Biden and G.O.P. Leader Helped Hammer Out Bipartisan Tax Accord

[spanone]

WASHINGTON — As a bipartisan group of Congressional tax writers opened widely watched negotiations last Wednesday over what to do about expiring tax cuts, a secret set of tax talks was taking place just steps off the Senate floor.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and a single staff member had slipped into the ceremonial office of Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to try to hash out a compromise directly with the vice president, who was accompanied by a top aide of his own, Ron Klain, his chief of staff.

The meeting was one of a number of direct conversations over the next few days between Mr. Biden and Mr. McConnell, the Senate Republican leader and a Senate colleague of Mr. Biden’s for nearly 25 years, that ultimately led to the agreement reached Monday. It was a bipartisan bargain that — in a startling departure from the past two years in the capital — ended with Republicans praising it and Democrats claiming they were blindsided and undercut.

According to those knowledgeable about the events that played out over less than a week, the agreement was the product of a fast-paced series of telephone contacts, conference calls and consultations with Congressional leaders. A critical negotiation on Sunday led to a surprise cut in employee payroll taxes as the men sought to wrap up the deal.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/us/politics/08deal.html?hpw=&pagewanted=print

[BrklynLiberal]

1. New definition of "Bipartisan": What ever the repukes want.

Synonym to "compromise"

[readmoreoften]

15. +1

[niceypoo]

2. Bipartisan supply side

[frazzled]

3. Oops, we've forgotten to call Joe the wimp traitor inexperienced guy

Let it begin!

I just want to know what efforts Harry Reid made to negotiate this with McConnell before Saturday's vote. If he did try, he sure as hell failed altogether.

[TwilightGardener]

8. Sez in the article that Obama realized early on that the Senate Dems

couldn't come to an agreement on the cuts--so they had to look elsewhere.

[gateley]

4. Some people are saying that after looking into it more closely, it really isn't as

bad as it appears and can actually help with the stimulus provision.

But my complaint still is -- It's adding too much to the deficit! Isn't that the most important thing?

I've been back and forth with this, but I think I've finally landed on NO! We may be hurt in the short term, but adding to the deficit will affect EVERYBODY for GENERATIONS to come!

I pray this doesn't pass.

[spanone]

6. i wonder why Biden & Obama didn't keep dem congressional leaders involved in these talks

they could have avoided all this ...

[gateley]

9. No kidding! What were they thinking? nt

[TwilightGardener]

5. That's very interesting, thanks. Biden worked his ass off.

[Bluebear]

11. yeah, he worked his ass off for the credit card companies too

[TwilightGardener]

12. Yeah. He's not really to the left of Obama. But he knows the Senate.

That's a handy skill.

[HipChick]

7. Cue the Biden hate fest

[gateley]

10. I'm not sure he could have done anything differently seeing as how he's the VP -

I'm mad at Obama for letting it get this far. I think Joe should have insisted on including others in the negotiations, or something.

[lunatica]

13. And thus, the rich get richer

Now that's the Grand All American Dream coming to fruition! Doesn't it make you proud?!

:sarcasm:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. McConnell had the hammer, Biden came with the marshmallow and a smile.