We've Seen This Movie Before

And we know how it ends.

I'm talking about the little dance routine going on between GOP and Democratic leaders over the "fiscal cliff" negotiations. As I listen to Speaker Boehner and Senator McConnell go through their usual rhetorical machinations, I ask myself how guys so easy to roll got to be in top leadership spots. I feel like it is inevitable that the GOP will cave on "revenues" in exchange for some vague and distant spending cuts. And, they'll still get the blame for whatever fiscal tragedy occurs.

It particularly bothers me since the answer is simple. The President's campaign had only one consistent, specific theme. He asked that those making over $250,000/yr. pay "a little bit more" as part of "a balanced approach" to reducing the deficit. The election results came in and it would seem that the people agreed with the President.

As such, the Speaker should announce that "the people have spoken" and the House should immediately pass a bill extending the Bush tax cuts to all taxpayers except those making over $250,000. He should then ask the President to outline the spending cuts which were to be his part of the "balanced" deficit reduction. This would compel the President to put something on the table or be exposed as (to use his term)  a "bulls.....r".

The Republicans could stay faithful to their "no tax increase" pledge. Their vote, after all, would be to extend most of a tax cut, not to raise any tax. The President would be left to explain how his campaign rhetoric regarding taxing the rich brings in only $80 or $90 billion and leaves us over $1 trillion short of balancing the budget. That should be interesting.

Unfortunately, I don't think our GOP "leaders" have a clue. If, instead of winning, they cave again, the GOP may be finished, because the Tea Party members and other fiscally conservative Republicans are almost certain to say good-bye.

UPDATE: Here's an interesting article proposing that the GOP adopt the Simpson-Bowles deficit plan as an alternative to the almost certain disaster awiting them as a result of the current "negotiations".