 'Slope',” Politico, 11/26/12)

Dems Say Fiscal Impacts Of Tax Hikes & Defense Cuts Will Be More Gentle Than Reporters Think. “Reporters covering the fiscal cliff debate often hear from sources on the left pleading for them to stop calling it a ‘cliff.’ Use something gentler that really reflects the situation, they say, like ‘slope’ or ‘curve.’” (Andrew Taylor, “Some Dems: Drive Over 'Fiscal Cliff,' Then Bargain,” The Associated Press, 11/13/12)

Then You Have The President Who Called The Cliff “Urgent Business”:

President Calls ‘Fiscal Cliff’ “Urgent Business” … Seeks Cooperation From Congress. “President Obama appealed for cooperation and compromise from congressional leaders Friday, saying that surmounting the so-called fiscal cliff at year's end is ‘urgent business.’” (Barack Obama Warns Congress: Fiscal Cliff Is 'Urgent Business,'” The Associated Press, 11/16/12)

President Starts Public Campaign To Lobby Support For Averting Fiscal Cliff. “President Barack Obama will launch a multipronged push this week to garner support for his proposals to solve U.S. fiscal problems, meeting with business executives at the White House and visiting a small business in Pennsylvania to press his case.” (Jeff Mason, “Obama To Meet Executives, Go To Pennsylvania For Fiscal Push,” Reuters, 11/27/12)

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