Boehner reveals the GOP End-Game:

[Faryn Balyncd]

Boehner to GOP: Grand Bargain in the Works


House Republicans tell me Speaker John Boehner wants to craft a “grand bargain” on fiscal issues as part of the debt-limit deliberations, and during a series of meetings on Wednesday, he urged colleagues to stick with him. . . . The revelation came quietly. Boehner called groups of members to his Capitol office all day, taking their temperature on the shutdown and the debt limit. It became clear, members say, that Boehner’s chief goal is conference unity as the debt limit nears, and he’s looking at potentially blending a government-spending deal and debt-limit agreement into a larger budget package.

“It’s the return of the grand bargain,” says one House Republican, who requested anonymity to speak freely. “There weren’t a lot of specifics discussed, and the meetings were mostly about just checking in. But he’s looking hard at the debt limit as a place where we can do something big.”

Beyond Boehner’s office, the leadership is sending out a similar message through its emissaries. The House GOP’s most influential fiscal strategists, Dave Camp and Paul Ryan, are privately reassuring nervous Republicans that the federal shutdown may be painful in the short term, but a budget deal is in the works — and they should be enthused about what they’re cooking up. . . . . “Ryan is selling this to everybody; he’s getting back to his sweet spot,” says a second House Republican who’s close with Ryan. “He and Camp are going to be Boehner’s guys. That’s why Boehner put them on the CR conference committee; he knows these guys are going to be his point men.”

And during Wednesday huddles, Ryan, Camp, and other House Republicans spoke openly about what kind of concessions they could potentially win from Democrats. Late Wednesday, “the CR-debt limit idea was what people were talking about on the floor,” says a GOP aide . . . . . . Per sources, entitlement reforms, such as chained CPI, an elimination of the medical-device tax, and delays to parts of Obamacare are all on the table as trades for delaying aspects of sequestration and extending the debt limit. Camp, especially, is pushing to have a tax-reform framework included. . . . . .From what I hear, this combined deal is being softly sold to members; Wednesday’s talks were about getting them engaged. And it’s all about what Republicans could win – and little about what they’ll give in return.What’s not being discussed: increased tax rates or revenues. That doesn’t mean, however, that revenue as part of a tax-reform pact has been ruled out. . . .


http://nationalreview.com/corner/360234/boehner-gop-grand-bargain-works-robert-costa

[geek tragedy]

1. Speaker Cruz will not allow increased revenue. nt

[BumRushDaShow]

2. His "end game" will be his resignation as Speaker of the House. nt

[northoftheborder]

3. How depressing to hear this strategy being discussed.

[magical thyme]

4. there will be no negotiations over the debt ceiling. it will be raised or the US will default.

that is the end-game.

[DonViejo]

5. I think NR is behind in the news...

the last hour or so has been nothing but articles like this one:

Boehner says he 'll do whatever is necessary to avoid default

With a deadline for raising the debt limit fast-approaching, House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) has been telling colleagues in recent days that he will do whatever is necessary to avoid defaulting on the federal debt, including relying on House Democrats to help pass an extension, according to GOP aides familiar with the conversations.

In a series of small group meetings held in his office suite off the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, Boehner also has been telling colleagues that he will not permit a vote on a “clean” continuing resolution that does nothing about ending or delaying parts of the new federal health-care law.

Relying on Democratic votes to pass a debt ceiling extension likely would infuriate some of the most conservative members of the House GOP conference.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics-live/liveblog/live-updates-the-shutdown-showdown/?hpid=z2#c47733bd-4285-49a1-9d0d-7968e44ff7a8

[MoonRiver]

6. They are completely and terminally deluded.

Hard to believe there aren't any Repubs in the House who don't see this.

[Wounded Bear]

7. Good luck with that one Boner...

Hopefully that whole "Grand Bargain" meme has sailed.

[Renew Deal]

8. These dummies think the Dems care about softening the sequestration.

They don't. It would be nice in some cases, but not in all. The sequestration dissolve things with spending that no one had the guys to do.

What the Dems care about is getting the govt open and crushing the republicans for their tantrums. The rest of the noise about concessions is a delusion.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

9. National Review doesn't know shit. No compromise. No hostages. No prisoners.

This is scorched earth WAR, you fucking failures.

[Faryn Balyncd]

10. You've nailed it.

[Orsino]

11. Grand bargains are neither. n/t