"Biden Visit Does Little to Ease Tax Deal Ire"

[Clio the Leo]

Biden Visit Does Little to Ease Tax Deal Ire
By John Stanton
Roll Call Staff
3:18 p.m.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid warned Tuesday that he may not have the votes to pass President Barack Obama’s deal with the GOP to extend all of the Bush-era tax cuts for two years.

When asked whether he would have enough support to pass the legislation, the Nevada Democrat said, “No. I think we’re going to have to do some more work” in persuading Members to approve the agreement.

However, Reid hinted that the political realities of letting the deal collapse — which would result in the tax cuts lapsing Jan. 1 — could shift the landscape. “We have to realize where we are and see where votes are when it’s all over,” he said.

Reid’s comments came after a closed-door meeting with Vice President Joseph Biden, which did virtually nothing to ease the concerns of rank-and-file Democrats in the Senate.

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http://www.rollcall.com/news/-201233-1.html

[Cali_Democrat]

1. This is all part of Obama's plan

He wanted to let the GOP and corporate media get all excited over the extension of the tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, but Obama knew that his own party would reject it in Congress.

This way Obama looks like a pragmatist and a reasonable guy, calm cool and collected. The Dems and Republicans in Congress look like partisan hacks and Obama will now be able to appeal to the Independent vote he lost in the last election. Obama will look like the peace maker.

At the end of the day, the deal gets killed anyways!

Super hyper-dimensional vulcan chess at it's finest. The rest are playing checkers.

[BluegrassDem]

2. No, the deal just gets resurrected in January with a GOP House

and more Repugs in the Senate. This deal will go into effect.

[Cali_Democrat]

3. Dems in the Senate can block it

Block it with the majority. Or if they can't get the majority, filibuster.

[frylock]

4. maybe obama can ram it through using reconciliation