Republican McConnell ‘optimistic’ on fiscal cliff deal

Top US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell said Friday he was “hopeful and optimistic” about a possible deal to avert the fiscal cliff after a meeting with President Barack Obama and senior lawmakers. “We had a good meeting down at the White House,” McConnell said.

As Fiscal Cliff Looms, Impact would be Catastrophic to Education

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — As lawmakers reconvene to discuss alternatives to the fiscal cliff, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) continues to urge Congress and President Barack Obama to forge a bipartisan solution that puts our children’s education first.

President Obama Urges Congress to Prevent Tax Hikes on Middle Class Americans

The White House

President Barack Obama delivers a statement to the press in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Dec. 28, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy) With just four days left before tax rates are scheduled to rise, President Obama met with Senate and House leaders. The Friday afternoon meeting with congressional leaders at the White House represents a potential “Lincoln” moment for President Obama as time has effectively run out to cut a deal to avert the Jan. 1 “fiscal cliff” of spending cuts and tax hikes. That’s the view, anyway, of many Senate Republicans.