The Issue: The Republicans’ options in talks with President Obama to avoid the fiscal cliff.
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Why are President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner acting like two spoiled schoolkids (“Operation Humiliation,” Rich Lowry, PostOpinion, Dec. 8)?
Boehner should blink by offering a rate increase to 37.5 percent in exchange for some meaningful cuts in entitlements. If the president does not respond accordingly, they should both take a long holiday vacation while the economy goes over the fiscal cliff.
Perhaps after the stock market collapses by 10 to 20 percent in a week to 10 days, they will both come to their senses and realize that they are working for the people, not their individual parties.Steve Hagendorf
New City
It is in the best interest of the progressives of the Democratic Party to allow the country to go over the fiscal cliff. Its stooges in the mainstream media will blame Republicans and hold them responsible for all negative economic consequences. This will give the Democrats a chance to retake the House and forge a filibuster-proof Senate in 2014, giving them unchecked power.
Raising taxes on the top 2 percent will raise enough revenue to pay interest on the national debt for a few weeks. Allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire will bring in enough money to implement the next stages of ObamaCare, a win-win for Democrats.
There are two maneuvers left for Republicans. The House could pass the Republican package and send it to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who would most likely shelve the bill, thereby raising taxes on the middle class.
The Republicans could allow the president’s package to come to the floor for a vote, forcing Democrats in competitive districts to take a stand. Al Paparesta
Brookfield, Conn.
The GOP has handled this fiscal cliff horribly.
It has created a lose-lose situation. If Republicans give in to Obama’s demands, they will be forfeiting their principles. If they stick to their guns, they take the blame for the aftermath. I do not see a solution where the Republicans do not get the shorter stick.
The GOP lost all of its leverage by starting the fiscal-cliff discussions after the election, and it’s paying for it.
The future of the Republican Party is frightening, and the fiscal cliff is only going to make it worse.
Kyle Dorsey
Ridgewood, NJ
Obama wants us to think that those who earn over $250,000 don’t pay enough, and we’d be better off if they did.
The real culprit is spending. Neither Republicans nor Democrats have really reduced the level of government spending in decades. Talks about cuts in spending are only proposed reductions in the growth of spending, and that also rarely happens.
Let’s make real cuts that unleash our power to grow out of debt.
John Corrado
Cos Cob, Conn.
Rather than have Boehner and Mitch McConnell appear saddened and grim with the fiscal-cliff negotiations, they should take a complete-reversal stand and give Obama what he wants.
It will be a shame to see the whole country go to hell in a hand basket, but maybe it’s the only way for the public to see that they voted for the wrong man and the wrong solution.
Angela Ouellette
Delray Beach, Fla.