Friday, November 30, 2012

Negotiate to WIN! Hijinks Ensue.

I see the fiscal cliff has given us an opportunity to return to Big Guy’s WINNING! negotiation strategy that I call the  “How about you give me your new car for my old shoes?” scuffle. For some reason it’s been working for him for a long time.

obama-shoesPortrait of a young man with an old sole…and a big plan

Maybe it’s because those old shoes always come in handy for kicking the can down the road.

Assuming there is a road…at the end I mean.

bridge-to-nowhere-norway[3]Danger: road may end at the cliff’s edge

pd_thelma_louise_nt_120716_wgBoy, I hope they don’t crash that new car I just gave them

Charles Krauthammer explains how Big Guy’s 2% solution of higher taxes, more stimulus spending and no entitlement cuts might work:

Obama is claiming an electoral mandate to raise taxes on the top 2 percent. Perhaps, but remember those incessant campaign ads promising a return to the economic nirvana of the Clinton years? Well, George W. Bush cut rates across the board, not just for the top 2 percent. Going back to the Clinton rates means middle-class tax hikes that yield four times the revenue that you get from just the rich.

So give Obama the full Clinton. Let him live with that. And with what also lies on the other side of the cliff: 28 million Americans newly subject to the ruinous alternative minimum tax.

Republicans must stop acting like supplicants. If Obama so loves those Clinton rates, Republicans should say: Then go over the cliff and have them all.

And add: But if you want a grand bargain, then deal. If we give way on taxes, we want, in return, serious discretionary cuts, clearly spelled-out entitlement cuts and real tax reform.

Otherwise, strap on your parachute, Mr. President. We’ll ride down together.

So, from where I sit it looks safe to say we’re still firmly entrenched in Wonderland; hijinks ensue.

Alice-in-Wonderland-Alice-001“If you drink much from a bottle marked 'poison' it is certain to disagree with you sooner or later.”

I think the operative term here is “later.”

bo wimpy cut tuesday copy

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if anyone offers to sweeten the deal.

mos treat2

Linked By: Moonbattery, and  Zilla Stevenson on twitter, and BlogsLucianneLoves, and NOBO2012 on Free Republic, Thanks!

Administrative Note: I’m not available to check in on things regularly for the rest of the weekend. Butt I’ll catch up in the evenings. I know you’ll carry on honorably without me.