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FNC’s Mike Emanuel on the debate over the fiscal cliff and the possibility of a deal before the new year.
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Emanuel into this conversation who's the chief congressional correspondent tough for Fox News and -- he joins us now on.
On the telephone what's gonna happen today Mike what's the next to move here I guess the move might be for the Republicans right to counter.
Well -- -- consider yesterday felt like about three days because -- -- we we started out good morning guys we started out with optimism because the president and speaker of the house had you know at 28 minute.
Phone conversation.
And when you consider the president's time and speakers time that is you know and very very long conversation.
But then there was a -- to look Politico and -- contents of the conversation and the Republicans were annoyed about that and then.
Geithner comes up to the hill has individual meetings -- top four congressional leaders and the Republicans said you know this is.
Terrible this is what you know this is the president budget that you -- You know submitted.
Last year that got zero votes on Capitol Hill so.
The alarm bells started sounding essentially saying you note that this.
We are three weeks into a seven week process and and they felt like this was going backward Mitch McConnell said that and and they -- you know it's one thing.
They point the Republicans are making was that they felt like we are well beyond the starter offer.
That conversations had progressed beyond that and you know there's certainly there's some gamesmanship here but.
There's there's actually a war over public opinion today and and so Democrats -- saying okay you'd think this is absurd.
-- where's your offer and so they're trying to draw the Republicans out and to say exactly how much they would cut from these popular entitlements and so.
Here we are -- -- war.
-- on -- so how many times are we gonna go back and forth.
-- party to party what's going to be the effective -- to break the camel's back just to make progress.
You know -- that's a great question and all we can hope is that -- this is you know for public consumption and that behind the scenes the conversations.
Are further along than of this initial offer.
Would you know suggest.
You know we again if the president and the speaker spoke for 28 minutes the other night.
One would think that that was very substantive and and those are the two key players to nail down -- deal went.
It's been interesting talking to a lot of senators.
Over the past day or so.
Realizing that you know they are part of -- relevant in this deal.
Is more going on behind the scenes that has just not been made public yet this is it's all about the political gaining as -- put it I mean is -- -- like a real significant.
And you know one of the -- of this is actually in the works.
What what's striking -- is the fact that this really boils down to two people and the speaker of the house and -- the United States.
And for a hundred senators who all you know think they've got a pretty important job.
And don't -- think that perhaps they -- be president one day some -- to be -- out of the loop especially by a former senator and President Obama.
There's a lot of irritation about that and and you know we talked to some Republicans.
To make the rounds he say you know I'm not gonna vote for -- the process I don't like this.
You know behind closed doors late night phone call -- bank and then we're gonna get this offer on Christmas fever whatever.
And have to accepted or the country goes off the fiscal cliff and so it feels like a process we've seen several times before but.
The senators a lot of them are irritated because they feel like you know.
This candidate spoke to debate these big issues and -- come forward with great legislation -- -- been eliminated.
Well from your reporting like it sounds like possibly some -- can't kicking is about to happen thank you sir my pleasure -- -- -- Daniel Fox News you do this.
