Them being the Democrats. This is some grade A, class 1, horse-hockey right here:

President Obama’s lead negotiator in the “fiscal cliff” talks said the administration is “absolutely” willing to allow the package of deep automatic spending cuts and across-the-board tax hikes to take effect Jan. 1, unless Republicans drop their opposition to higher income tax rates on the wealthy.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in an interview with CNBC that both sides are “making a little bit of progress” toward a deal to avert the “cliff” but remain stuck on Obama’s desired rate increase for the top U.S. income-earners.

“There’s no prospect for an agreement that doesn’t involve those rates going up on the top two percent of the wealthiest,” Geithner said.

Most House Republicans, including Speaker John Boehner, remain opposed to any increase in tax rates.

Obama and Boehner spoke by phone this afternoon, their first conversation in exactly one week, an administration official said. Their relations have grown frosty in recent days as both sides have dug in on the issue of higher rates.

via White House ‘Absolutely’ Willing To Go Off The Fiscal Cliff – ABC News.

The truth is, the Democratic Party leadership does not honestly care, if the United States of America goes back into a full-blown recession.

As much as I despise this god-forsaken woman, I am going to link to something she wrote at Crooks and Liars, about what is going to happen to the working class AKA middle class, if we head over the cliff:

but I think it’s worth listing what happens on January 1st if Democrats do absolutely nothing:

• The top tax rate for individuals goes up by about 4 percentage points.
• Capital gains rates increase to 20 percent.
• Dividends are taxed as ordinary income, rather than at the Bush-era 15 percent capital gain rate.
• Estate tax rates return to 2001 levels, and the taxable cap returns to $2 million instead of $10 million.
• Payroll tax holiday expires

Some of these consequences aren’t great for the middle class, which is why House Democrats are pushing so hard to force a vote on the Senate bill extending those tax cuts while allowing the upper-income tax cuts to expire.

So, for you that actually have a job and are not sitting around on your butt, like me, wishing you had a job; guess what? Your taxes will be going up. Which means, you will get less of a refund after you file, especially if you are in the $20-120 a year bracket.

This is your modern-day Democratic Party. They would rather America go into a full-blown recession, than do something that would actually keep America out of a recession —- all for politics, all to keep their ideological purity. This is why I despise that god-forsaken party, with every last fiber of my being. Democrats of this day and age are not patriotic Americans. They are anti-American, Anti-Capitalist, profit hating, bastards who have really no place in this Country! They would rather stick it to the people who actually make jobs in this Country and those who work for them and actually give to society, than they would help them.

Joseph McCarthy warned us about these bastard fiends and for it, he sacrificed his career and life for it. The Republicans at the time, dismissed him as a drunkard, and as a paranoid old coot. We are seeing the fulfillment of his prophecies, now, in front of our eyes. It goes without saying that these are frightening times in America.

Be ready, that is all that I truly say about this; be very ready.

We’re headed for a huge fiscal cliff; and what the heck are both parties doing? Standing around with their arms folded.

(Reuters) – U.S. lawmakers have made little progress in the past 10 days toward a compromise to avoid the harsh tax increases and government spending cuts scheduled for January 1, a senior Democratic senator said on Sunday.

The United States is on course to slash its budget deficit nearly in half next year. Closing the gap that quickly, which in Washington is referred to as going over a “fiscal cliff,” could easily trigger a recession.

“Unfortunately, for the last 10 days, with the House and Congress gone for the Thanksgiving recess … much progress hasn’t been made,” Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, told ABC’s “This Week” program.

Still, lawmakers in both the Democratic and Republican parties have been trying to convince the public – and financial markets – that they are willing to compromise and can reach a deal before the end of the year.

via Fiscal cliff talks stalled for now but progress possible | Reuters.

We are so freaking screwed. The United States of America is heading toward one of the worst fiscal cliffs ever, that could produce another depression or at the very least a recession and both parties are playing politics. It is sick and disgusting, and this is why everyone wants to vote them all out and start over. I think these guys, will give this here, a run for his money on idiots of the week.