Why the fiscal cliff deal is good news for conservatives

Republicans should applaud the deal on ground of patriotism, policy, and politics

Eric Cantor
(Image credit: AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

At first glance, the fiscal cliff agreement, which raises taxes and fails to restrain spending, doesn't look great from a conservative perspective.

For all its failings, however, the deal still deserves the embrace of conservatives. Politics, after all, is the art of the possible. And for the price of short-term pain, this agreement offers Republicans the dramatically increased bargaining strength we will need for the essential debt-limits negotiations, which beckon in March. Ultimately, the March negotiations are the key to saving America from a debt-fueled economic catastrophe. But there are plenty of other reasons for conservatives to support this deal, too.

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Tom Rogan is a conservative writer who blogs at TomRoganThinks.com.