If Dems scotch a deal, cont.
Reports that Biden, taking up the fiscal cliff baton, is on the point of giving away the store have sparked deep depression in the left-side twittersphere this morning, leading me to this acid flashback:
@xpostfactoid1 another past pattern possible: Dems balk as crappy deal takes shape; O makes a last-minute ask to pacify them; Repubs reject & go home 7:53 AM - 31 Dec 12 · Details
And on cue, we have this from Senator Tom Harkin this morning:
December 31st, 2012 11:13 AM ET Washington (CNN) - Sen. Tom Harkin, a veteran Democrat and a leading liberal voice, told CNN Monday that he and other Democrats may try to block the fiscal cliff deal that's being furiously negotiated ahead of the year-end deadline.
"They think Republicans may object? We may object," Harkin told CNN.
The Iowa Democrat said he and other progressives are furious about any suggestion of raising the household income threshold to $450,000 for tax cut extensions. President Barack Obama campaigned on a promise to raise rates on households making more than $250,000 a year.
Unless the Dem negotiators have a few rabbits in the hat, as in December 2010 (e.g., higher taxes on investment income kicking in at a lower threshold, high income deduction limits, payroll tax cut extension, EITC, expanded child tax credit and college tuition credits made permanent, debt ceiling deal), calling a halt would be a good thing. But as I worried on Saturday, Dems will lose their leverage if they're the ones seen as scotching a deal. Though Chuck Todd raises my hopes for some cover:
@chucktodd
Well, the more folks on both sides in House and Sen learn about this McConnell- Biden deal, the more they don't like it.#facepalm
Just spinning wheels, I guess. I remain torn between hope that any deal that emerges prior to midnight will be better than expected and fear that Obama & co. will give away the store, as Obama was apparently prepared to do in July 2011.