Yep, Less Than 24 Hours After Celebrating the Solution to the Fiscal Cliff, House Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor Stabs John Boehner in the Back

Now is the Time For Mr. Cantor to Try to be Speaker

[Update:  In a rare case of political common sense the House did pass the Senate version of the fiscal cliff solution fiscal cliff solution number 1, of course, with fiscal cliffs two, three and four to come.  This positions Mr. Cantor even better, because his opposition gives him political points without the cost of actually stopping the legislation.]

Those celebrating the end (temporarily) of the fiscal cliff, not so fast.  The Republicans in the House voted down an attempt to raise taxes on people making $1 million, so who exactly thought they would go along with a plan to raise them on people making less than half million?

It is not secret that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor covets John Boehner’s job as Speaker.  

Mr. Cantor on the left of Mr. Boehner, but really on the far right

To do this he has had to play the loyal lieutenant, which he has done very nicely.  But now with a chance to sneak into the job by looking tougher than Mr. Boehner, Mr. Cantor has come out in opposition to the Senate passed deal on taxes.

Lawmakers said that Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, the No. 2 Republican, indicated to his colleagues in a closed-door meeting in the basement of the Capitol that he could not support the legislation in its current form.

So where does this leave the deal?  Exactly where it has always been in limbo.  And where does it leave Mr. Boehner?  Hanging by a thread.

As for the White House, well there is this " Dewey Defeats Truman" moment

White House declares victory

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By DONOVAN SLACK |

1/1/13 12:00 PM EST

John Shinkle/POLITICO

The White House issued a "fact sheet" statement Tuesday declaring the fiscal cliff agreement a victory, though the House has yet to vote on the measure.

"At this make or break moment for the middle class, the President achieved a bipartisan solution that keeps income taxes low for the middle class and grows the economy," the statement says. "For the first time in 20 years, Congress will have acted on a bipartisan basis to vote for significant new revenue.