Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Obama Jinxes Fiscal Cliff Deal While Announcing Progress On Fiscal Cliff Deal
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Dec 31, 2012
Modified Dec 31, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Getty Images
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Dec 31, 2012
Modified Dec 31, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
"Today it appears that an agreement to prevent this New Year's tax hike is in sight but it's not done. Not yet," President Obama said this afternoon, before jinxing the entire fiscal cliff negotiations less than 12 hours before they expire. "The agreement would ask the wealthiest 2% to pay higher taxes for the first time in two decades. That's progress," the president said, referring to a compromise obstinate Republicans probably didn't want to hear out loud, at least until tomorrow. "But we're gonna need to do more."
That "more" was described by the president as a "balanced" approached to a second-part deal to manage the massive, mindless spending cuts set to kick in during the coming months (this short-term fiscal cliff deal would only deal with taxes and keeping unemployment insurance flowing—oh, and your taxes are probably going to go up regardless).
The president, it seemed, was standing his ground on a deal that hadn't been made yet before this more urgent deal had even been finalized.
If Republicans think that I will use spending cuts alone, that we're just gonna shove spending cuts down…[Pause, laughter in audience] "Shove spending cuts at us that hurt students, seniors, middle class families, without asking the equivalent sacrifices from millionaires and companies that have a lot of lobbyists, well they have another thing coming.
Hey, Mr. President, you probably should have refined that Deep Throat GOP gag your speechwriters laughed at a bit more before testing it on national TV 12 hours prior to the Capitol dome exploding in clammy jowls and bruised egos.
But maybe politicians and the poor souls charged with observing them aren't so easily scared?
Cantor's lead spokesguy // RT @dougheye: If Obama's goal was to harm the process and make going over the cliff more likely, he's succeeding.
— Ed O'Keefe (@edatpost) December 31, 2012
Uh oh: Source: Dem Sens. Sherrod Brown, Franken, others "marched into Reid's office a short time ago to tell him they didn't like the deal."
— Rebecca Berg (@rebeccagberg) December 31, 2012
Shorter Obama: I rolled the Repubs on upper-income tax rates and will kick their ass on the coming debt ceiling/entitlements fight.
— Ryan Lizza (@RyanLizza) December 31, 2012
Yep, we're fucked.
Tagged
president obama
fiscal cliff
obama
just shut up man what are you doing
President of Jinxistan
republicans
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
New Yorkers are paying $300 million for natural gas they don't even use
A new study found that nearly 2% of the city's natural gas is leaking into the air and causing climate pollution.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 14, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET
Early Addition: Eric Adams did not convince a Wisconsin town to build a data center
Because the vote against it was unanimous, here are your early links: Jacket weather, swishing your Guinness, spooky decorations in North Jersey and more.
By
James Ramsay
News
Early Addition: Eric Adams did not convince a Wisconsin town to build a data center
Because the vote against it was unanimous, here are your early links: Jacket weather, swishing your Guinness, spooky decorations in North Jersey and more.
By
James Ramsay
Hit-and-run driver arrested trying to flee to Uzbekistan after deadly crash, NYPD says
By
Brittany Kriegstein
NY measles outbreak more widespread than official count, health officials say
By
Caroline Lewis
A NYC judge brought his gun into court for an ‘experiment’. Now he’s censured.
By
Samantha Max
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .