Lost the argument to some idiot judges, maybe, but this doesn´t end well. Bank on it.

Stand your ground and face the consequences. Do what you say and say what you do.

The extensions of unemployment benefits end just before the end of the year. The Bush tax rates end Dec 31. The Payroll Tax Holiday ends Dec 31. All the special credits that give money to those too poor to pay taxes end Dec31. The Sequester begins Jan 1. Just sit at the table and stare back at the President. The laws were bipartisan and signed by the President. Only 10% of the whopping tax bill will be paid by the rich. Don´t go creating new taxes when the Dems have already raised everyone´s taxes.

By losing we´ve one. Their "utopia" will be their undoing.

Repubs have to believe in something other than reaching across the aisle. Would suggest:

A. Since existing entitlements are approaching insolvency, demand that Dems rescind that the one entitlement that has not gone into effect, ObamaCare, be rescinded as of 12/31/12. Dems have to decide if SS, Medicare and Medicaid are more important that the ObamaCare montrosity sold on Obama lies.

B. Require that a budget be enacted by 12/3113. Budget would have to impose draconian cuts in federal departments such as Ag, Commerce, EPA, Energy, Ed.

C. Impose an immediate hiring freeze on all non-military departments and agencies. Impose an immediate 24 month ban on all new regulations and then require cost/ benefit analysis.

D. Remove the Obama prohibitions on energy exploration & extraction. A $40 barrel of oil price is a fantastic tax-in-kind cut.

Seriously, Obama was hoping to cut a bargain so he could ignore the spending cuts and continue to redistribute wealth. Then he was going to push for a carbon tax and start laying the ground work for raising taxes again on the top 2% and end the extension for the middle class in 2014. It throws a monkey wrench into his plans to end all these giveaways (Payroll tax, earned income credits, extended unemployment, etc) and to expect that the money go to pay down the deficit. The spending cuts through Sequester hurt even more. But he signed the bills last year.

I´m sure if they had managed to find a way to tax accrued wealth instead of income, reign in offshores, people would have preferred it, but this is all that was offered.

If there were any kind of feeling at all that "the rich" still felt any kind of loyalty to the US or its people, over global and cheap labor - I don´t think the percentages would have been so high.

That´s what conservatives need to address.

Yeah. for sure, I´m a cliff diver. Let´s just do it and see what comes out at the rocky bottom. It´s the only way to wake up these brain dead zombiefied Øbama voters. Let them march into the liberal Utopia to see what´s inside it- Just like Pelosie´s answer to the Øbama care law too big and bothersome to understand- "We have to pass it to find out what´s in it." Idiots are in charge now- let them see the result of their idiocy.

Expecting blood sucking,low information people to see the failure of their almighty chosen one ain´t gonna happen.There´s more than enough people in this country we can win with if we motivate them to the polls.

There´s no apathy on the left because their reward is financial.The republicans have to win on more intangible things and it´s a tough sell.

Our biggest problem isn´t the minority vote but stupid white people´s votes.We´re being targeted for extinction and these people are too damn stupid to see it.

If conservatves have lost the arguement then we are doomed to repeat the disaster of the past 4 years.

As long as our side helps Dems to rescue dumbo voters/citizens from living in the consequences of Obama´s socialist utopian policies, America will continue to slide to the bottom.

I have said and believe the only hope is for a terrorist attack that kills several million Obama voters.

The only other option is a genocidal civil war. Come on Muslims nuke NYC, LA and several other large liberal cities.

Good article. I think those are worthy questions to consider no matter the issue. We do need to pick our battles wisely. My view right now is that if we can´t get a good deal with significant cuts - then it´s time to call Obama´s bluff and see if he wants to go over the cliff over $85 billion.

The argument is simple:
Either you are for or against the American experiment.
One side wants to abandon it and hop the boat back to Europe.
The other side seeks to preserve this land of unprecedented freedom.
On which side are you? On which side were your parents?

Stand fast on the debt ceiling and watch the takers attack Obama. The cry baby should understand he will never win the taker vote but he could loose the votes that put him where he is if he doesn´t do what needs to be done. It is too late to change horses in this race. No more extensions to unemployment insurance. No govt spending is a stimulant. It is sucking dry the private sector. The "redistribution" is not from the rich to the poor but from the productive private sector to the parasitic public sector and unions.

Peter, like obama, misses the problem entirely. It´s not about blame. It´s about the very future of our country. It is impossible to sustain the governmental eating machine and still remain afloat much longer. We simply cannot borrow our way into oblivion and continue to think that we´re an economically sound country. At some point, very soon, the equivalent to an magnetic flip of the earth is going to occur and the 50 United States of America is going to cease to exist. I guess the real problem is.....is that obama´s end goal?

When we borrow 50 cents for every dollar we spend, and the suggestion is to hike the top marginal tax rate by a few percent, the math doesn´t work. Just to maintain present spending, we would have to more than double the tax money coming in.

Taking it all from the rich would kill the goose and stop the tax income. I think the point is to kill the goose.

The Republicans have lost the argument-clearly and unequivocably. If we go over the fiscal cliff, Repubs will be blamed and we´ll lose more seats in 2014. I think we have to negotiate the smallest increase possible and try to then get some major cuts in return. That´s our only option. I´m not happy about it or advocating it, but I´m pretty positive that´s where we are. The American people are in deep, deep denial and frankly, very ignorant, thanks to our media, of what the real numbers mean.

#3 and #6 Not to mention the VAT that has Demonrats drooling. All that lovely money that they can steal from each and every American, even the 50% who so far contribute not one thin dime to the Treasury. If they get their dream wish, we will all be even poorer.