Let’s see how the fiscal cliff talks are going

We have the President’s spokesman drawing a line in the sand.

“He will not sign, under any circumstances, legislation that would keep rates where they are for the wealthiest Americans,” said White House Press Secretary Jay Carney.

We have Republican John Boehner’s reaction, “I’ve got to tell you, I’m disappointed.”

And we have Democrat Harry Reid’s reaction to his reaction, “I don’t understand his brain.”

I’d say it’s going well.

It makes for great drama. In great drama you need clearly defined characters, and intense conflict.

Then, right before the climax, a plot twist, in which the villain, in this case Grover Norquist, brings up something out of the blue, like refusing to let the President raise the debt limit for another year.

“They can give him debt ceiling increases once a month,” said Norquist. “Here’s your allowance, come back next month if you’ve behaved.”

Norquist is proposing that the debt ceiling be increased month by month?

“Monthly if he [the President] is good,” responded Norquist. “Weekly if he’s bad.”

Treating the President as if he were a petulant teenager refusing to do his chores – I’m sure that kind of thing goes over well at the White House.

“Asking that a political price be paid to ensure that the United States of America pays its bills and does not default for the first time in its history is deeply irresponsible,” said Carney.

So like I say it’s going GREAT.

Meanwhile, White House reporters learned that the lunch between the President and Mitt Romney turned out to be just that. Lunch.

So that’s your cliff update. Bottom, line — the current plan is for the Treasury to buy a Powerball ticket as soon as the jackpot gets over $4 trillion.