Obama sees a ‘political victory’ in going over the cliff
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said Sunday he thinks President Obama wants to dive over the so-called "fiscal cliff."
"I believe the president is eager to go over the cliff for political purposes," Barrasso told Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday." "He senses a political victory at the bottom of the cliff."
The senator also said he believes the nation will go over the cliff, with the deadline just nine days away.
Barrasso said he thinks Obama is eager to blame Republicans if Congress cannot reach a deal by the end of the year. Polls have indicated that Americans would blame Republicans more than Democrats if talks fail.
Barrasso also pointed to a report in the Wall Street Journal late last week that said during negotiations, Obama threatened Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) that he would use the presidential bully pulpit to heap blame on the GOP during his "State of the Union" speech next year.
With just nine days until current tax rates expire and automatic, across-the-board spending cuts kick in, Obama left Washington after urging congressional leaders to consider a scaled-back plan to extend some of the tax rates and delay the spending cuts. His plan would extend tax rates for those making less than $250,000 a year and allow them to rise for everyone else.
Barrasso expressed doubt on Sunday that Obama's plan, however, could pass the Senate, and on the same program, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) expressed his own reluctance over the Obama plan .
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