President leaves for holidays, no deal in sight

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Next week, America goes over the "fiscal cliff," and it is not likely lawmakers will find a way to avoid the taxes that will hit your paycheck after the first of the year, but they will try on Thursday.

Some Republican lawmakers said President Barack Obama wants the country to fall off the "fiscal cliff."

"We're going over the cliff now because it's what the president wants. You cannot negotiate with someone who does not want to negotiate," said Speaker of the House John Boehner.

Boehner failed to get enough votes for his "Plan B" on Thursday that would have raised taxes on people earning more than a million dollars.

On Friday, Boehner and the president left town with no deal, each make a parting pitch.

The partisan bickering has put the country on the brink of a potential economic crisis; some longtime lawmakers are dismayed by the perpetual gridlock.

Obama is in Hawaii for Christmas and said he will cut his vacation short to try to hammer out a deal with Congress.

The deadline is now a week away.

WSOC