I Think Obama Is Bluffing

[ProSense]

18. How can

"I reject this argument that Obama is a reckless moron...Obama is not insane, reckless or perverse. "

...you be sure?

I don't necessarily believe he's "bluffing," but there has to be a reason Boehner isn't taking this deal. Maybe it's because Republicans are dead set against revenues, which means that nothing the President offers is going to be good enough.

It could also have to do with the details of the proposal, which no one has seen. Maybe Boehner suspects there is something else there that makes accepting it not worth it.

Boehner rejects Obama budget, sight unseen

By Steve Benen

<...>

And if you're a progressive who strongly opposes changes to Social Security and Medicare, I have good news for you: House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) hasn't seen Obama's new budget, but he's already rejecting it out of hand.

House Speaker John Boehner immediately dismissed President Barack Obama's package of significant new entitlement cuts tied to new tax revenues, calling them "no way to lead and move the country forward." <...>

"The president got his tax hikes on the wealthy with no corresponding spending cuts," Boehner said. "At some point we need to solve our spending problem...."

And the Speaker got his $1.5 trillion in spending cut with no corresponding revenue in August 2011. I wonder why Boehner continues to struggle with the basics of the fiscal debate, as if he just weren't paying attention to the details. Presumably, the nation's most powerful Republican lawmaker would have an easier time keeping up on current events.

In any case, I found it especially interesting that Boehner told reporters this morning, "If the president believes these modest entitlement savings are needed to help shore up these programs, there's no reason they should be held hostage for more tax hikes,"

That's actually an amusing, albeit familiar, trick. Boehner has effectively told the president, "You need to put Medicare and Social Security cuts on the table." So Obama is now responding, "Fine, I'll accept Medicare and Social Security cuts if you accept revenue." To which Boehner is now responding, "Now that we agree on Medicare and Social Security cuts, there's no need for revenue."

In other words, Obama is offering to trade one thing for another, while Boehner wants to look at the offer as a gift.

- more -

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/04/05/17619397-boehner-rejects-obama-budget-sight-unseen