Because the deal was not reached till January 1st,

[mary195149]

did we technically go off the cliff? Or because January 1st was a holiday, were we saved by not going off the cliff? What is correct?

[Myrina]

1. I wondered the same thing ...

... because if we did NOT 'officially go off the cliff', that sort of confirms that the whole tooth-gnashing drama was just made up BS, doesn't it?

[Cleita]

2. Sort of looks to us laymen like they changed the rules again.

My opinion is that they were trying to beat the markets opening on Jan. 2, and the last Congress is still in session until tomorrow Jan. 4.

[phleshdef]

3. Technically we did. But we really didn't. The deal was already in motion beforehand.

And it was passed in time for there to be zero impact on pay checks.

[Igel]

4. We went off the cliff.

But the fact that the first day of freefall was a holiday, we went off the cliff Wiley Coyote style. We hung there.

Unlike Wiley, always unsuccessful in clawing his way back to firm earth, the House managed to claw its way back. But instead of firm earth, it found morass.

Takes a real gift to find a swamp inches away from a cliff. Unnatural, that.

[whistler162]

5. With a bungy cord!