Posted on 10/03/2013 4:32:29 PM PDT by SkyPilot
Many pragmatic House Republicans have come to a simple conclusion: Navigating their way out of this fiscal mess won’t be easy.
They think their best chance to fund the government, raise the debt ceiling and extract any concession from President Barack Obama is to strike a big budget deal.
Yes, the grand bargain is back.
It’s about the only common thread these days that runs from House Republican leadership down through the rank and file. Most House Republicans privately concede they’re fighting a battle they’re unlikely to win, and to avoid a prolonged shutdown and a disastrous debt default, Washington has to create a package so big that lifting the borrowing limit and funding the government is merely a sideshow.
The players are well-positioned, the current situation is seemingly intractable and both parties want to slice the debt. But the prospect of a grand bargain faces both immediate and longer-term hurdles.
President Barack Obama and Democratic congressional leaders refuse to negotiate until the government is reopened, and even then, they remain deeply skeptical that a sweeping deal is possible, given the GOP’s opposition to new revenue.
When House Speaker John Boehner raised the idea at a White House meeting Wednesday with Obama and congressional leaders, “everybody laughed at him because they’ve heard this song and dance so many times before,” said a Democratic aide briefed on the meeting. A Republican aide disputed the account, saying Democrats harangued Boehner to appoint budget negotiators. The speaker retorted, saying Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will not allow Senate Budget Chairman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to hold talks with House Budget Chair Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
“I want to get a budget agreement,” Ryan told POLITICO on Wednesday. “That’s what we’ve been about all along. So yeah, we think the issues are converging — [the continuing resolution] and debt limit — and from the get-go, we wanted to get a budget agreement to grow this economy and get this debt under control, especially before the Federal Reserve starts raising interest rates. I think it’s in our nation’s interest to do that. And that’s one of the things we’re fighting for in addition to relief from Obamacare — or fairness from Obamacare.” Ryan has discussed his goals on the debt ceiling at a Ways and Means meeting of Republicans. One senior Republican leadership source said this strategy, which has been bantered about at the top levels for some time, would be the “way out of the cul-de-sac.”
There doesn’t have to be any bargain at all. The government can stay shut down.
Impeachment is also a perfectly acceptable disengagement strategy.
Getting the issue behind them is the Repub mantra.
“getting the issue behind them is the Republican mantra”
to the degree this is correct, it is a guaranteed-losing strategy
The important thing is that Boner, McConnell, et al keep their Obamacare expemption.
Let the government stay shut down for a few months. The whiny employees may not like it but at least they can look forward to getting their jobs back eventually. Millions of others can’t say the same.
Grand bargains always infringe on our liberty. Screw ‘em.
In any Grand Bargain the Republican Party will give away more than they will lose by simply passing whatever the Democrats want now with the CR they will deign to accept. Ryan is the man to get that wonderful deal and shove the country even further into this hole.
Ryan the traitor and k street front man is selling out the usa again.
shocking.
i hope we are primarying this amnesty troll and billionaire bag man !
The Repubs have been dealt a good hand. Hold and don't fold. PLEEEEASE!!!!
if it stays shut longer then 3 weeks it will start to be a SERIOUS problem for all of the Republicans. They have to get something done within 3 weeks or they are in trouble. I am just praying they have made actual progress to that end. Plus, I still don’t see any way that Boehner sticks it out past 3 weeks or even past Oct 17.
Or finding out that woman who was shot at the Capital today was carrying Obama’s love child in the back seat.
>> Many pragmatic House Republicans have come to a simple conclusion: Navigating their way out of this fiscal mess won’t be easy.
The continual socialist spin against Republicans knows no limits.
To the contrary, JAKE SHERMAN and CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN, it IS the Republicans that have been most forthcoming about the “fiscal mess” your gods delievered.
Actually this may be our big opportunity:
“That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government”
It’s shut down so let’s just start a new one!
Looks like the Dems are surrendering.
DON’T BACK DOWN.
Amen! Don’t really understand just what the non-government folks are really losing. Please keep those non-essential folks out of government. Not a problem really as they will just get 3 years of unemployment plus Medicaid benefits!
It is always the folks that support the government that suffer - almost always by paying more.
Pretty sure Obama doesn’t go for women.
You joined this month to make that idiotic post?! Good grief. Inmates in solitary confinement have more refined logical thinking skills than that.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.