I think one major issue has been ignored with all this talk about the Fiscal Cliff and Congress: the republicans master plan. See back in 2010 the Republicans said that they would make Healthcare Reform Obama's Waterloo. Their obstructionism is a central part of their strategy when dealing with Obama, and Obama is not stupid he knows this.
At a glance this deal is a simple one for the republicans in the House to accept. But Obama's smarter than that. He knows that their own leader couldn't get them to pass a bill THEY wrote. And he knows that there is no chance in hell that they are going to pass a bill he had any part in.
So what will happen when this bill goes to the floor is that the republicans in the House will fail to pass it.
And Obama, having compromised heavily from his original positions will make the Republicans look as insane as they are. He will make their obstructionism so self evident that there will be no more room for them to argue or make a case that they aren't obstructing just for the sake of obstructing.
We're here to win a war people. The war is the destruction of the Republican party. and if the House Republicans reject this bill then there is no doubt that it will be the beginning of the end for them, both in Public Opinion and in future elections.
It will remain a black mark on those who vote against it for the rest of their careers and could lead to both heavy pressure when the new congress convenes, and a swing back to Democratic control in the house in 2014.