-House Speaker Boehner, Sen. Majority Leader Reid Stake Out Positions
-Rep. Boehner: ‘All Eyes Are On the White House’
-Sen. Reid: GOP Must ‘Come Forward With Something’ In Budget Talks

By John Shaw

WASHINGTON (MNI) – The only surprising thing about Thursday’s
rhetorical clash between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House
Speaker John Boehner over the impasse on the fiscal cliff is that some
are apparently surprised about their dueling versions of the
negotiations.

Budget experts have long predicted difficult and protracted
negotiations over the fiscal cliff between the White House and Congress.

They say that there will be peaks and valleys in the talks as both
parties resist pressure to make concessions in areas that are critical
to them.

Democrats are reluctant to make major concessions on entitlements
and Republicans don’t want to give in on taxes.

Boehner, who just Wednesday said he was “optimistic” about reaching
a fiscal cliff agreement with President Obama, took a very different
stance Thursday.

Apparently angered about the leaking of a telephone call he had
with Obama Wednesday evening and by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner’s
largely symbolic visit to Capitol Hill Thursday, Boehner adopted an
aggressively frustrated tone Thursday in a briefing.

“No substantive progress has been made in the talks between the
White House and the House over the last two weeks,” the Speaker said.

“I’ve got tell you, I’m disappointed in where we are and
disappointed in what’s happened over the last several weeks,” he added.

The Speaker said Obama and his team have been more focused on
tactical skirmishing than in solving the fiscal cliff impasse.

“Listen, this is not a game. Jobs are on the line. The American
economy is on the line and this is a moment for adult leadership.
Campaign-style rallies and one-sided leaks in the press are not the way
to get things done here in Washington,” Boehner snapped.

“I’m going to do everything I can to avoid putting the American
economy, the American people through the fiasco of going over the fiscal
cliff,” he said.

In his most direct effort to blame Obama, Boehner said, “Right now,
all eyes are on the White House.”

But Reid, appearing with his Senate Democratic leadership team
Thursday, ripped into the GOP, saying that Republican leadership
acceptance of “new revenues” is little more than a vapid soundbite.

“Let them come forward with something,” Reid said at a briefing,
adding that Republicans have only offered “happy talk” not specific
proposals.

Reid said the Democratic position remains that the House should
pass a bill already approved by the Senate this summer that would extend
Bush-era tax cuts for those making $250,000 or less.

He said this would save about $1 trillion over a decade compared to
the GOP plan to extend all the Bush era tax cuts. He called this a
“downpayment” on deficit reduction.

Reid said Democrats will not offer any additional ideas until the
GOP offers a specific proposal.

Reid was joined at his briefing by Senate Majority Whip Dick
Durbin, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Sen. Patty Murray.

Schumer said he remains “confident” that a fiscal cliff deal will
come together by Christmas and predicted that Republican concessions on
taxes are coming soon.

“The onus is on them to come forward with ideas,” Schumer said.

** MNI Washington Bureau: (202) 371-2121 **

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