Don't expect a fiscal fix this year, says top Republican

Don't expect a fiscal fix this year, says top Republican
House Speaker John Boehner says that he is "not confident at all" about the chances of lawmakers acting to avoid the fiscal cliff in the final months of 2012, even as President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid struck more optimistic notes about the prospects for a deal. Speaking to CBS, Obama called Boehner a "good and decent man" hobbled by his party's conservative faction, and Obama said he believed a deal would be possible after the November election. Obama's comments came as Moody's warned it would downgrade the U.S. government's debt if no solution was reached by year-end. The Wall Street Journalhttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443696604577645934011349446.html?mod=dist_smartbrief