The collapse of "Plan B" means that the fiscal cliff problem isn't going to be solved before Dec. 31.
If a few Republican members of the House sign the discharge petition, though, taxes on the lower 98% won't go up on Jan. 1. (And the taxes on higher incomes will go up $160/week less.)
Each of us should publicly push the nearest Republican member of Congress to sign the discharge petition.
If you can manaage a demo outside his district office, fine. Otherwise, a LTE or a post on a local blog will push him. Do what you can.
1) This is political judo. They claim to the voters that they want the taxes on the 98% to stay the same. "We jsut want the taxes on others not to go up, either." In negotiations, however, the extension for the 98% is something that they'll give the Democrats for something else (tax cuts for the 2% or sending cuts on services to the poor). Well, take them on their word.
2) This is something that any member can do or not do. Yeah, "The Republicans" in Congress have been acting like assholes, but the people in your CD don't vote for "The Republicans." The vote for one particular Republican or one particular Democrat. So here is a chance for the nearest Republican to act like an asshole -- or not.
3) This is an effort where YOU are more effective than the guys in Washington. Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi can't get the guy to sign the petieion to discharge. You, however, have local leverage.
4) The reactionaries in the Reopublican Caucus have bolted. Now is the time to see whether the conservatives (the left-most bloc in the Republican Caucus) have opinions of their own or are mere puppets of the Speaker.
That doesn't mean that only moderates should be pushed. When people start paying higher withholding taxes in January, it will be because Peter Roskam refused to sign the discharge petition.