Analysis: Obama could risk going over 'cliff'

President Barack Obama, flanked by National Governors Association (NGA) Chairman, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, and NGA Vice Chair, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, meets with the NGA executive committee regarding the fiscal cliff, Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012, in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is at right. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

By JULIE PACE

Associated Press / December 5, 2012

Text Size:

E-mail

Page 2 of 2 --

In turn, Republicans say Obama is acting like a stubborn partisan who will put the economy in peril in order to get his way.

‘‘My sense is the White House wants to go over the cliff,’’ said Tony Fratto, a former Treasury and White House official under President George W. Bush. ‘‘That may be the only way they get rates they want.’’

Going over the cliff could mark a new low in the relationship between the president and congressional Republicans. While the contentious debates earlier in Obama’s first term over funding the government and raising the nation’s borrowing limit went right up to the edge, both sides were always able to reach a deal.

As Obama ran for re-election, he sought to assure voters weary of Washington’s bickering that things would be better if he won a second term.

Speaking to supporters in June, he said, ‘‘I believe that if we’re successful in this election — when we’re successful in this election — that the fever may break.’’

‘‘My hope, my expectation, is that after the election, now that it turns out that the goal of beating Obama doesn’t make much sense because I'm not running again, that we can start getting some cooperation again,’’ he added optimistically.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE — Julie Pace covers the White House for The Associated Press.

An AP News Analysis