CNN reports, “US President Barack Obama offered to back away from his position that tax hikes should begin at $250,000 in annual income, delivering a fresh concession to congressional Republicans as talks to avert the fiscal cliff intensified in Washington.”
And the New York Times added this morning, “President Obama delivered Speaker John A. Boehner a new offer on Monday to resolve the pending fiscal crisis — and what may be close to a final deal, which would raise revenues by $1.2 trillion over the next decade but keep in place the Bush-era tax rates for any household with earnings below $400,000.”
But in a statement just released by the White House, spokesman Jay Carney signals to deal might be far away:
So, no surprise, the White House believes they are being “reasonable” and the Republicans are not, even as Boehner puts forth the so-called “Plan B.”
BuzzFeed reports that Boehner’s new plan adopts some of Nancy Pelosi’s ideas. “Speaker of the House John Boehner’s ‘Plan B’ to avert the fiscal cliff would cut taxes for incomes under $1 million — a higher threshold than the White House demands, but one that had a powerful backer, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi,” reports BuzzFeed.
This morning’s sudden burst of articles saying that a deal might be close appears only to be a media hubbub over a deal that would unlikely pass the Republican House, if it’s even a “deal” at all.
