Call the Fiscal Cliff the Grinch that stole Christmas in 2012 or the first Festivus grievance of 2013, but I can’t remember a time when politics left such a dark shadow over the holidays. In politics, process maters, especially when it involves a policy that will affect every American’s taxes. This week’s Notes from the Stage Door is dedicated to helping you understand the political process which saved the nation from once again avoiding economic uncertainty. The underlining in all these stories is this: personal relationships matter…enter Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Mitch McConnell.
Politico: The fiscal cliff deal that almost wasn’t
Politico (a must read for anyone interested in politics) provides a great overview of everything that went down during the fiscal cliff negotiations. This includes Speaker John Boehner telling Senator Harry Reid to f*ck off, and how Biden and McConnell were able to save the day.
The New York Times: Lines of Resistance on Fiscal Deal
The biggest conundrum of the entire deal is the Republican’s response. A decade ago, the thought of making 85% of the Bush tax cuts permanent was a pipe dream. Now it’s a reality, and even more ironic is that this all happened under President Barack Obama. Still, Republicans remains unsettled about the deal and unresolved about where they go to next.
Finally, a friend from across the isle, sent this to me last week. I thought, with this being a blog about the arts and politics, a Les Miserable-Fiscal Cliff theme tumblr could not have been more appropriate!
Marquee Politics 