1. It shows that Boehner was feeling the heat that we were discussing here at the time, that the mid-term elections gave the Republicans a lot of political capital, and that we felt that Boehner was too timid to use it.
2, The White House had a dismissive view of Boehner as Speaker. They may have been talking about the state of the GOP caucus, or they may have been talking about Boehner's leadership abilities.
Obama’s aides were under strict orders to “protect Boehner” and not talk about his private entreaties. Obama liked Boehner; they got along well during the private sessions and a round of golf. But there was doubt in the White House as to whether the speaker could bring his party along. He “probably could not deliver a pizza,” was one administration aide’s skeptical assessment.
3. Democrats do not negotiate in good faith. They lie. The coin of Congress is the promise. Negotations (debates) in Congress are about trading promise of this in Bill 1 in exchange for promise of that in Bill 2. When Democrats get Bill 1 and then reneg on promises in Bill 2, trust is destroyed and negotiations are a fruitless sham.
4. Interesting admissions of connections.
A. Obama liked Boehner; they got along well during the private sessions and a round of golf.5. I was right back when this happened, that the biggest mistake that Boehner made was walking away from Senate negotiations and letting Obama into the talks. This was always rightfully a Congressional discussion only, and Boehner let the White House in a full participants (in Boehner's mind) and not recognizing that Obama would usurp the floor and take over, making the GOP House look like weak fools. I originally posted this:B. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), one of Boehner’s dearest friends.
C. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), was close to Obama and Boehner... [Coburn] had developed a close personal bond with Obama dating to their shared opposition to federal budget earmarks when both were senators.
D. Obama invoked Boehner’s personal friendship with Chambliss, a member of the Gang of Six, warning that Democrats would never support the package under discussion when “your friend Saxby...” Everything is personal to Obama.
I still think it's a mistake to bypass the Senate Democrats and take this directly to Obama.I also wrote this:Anything Obama agrees to still has to pass the Senate, which has not even passed its own budget resolution yet.
Furthermore, this just gives Obama another platform to look "presidential" going into the 2012 election. It also gives the MSM another issue to pound Republicans with until they cave in to pressure.
Republicans instead should have put the pressure on Harry Reid to get the Senate to go on record with a budget plan of their own, and continue to make Obama look like the bystander that he really is.
Republicans gave away all of their leverage during the lame duck session of the 111th Congress.6. Up to this moment, Obama was starting to look to be marginalized and aimless. Boehner and McConnell gave Obama new wind behind his sails when it wasn't necessary. That was the biggest blunder the GOP could do.They were slow to get started in the 112th Congress.
And now they're getting played again by allowing the Senate to be marginalized, and making everything be between the House and Obama.
McConnell should stay out of it until the Senate goes on record with a budget, otherwise, all he's doing is mucking up the works by being a powerless voice who can nothing but undermine his side's position.
Suddenly, the same Democrats who had accused Obama of meekness in negotiating with the GOP were praising his aggressive new tone. What happened during those days in July when the grand bargain was almost reached, but not quite, had changed him. He no longer seemed divided.
-PJ
PJ, Thank you. Will read in great detail in a bit but a scan looks like you have some interesting input.