"Fiscal cliff' deal rests with two old negotiating partners: Biden and McConnell

Vice President Joe Biden, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House John Boehner, from left, look on as Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii, lies in state on the floor of the Capitol Rotunda, Dec. 20, 2012, in Washington, DC. / AFP PHOTO/Paul J. Richards

As the hours wind down before the so-called "fiscal cliff" deadline, it appears that the fate of the nation's economy is in the hands of two players who have been left out of negotiations until the 11th hour: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Vice President Joe Biden.

After Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., delayed a promised counter-proposal Sunday, McConnell aired his frustrations publicly saying that he is willing to negotiate but needed a "dance partner." He reached out to Biden Sunday afternoon to fill out his dance card.

President Obama left the task to working out a deal to Reid and McConnell after a Friday afternoon meeting at the White House and both sounded optimistic that they could reach a deal. They have worked together in leadership for more than a decade and they both understand the difficulties of maintaining good faith while respecting the wishes of their divergent caucuses.

"I think they both recognize and respect these skills in each other. They keep their word to each other," a former top aide to Reid told CBSNews.com. "They're both consummate dealmakers," the aide added. Proof is that in this polarized environment, most items that come to the Senate floor - especially if it passes - requires compromise and agreement between Reid and McConnell.

But the environment is indeed polarized and Reid and McConnell have been sparring over what seems would be the most simple legislation to the most complex. The Senate has been stalemated over judicial nominations to funding bills. Now, the two are at odds over Reid's threat to change the Senate rules to make it more difficult to filibuster - or block legislation.

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Thus negotiations over the "fiscal cliff" have proved difficult for the two leaders. That prompted McConnell to reach out to a familiar negotiating partner: Biden.

The Biden-McConnell duo makes a lot of sense but at the same time defies the odds. As minority leader, McConnell has little control of what passes the legislative body. He has much greater ability to block what the majority party is trying to push through. And as vice president, Biden must defer to the president. He is, after all, second in command.

But the two have a long history.

They served in the Senate together for 25 years. McConnell backed one of Biden's biggest accomplishments voting for the 1994 crime bill that included the assault weapons ban (a bill that has been back in the news following the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn.)

Their relationship seems to go beyond their ability to negotiate; it is a relationship of mutual respect. McConnell invited Biden to be a featured speaker at the University of Louisville last year and introduced Biden as someone who is "almost impossible not to like."

But more recently, McConnell and Biden's roles have become more prominent, stepping up to finalize what Mr. Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, had been unable to accomplish.. When the American economy was on the brink of catastrophe after Congress was unable to come to an agreement on lifting the debt ceiling in August 2011, it was the two longtime legislators who sealed the deal. They finalized the details, ironically, that led to the automatic $1.2 trillion of across-the-board spending cuts to defense and non-defense programs that are set to go into effect Wednesday. Bringing in Biden to talk with McConnell was considered the administration's "last play," according to Politico.

The other time the economy was on the brink, in December 2010, when tax rates for all Americans were set to increase to pre- Bush levels, it was McConnell and Biden who worked together to come up with the two year extension (which expire tonight). "They didn't use [Biden] soon enough," said former Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H. in 2011. "That was one of their problems."

As Biden and McConnell negotiated an extension of the Bush-era tax rates and attempt to deal with the spending cuts - both of which exist thanks to their previous deals - perhaps they can be blamed for two of the major pillars of the "fiscal cliff" that Congress is working to avert. But if past is prologue, they have also proven that they are capable of coming up a deal to avoid - or at least postpone - the latest crisis.

[DOGGYPANTS]

I suggest that Obama ask the lower class and Democrats to do their fair share. Democrats control our largest cities where crime is out of control, where child abuse is rampant ,where children do not learn in schools, and where many people refuse to work because they get so much from the Federal Government, that they are encouraged to suck the system dry. Occupy Wall Street Protesters defecate on our streets while complaining about not getting enough freebies.

In Toledo Ohio, Democrat Rep. Marcy Kaptur has ruled for almost 30 years, and the City of Toledo is now known as a national hub for the trafficking of child prostitutes. Instead of blaming the "rich and blaming "white males," its time that Obama blames himself and fellow Democrats in those large urban areas.

[logictoo]

I posted earlier about 3 rich white men in the photo. You responded correctly. Liberals had nothing to say about my "racist post" and me calling them 3 rich white men. If there had been a photo of three black me and I had commented referring to 3 black men I would have been called more names than just being a racist. My post being racist(3 white men), Liberals have no problem with that, they think I am one of them. I can show neighborhoods of so called "trailer trash" where one can walk safely at night. I can also show you nicer neighborhoods where I would dare to walk at night.

[hillzagain]

usbworks replies:
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I completely understand how difficult this is for you.

You'll have to pay the higher tax rate on that $1 over the $400,000 cutoff.

I realize that out of principle you're opposed to that increase on the $1 and would rather see your taxes go up on the whole $400,001.

You and Republicans like you give me great hope that the House will revert back to Democrats in 2014. Happy new year!
_______________________________________________________-

While you point out something that many people either don't know or don't understand, if the comments on this site are any indication, the lack of education on the meaning of marginal tax rate is a far more serious affliction amongst the Democrats and Liberals than Republicans or Conservatives.

[sjc_1]

All they have to do is income and net worth test Medicare and Social Security. They do not have to increase the payroll tax, just remove the income cap so everyone pays all year.

[jamarsr]

Why is FOX the only one reporting the $900 to $1,100 pay raises handed out by Obama to Congress? We're being taxed so they can get a least a $900 raise? We really NEED to clean Washington out. I'm tired of paying "ENTITLEMENTS" to congress. They ALL have to go!!

[jamarsr]

OBAMA just sgave congress a pay raise!! What the hell? A raise for what????????

[jamarsr]

OBAMA just sgave congress a pay raise!! What the hell? A raise for what????????

[littlemjs]

Thank goodness Reid has been taken out of the negotiations! He was an albatross and bringing them down with his grandstanding and inflammatory comments! Kudos to you McConnell for calling for someone else. Not a big fan of Biden, but he was well known as a negotiator in his days in the Senate...Unlike Harry Reid....who likes to stir things up and get everyone all riled up with his stupid comments and grandstanding! Harry has never seen a podium he didn't like! lol

[logictoo]

Appears to be three rich white men in the photo. They probably trying to figure what to set the extra tax cap so it won't include themselves. Really they are not rich men. They all earn under the $250,000. That put them in the same middle class as most of us. All the perks don't count as income.

[DOGGYPANTS]

In today's Whitehouse video about the Fiscal Cliff, are shown six people, and counting the President, fifty % of the group are persons of color, and fifty% are female. White Males represent 17% of the Obama's tv representation of the middle class.

However, research shows that Obama is wrong; the middle class is mainly white, and white male demographics are about are three times higher than in Barrack's TV Model.

[usbworks]

Oh my God that is the perfect photo of Mitch McConnell and John Boehner together. Mr. ugly grumpy with Mr. dreaming about his boy toys.

[josephp5]

I agree with those that say we should go over the cliff. It is the only way that tax rates for the wealthy will ever be raised, with the stranglehold the super rich have on Congress. And they need to go up---it's crazy that someone like Mitt Romney that makes $20 million of taxable income only pays 14% in taxes, which is probably less what someone working at Wal-Mart pays.

Even all this talk about a "cliff" is a bunch of hysterics ginned up by the super rich. There is no cliff! It's actually a slight downward slope. And if Congress is serious about cutting the deficit, then this is the direction we need to go. Republicans scream about the deficit and say we need to cut government, but they really don't care about the deficit---they just want to cut things they never liked, like Social Security and Medicare which aren't even part of the budget!

The real thing that is sad about the cliff is that extended unemployment benefits will run out for some people. It is terrible that Democrats cannot get them extended without making a deal with Republicans that are holding them hostage to keeping taxes low for people that are making millions.