Unfortunately Obama is many steps ahead of Bohner. This is all just a part of Bohner’s dance of surrender preparing us for when he says “This the best deal I could get you”
So Obama presents Bohner with his grand wish list, all popular give-aways to voters paid for by those ‘taxes on the rich’.
What does Bohner have to to counter him?
1) No tax cuts for anyone unless the rich get them too?
(This is not a winning position now. He will not hold to this, and he doesn't plan on it either. But I am thinking that waiting on this till next year just helps Obama, not hurts him)
2) No deal without entitlement reform?
(So Obama says ‘Fine, tell us all what cuts you want to make to medicare and Social Security. We are listening”
But specific cuts to medicare has been used by both sides against the other. So Bohner doesn't want to propose his own plan on those either.)
If I saw a good outcome the way they are going then I would tell you.
I am not sure of the end game here either. The deadline comes polling shows it will be the republicans fault. It hurts defense. And the other cuts are not enough to scare Dems because no entitlements will be touched and taxes go up on everyone.
Is it make the best deal you can and live to fight another day? We obstructed him for 4 years and all we got was another 4 years. I think you could get a more balanced approach sooner rather than later. The longer it goes the less the Dems will feel the need to deal. I could be wrong though.