Page 2 - Geithner Offer News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

What they're doing. but if i'm reading this this morning in memphis, tennessee, in pensacola, florida, i don't have a lot of confidence that progress is being made. if i'm a business owner or if i'm a voter or if i work for a large business anywhere in the country. that's what concerns me about this. >> i'm giving both sides the benefit of the doubt that they're going to make this deadline. i can't imagine they would want to make the faith in washington plunge even deeper than it already is. having said that, sam -- >> we're a step closer. >> -- check your notebook. tim geithner came to the ta...

Now let's start moving. >> and to save face. >> mark halperin. >> clearly one of the things the white house offer is intended to do is to smoke out republicans. one of the things the president's most frustrated about and feels he's got a really strong hand on, republicans cannot make up the loss of the tax revenue, or if they want to lower the amount of new tax revenue with spending cuts that are the least bit popular. if they want more entitlement cuts, more discretionary spending cuts, if they want pentagon cuts, the president wants them to specify them. and this offer is intended in part to...

Have democrats shocked and stunned and deeply saddened. and we will be another step closer to the fiscal cliff. >> this offer reinforces what my belief has been the whole time. which is boehner is going to have to allow a vote that doesn't get a majority of the majority, that is basically built on democratic votes and a few -- enough republicans to get to 218 in the house, not an offer where the president really risks losing a lot of democrats and builds off republican votes. the president won the election. i think the president thinks he can build that majority. but boehner's going to have to...

Did some good here? >> i guess harold and i are really -- we have the same position, which is yes, this may all work if you're negotiating like you're negotiating on a house. you want to buy that you can walk away from. but these are such serious times. and the business leaders that hire americans that are concerned about the economy are so nervous right now, looking at a washington that has been reckless and -- republicans and democrats alike have been reckless and irresponsible that i think business leaders are just as jarred as we are, that this isn't a game, that our economy is riding on w...

Suddenly tom cole looks like an idiot out there. >> or he gives someone to boehner's left so he doesn't look so extreme. >> but again, the president, by putting this offer out there, just made it impossible for another tom cole to step out and be responsible. >> see, i don't know because the curt phone call between boehner and the president makes me feel that they're actually doing exactly what i was saying, which is posturing and getting somewhere. >> first of all, i couldn't disagree more. i think there are lines of optimism to be seen very clearly in this deal. and i'll explain why. let's s...