Why is McConnell trying to drag Biden into this? (updated)

[ProSense]

Tell Mitch to go to hell. He's supposed to deal with Reid.

Chained CPI is a non-starter, and Democrats should cut the crap.

Updated to add:

With 33 hours to go

By Steve Benen

The plan, by the most optimistic of scenarios, was for the Senate leaders to reach some kind of fiscal agreement this afternoon, vote on it tonight, and send it to the House for a vote tomorrow. How's that plan shaping up? Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) spoke a few minutes ago on the floor and said the following:

"We have been negotiating now for 36 hours or thereabouts. We did have conversations last night that ended late in the evening between staffs. This morning, we have been trying to come up with some counteroffer to my friend's proposal. We have been unable to do that. I have had a number of conversations with the President, and at this stage we're unable to make a counteroffer.

"The Republican leader has told me that -- and he's just said here -- that he's working with the Vice President, and he and the Vice President, I wish them well. In the meantime, I will continue to try to come up with something but at this stage, I don't have a counteroffer to make. Perhaps as the day wears on, I will be able to. I will say this: I think that the Republican leader has shown absolutely good faith. It's just that we are apart on some pretty big issues."

"We are apart" is an excellent three-word summary. By any fair estimate, Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and their aides have worked aggressively since Friday night, but the predictable obstacles are proving to be intractable. Republicans, at least for now, are simply demanding too much of the Senate majority.

<...>

What seems to be the trouble? As of this afternoon, McConnell is demanding chained CPI, and wants more tax breaks for the wealthiest of the wealthy through higher estate-tax thresholds. He's also refusing to include a debt-ceiling increase in the agreement...Republicans are holding up middle class tax breaks by demanding cuts to Social Security benefits and a tax break for the top 0.01% of the country -- all while laying the groundwork for another hostage crisis in two months.

Reid just can't go along with this, so the two sides are at an impasse. McConnell has turned to Vice President Biden to see what more can be done, but at this hour, it does not appear a deal is going to come together. Reid may bring a sensible compromise to the floor later, based solely on what Dems find fair, but by all indications, it would be killed by a Republican filibuster.

- more -

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/12/30/16252721-with-33-hours-to-go

WTF? No deal.

[Cali_Democrat]

1. Here's the story:

Top Republican Senator urges Biden to break ‘fiscal cliff’ impasse

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/top-republican-senator-urges-biden-break-fiscal-cliff-194733815--politics.html

[ProSense]

8. No deal.

Screw Mitch, and screw the debt ceiling if it means cutting Social Security.

What's the rush? Deal with the debt ceiling later. These should not be conflated.

[cthulu2016]

2. I read somewhere that Joe Biden is white

Meant to make Obama look weak and unreasonable. With a seasoned white man at the table everything would be better.

[Cali_Democrat]

3. So you think the GOP wants Biden to essentially stab Obama in the back?

[Enrique]

5. Biden doesn't have the power to do that

any deal he cuts with McConnell, if Obama doesn't like it he can veto it.

[spanone]

4. guess it depends on who the SS holdouts are? maybe biden knows them well?????

Speck U. Lation

[Enrique]

6. it's like asking for the manager

they can't get the SS Cuts from Reid, so they are trying to go over his head.

[Angry Dragon]

7. the tortoise should just go swim off into the sea