McConnell To Obama: Fiscal Cliff Was ‘The Last Word On Taxes’

[DonViejo]

In a new op-ed for Yahoo News, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) defends the fiscal cliff agreement he helped broker as imperfect but necessary to avoid a bigger tax hike.

He also seeks to provoke President Obama into a debate over the upcoming debt limit increase, which the president has promised not to have.

McConnell writes:

Predictably, the President is already claiming that his tax hike on the “rich” isn’t enough. I have news for him: the moment that he and virtually every elected Democrat in Washington signed off on the terms of the current arrangement, it was the last word on taxes. That debate is over. Now the conversation turns to cutting spending on the government programs that are the real source of the nation’s fiscal imbalance. And the upcoming debate on the debt limit is the perfect time to have that discussion.

We simply cannot increase the nation’s borrowing limit without committing to long overdue reforms to spending programs that are the very cause of our debt.

The only way to achieve the balance the President claims to want is by cutting spending. As he himself has admitted, no amount of tax hikes or revenue could possibly keep up with the amount of money Washington is projected to spend in the coming years.

-30-

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/mcconnell-to-obama-fiscal-cliff-was-last-word?ref=fpa

Link to McConnell's Column:
http://news.yahoo.com/mcconnell--fiscal-cliff-deal-not-great--but-it-shields-americans-from-tax-hike-010532341.html

[gateley]

1. Aw, just shut up, Mitch.

[Cary]

2. Which part of "Minority" does McChinless not understand?

Elections have consequences.

[Panasonic]

3. And if Yertle the Turtle thinks he's staying past 2014..

He's whistling his shit into the wind.

Senator-elect Judd in 2014 will be kicking his ass EASILY.

[Cary]

5. From you fingertips to God's ear. n/t

[global1]

4. Cut Defense. End The War In Afghanistans Now. Negotiate Pricing On Drugs In Medicare. Close The..

corporate loopholes. Cut pork out of Repug states/districts. Tax stock transactions.

I'm sure we can come up with a lot of ways to aid this nation's fiscal imbalance - which was mostly caused by the Repugs during BushCo's terms.

[shawn703]

6. Mitch is about to have a rude awakening

When Obama demands at least $1 in new revenue for each $1 in spending cuts - not counting what was just passed to avert the fiscal cliff.

[Filibuster Harry]

7. The last say on tax hikes?? These guys just don't get it. You need a balance of tax hikes and

spending cuts. Lets get the corps to bring money back in this country at 15% and end that kind of tax
loophole. Only 9% of Federal Revenues come from Corps whereas in 1952 32% came from them.
Need to end the subsidies and cut out the tax loopholes. NOW!!! Otherwise -- can anyone say government shutdown???

[maxsolomon]

8. I agree. Let's talk about the Department of Defense

What, defense spending stimulates the economy? First I've heard of it!

[high density]

9. The Republicans...

They ran up huge deficits with tax cuts and wars, now they're telling us that Social Security and Medicare are the real problems. I have to hand it to them, it was a brilliant plan.