Fred, you are exactly right, this is NY Times wishful thinking more than anything...
here is blog from a democrat who advises corporate clients on what is happening in DC. he realizes that the debt ceiling comes before the vote for speaker, and that Boehner cannot cave if he wants to remain speaker
http://www.capitalgainsandgames.com/blog/stan-collender/2657/boehner-clearly-fears-his-job-speaker
after the shock of the election, i think it’s good for conservatives who were isolated in the “conservative bubble” to get out a bit and read some other sources. but crap from the NYT is not the place to start