Fiscal Cliff Negotiations Quietly Making Progress?

Maybe

Dire headlines about the ongoing "fiscal cliff" debate might give the impression that the country is destined for a harrowing economic jolt. But buried in the stories and slightly visible behind the public posturing, signs are emerging that a deal is possible.

House Republican leaders on Monday presented a plan to the White House that included an extension of all the Bush tax cuts, steep changes to Medicare and large cuts to mandatory and discretionary spending. The White House promptly rejected it as a stale GOP wish list that would hurt the middle class.