Only one question is relevant the next 2 months.
Is Boehner willing to cause a US Government default?
If the answer is no, how can he negotiate debt ceiling issues?
Is there anyone for whom the answer would be yes? If you cause a default . . . what happens, and don’t limit yourself only to the good things.
Is Boehner willing to cause a US Government default?
Shutting down the government does not translate to a default.
If, for some reason, your household was unable to borrow anymore money, would you not prioritize your spending? And would not your first priority be to pay your debts, so as to avoid defaulting? And, in this event, would you not eliminate non-essential spending.
Government can do the same thing. They can lay off those "non-essential employees" who get to stay home on snow days. And they can continue to pay their creditors and commitments (like Social Security) and essential employees (like the military).
Anything short of that is either a.) incompetency or b.) dishonesty.