fiscal-cliff-showdown-already-damaged-economy

Even if eleventh-hour wrangling among lawmakers yields a solution to the worst-case fiscal cliff scenario, some say damage has already been done.

The political brinkmanship has hurt investor confidence and consumer spending, and if a prolonged stalemate drags into the early months of 2013, the price of Washington’s inaction on the economy could be even steeper.

[link to www.nbcnews.com]