No pain. No gain.

In his New York Times editorial, Juliet Lapidos hit the nail on the head:

Who’s to Blame for the Fiscal Cliff Impasse?

By JULIET LAPIDOS

"Republicans are trying to blame the apparent impasse in fiscal cliff negotiations on President Obama and the Democrats.

"Earlier today, Speaker John Boehner projected wildly in conversation with reporters: “I did my part; they’ve done nothing. I’m convinced that the president is unwilling to stand up to his own party.”

"And Mitch McConnell, the Senate G.O.P. leader, reached for an extended, extremely confusing sports metaphor: “They’ve been playing Lucy and the football with the American people for months. They’ve said no to every single proposal that’s been offered to avoid this tax hike—including their own. They’re running out the clock. Moving the goal posts. Sitting on their hands. They aren’t doing anything.”

"One cannot move the goal posts while sitting on one’s hands, but regardless, the notion that the president has “done nothing” is patently untrue.

"Mr. Obama said repeatedly during the campaign that tax rates should rise on income over $250,000. After winning re-election, he proposed raising $1.6 trillion in new revenue. Then he moved the goal posts to $1.4 trillion. Then $1.2 trillion. He also offered a new tax hike threshold of $400,000, essentially re-defining what it means to be wealthy. Mr. Obama even suggested limiting the growth of Social Security benefits, despite the fact that, less than a month ago, he said Social Security would not factor into deficit negotiations.

"The goal posts have moved: 400 billion dollars closer to the Republicans."

Now here is why the President is not compromising further:

He won and he won big. And his campaign was about being reasonable when it comes to taxes and spending.

It is time for the GOP to recognize they lost the election and if they plan to ever win another, they better get to work with this President and fix the financial crisis that faces America.  He has already compromised. It is time for the Republicans to do likewise. Otherwise, I am afraid that the American public, who in recent polls voted 2-1 that the GOP was the problem in the financial negotiating process, will see to it that the GOP loses even more face than they did in last November’s elections.

Here is some advice for both the White House and Congress: Raise revenues. Cut spending‑ but do not take a slashing knife to Social Security or Medicare. There are other places that need cutting first. Remember, Social Security is not supposed to be part of the general fund to begin with and was only made so because Congress couldn’t balance a budget without it.

But if you have to cut into entitlement programs do so in a way that people who are depending on them now and in the next five to ten years suffer the least and other who have the time, can pay into them to build them back up. As the economy improves, you are going to see a lot of the deficit come down. And if you have slashed the muscle out of some of these programs they will never be back to the strength they need to be to assist all Americans.

As for our national health insurance, cut the Pentagon budget deeply before you touch that.

And throw Grover’s pledge out. It is un American and not working in the best interest of our country. We are all going to have to shoulder some of the burden. That means all of us will have to pay higher taxes. That comes with the mess we’ve gotten ourselves into. It is time to get out of it. It is bad medicine, and tough to swallow, but it is what will cure us. 

Now get on with the business of doing what we sent you there to do. Grow the hell up and run the country…together. Not as parties, but as grown, adult Americans.