My friends ask me all the time about the Fiscal Cliff. The assumption is that, as a person who watches these things, I am supposed to know what is going on. I don’t, I admit it. The most reasonable thing I have heard on the negotiations came long ago from a source I can’t remember – that the staffers had more-or-less worked out a deal weeks ago, and it’s simply down to the final posturing by their bosses before something is finalized.
That’s probably over-stating it a bit, but certainly once the election was over the relative strength of the positions was known and there was little point in “negotiating” any more. Politicians in high office don’t get there by being stupid (usually). So before we head into the endgame of the year, we can look back on how the Republican position became weaker and weaker – and why they will probably wind up caving on all the most important things before this is over.
Barataria - The work of Erik Hare 