When you negotiate, don't you have to present your own conditions, opposed to the other side's?

[MrScorpio]

The President presented his side, now where are the Republicans?

The GOP isn't taking this seriously at all, are they?

[ibegurpard]

1. when have they ever?

they're just trying to win a PR war.

[abelenkpe]

3. Democrats really need to take back the house. nt

[freshwest]

4. +1,000 to what you said!

[freshwest]

5. The GOP in congress and the media has treated every word by Obama as if they can't hear him.

He was never given a chance to do what he was elected to do. Now, he'll have to twist some arms, but more than that, stop talking to them. They're just grandstsanding, he's been working hard trying to save this country from disaster. One that they created. So - no negotiations with them anymore. Let the sequestration happen. It was their big sword and they can fall on it.

[mercuryblues]

6. Obama

should get in front of the mic and say I am waiting for their counter offer, so far there has been no response.

[customerserviceguy]

7. This is a big fat game of chicken

Frankly, I expect the Rethugs to hold enough votes to come up with a "Let's Do Nothing" strategy. Ultimately, they have to get to the point where the ability to borrow under the debt ceiling runs out completely.

The mess they got us into didn't hurt the Repukes too badly at the last election, not like it should have. They know Barack Obama will never be at the top of a ballot ever again, and they may decide that they will take their chances many months from now on a continuation of the obstructionist course they've been on since January, 2011.

It's all a matter of who blinks first.

[TheKentuckian]

8. They are used to having their side as the opening offer so they can negotiate from there

Having no plan to have to negotiate from an opposing position, all they can muster is wailing.

They like the President to negotiate with himself to their last espoused position, it is too much work to actually do something.

[badtoworse]

9. It depends...

I've negotiated numerous contracts and there have been times I've told the other side that their offer is flatly unacceptable and that I would not counter - basically, I walked away. It's been my experience that if you do that, the other side generally presents a position that can be the basis for negotiation.

The proposal that Congress surrender control of the debt ceiling to the Executive branch is just plain ridiculous. No one on either side of the aisle in Congress would agree to that, so why propose it? Tax now and cut later? Does anyone honestly believe the RW is just going to give up their negotiating leverage for nothing?

I think both sides need to present a balanced proposal that demonstrates good faith, Sorry, but I haven't seen that from either side yet.

[mercuryblues]

10. sorry you see it that way

We gave Obama a mandate for a reason. he'd better use it. What the GOP wants is for Obama to cut the safety net programs, so when the next election rolls around they can blame the Democrats. The GOP wants the cuts, they need to be willing to offer them up.