The talks between President Obama and congressional Republicans to avoid looming tax hikes and steep spending cuts regressed Monday to the same old sticking point — raising taxes on wealthier Americans.
Reports of the death of Grover Norquist's tax pledge have been exaggerated. The left is doing its best to make tax hikes appear to be a foregone conclusion. The pressure is now on Republicans to break their word and sign on to the old trick of approving more revenue for Uncle Sam in return for spending cuts that will never happen.
Sen. Lindsey Graham says he is willing to violate Grover Norquist's "no taxes" pledge if Democrats will agree to entitlement program cuts.
As fiscal cliff negotiations between Congress and the White House start in earnest this week, conservatives are under pressure to stay true to their principles. Postelection, House Speaker John A. Boehner said Republicans may give in to more revenue demands -- but not rate hikes -- as long as the package includes real spending cuts and entitlement reform.
America's race toward the so-called "fiscal cliff" of automatic, massive tax increases is only part of the problem. This Thelma has her Louise -- the Obamacare taxes -- and hand-in-hand, these two terrors are racing toward Jan. 1.
"Regardless of the final results of the election, Wednesday, Nov. 7 continues a gigantic battle between small-government, constitutional conservatives and the big-government Republicans for the heart and soul of the GOP," longtime conservative maven Richard Viguerie tells Inside the Beltway.
Interest groups are technically obeying an unusual effort to keep third-party advertising out of the Massachusetts U.S. Senate race — including one union that recently switched its Internet ads supporting Democrat Elizabeth Warren to ads supporting President Obama — but that hasn't stopped them from finding other ways to try to sway the marquee matchup.
Looking to erase the memory of President Obama's widely panned debate performance from a week ago, Vice President Joseph R. Biden took the fight to his rival Paul Ryan on Thursday, accusing him of obfuscating Republicans' tax cut plans and calling GOP criticism of the administration's handling of last month's Libya terrorist attack "malarkey."
To many, Donald Trump still cuts a striking presidential figure across the political landscape. No matter how much his critics squawk, Mr. Trump's fans remain convinced that the billionaire would still make a swell president.
