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Framework for a 'fiscal cliff' deal

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    Assessing where negotiations stand

  • Duration 4:06
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-- of the talks to avoid the fiscal cliff it seems the framework for a deal actually might be taking shape if so what will it look like.

David Drucker has been nosing around a -- he is the associate politics editor at roll call.

When you hear -- the senators and you know the speaker of the house the president come out and talk it doesn't sound like they're all that close David.

Are you optimistic.

Well I'm sort of on the fence here John I think -- whenever you hear members of congress talk about any kind of fiscal cliff deal.

You have to -- you have to approach it it -- a sort of believe everything and believe nothing attitude.

I think that that everybody wants to avoid having taxes go offer for all Americans as of January 1.

But everybody has a price for that.

And hit it.

To me it's about whether or not both sides are looking for a win win deal meeting.

My opponent wins and I win or whether both sides are one of the sides are looking -- deal where only I win -- you lose.

And on top of all that that we have to look at what do they wanna include in any sort of deal are we gonna when -- address.

Entitlement reform are we gonna cut spending you know we only trying to -- a deal with the tax cut issue.

Are we gonna try and address the debt ceiling issue and so there are a lot of moving parts here.

There's so.

It seems that -- that you know be in the campaign promise of the president to raise taxes.

On couples making over 250000 dollars a year it seems like that almost has to come true.

In some form for the president and the Democrats to it to swallow a deal.

I think so I think the president has been committed to this from the beginning of his political career he campaigned on it in his reelection run.

And he won and he's made it very clear that that's what he wants to happen and Democrats have been after this.

For years and there -- about -- committed to raising taxes on this level of income earners as Republicans art of preventing such attacks increase.

And -- so I think that for Republicans it's -- about.

Are they offered some thing that allows them to sell this because for Republicans.

There a couple of considerations that they don't want to get blamed for if everybody's taxes go up that could be politically problematic.

But they can't afford to appear as though the rolling over and not getting anything they want they do have a house majority.

And they don't want their base of support to feel as though they didn't fight for any thing because they -- the campaign fund raising dollars to dry up.

Everybody in the house faces a primary next year and whether or not they have a tough opponent or not is on the table and so there are so many considerations.

It's so if if these talks fail and we go over the fiscal cliff do both sides share in the blame equally.

I don't think so I think it's likely that there -- house Republicans and and even senate Republicans.

And even though and if there in the minority in the senate are gonna get more of the blame but it it depends on what kind of you mean you're taking here you're Republican.

I don't think it would be wise for them politically to take just any deal to avoid.

Political blame for the fiscal cliff because it could could cause the more internal problems looking ahead -- fourteen.

And if you're looking from a philosophical point of view where substantively Republicans believe in things and and think certain things are better for the economy in the country.

They're going to be in a weaker position to achieve any of those things.

But they have to take into consideration the idea that.

Everybody's taxes are gonna go up January 1 if there's no deal.

And it's not going to be all on the president's shoulders in fact most of it might be on there's at least temporarily or or for good and they have to decide.

What is the better position.

And then.

You know will the president and the Democrats offer them something that they really should take significant spending cuts.

Some kind of significant entitlement reform those are the kind of things Republicans have been after for a long time.

And even -- be grumbling about tax increases on on a certain income level.

That's something they could take Coleman and really -- so it just depends on where this goes -- brinksmanship continues David Drucker from roll call David thank you.

Think.

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