Well stated. We are piss-poor negotiators and need to stop ‘negotiating’ with the press. It’s enough to tell them “Hey, we were elected too, our voters want us to limit spending and keep the economy strong through fiscally responsible policies that dont sock it to the workers and productive people in the economy.”

If *I* was opening up the negotiations, I would be putting everything the Democrats dont want on the table:
- Spending cuts now in FY2013 of at least what is in the sequester, or let it ride
- Cut Obamacare taxes, the medical device tax, the house-sale tax, the employer mandates
- Cut Obamacare subsidies, in particular the unaffordable 4X explosion in Medicaid
- Cut Obamacare agency spending
- 10% reduction in domestic discretionary spending this year and next
etc.
and then ask Obama, so “how badly do you want your tax on the rich? Do all the above and its yours.” …. and then go from there.

But the sad part about it is that they will STILL blame the GOP and come up with some stupid “sabotage” theory.

Forget it!! There will be a show with a bunch of bad actors having the lead. We will end up with higher taxes and less to show for it. Boehner has already stated a willingness to cave si I expect less than nothing. If the Bush tax cuts are not extended then the average Anerican tax bill will go up $3400 dollars. The republicans will claim a partial victory when the taxes are raised only $3399 dollars.
The republican party in my opinion is dead. They are just another arm of the democratic party that plays a script meant to mollify a portion of the American electorate. Their job is not to do anything but to look busy. They accomplished this by the art of compromise.
People or groups can only compromise so far before they have compromised what they absolutely stand for. After that they will fall for anything. If these last few years have shown me anything it is this. The American Dream is not dead it is just ignored for instant gratification. If this fight were along truly ideological lines then people would have a clear vision of the future and know the direction to go. As it is the lines have been blurred in favor of sound bites and photo ops. Independence means more than being rich. Freedom does not mean entitlement. Responsibility is not a four letter word. Rights do not mean that your feelings will not be hurt. If we listen to politicians and compromise those truths then we become as rudderless of a society as we are now.

Boehner has already capitulated. There can be no compromise when the RINO in charge is already giving up the fight. Mitch McConnell and Boehner are both RINO’s and need to be gone from leadership. The problem we have with that is the rank and file are cowards and won’t stand up to these guys and so the status quo, capitulation from Republcans and forced taxation from the Democrats will remain the rule in D. C. Unless and until we stand up and defeat every one of these spineless twerps we will continue to be the losing party. If we are not willing to do anything to rid ourselves of cowards in our party, then it is time to form a new party (Conservatives UNITE).

First and foremost, the President bet his total campaign on ‘the rich paying their fair share’. Ok, if the President does not get that increase, he will have failed at his primary objective.

If we give it to him a tax increase, is there spending that can be extracted from him. No, he doesn’t want to give away the candy of entitlements but people are already understanding that this is on the table.

I’m not sure that giving the tax increases away makes fiscal sense but I am wondering if the increase in debt is worth the sacrifice.

We’ve survived higher taxes (not that I want them) but no one survives an all consuming debt.