Many diaries have done the "ZOMG How Can Obama Cave Like That?" thing.
And then WHAMMO! Mitch McConnell, of all people, does the most astonishing thing - a Republican leader caves.
Only... there's the whole "Surely he's not serious!" thing.
Then there's the whole "Even if he is, it will never fly with his peeps!" thing.
And then, suddenly, it's all very clear.
We are in the midst of an unsupportable concessions arms race.
What this means is
1. You promise the moon, knowing your own base's outrage will yank you back
2. But it looks REALLY good on TV to be the open-minded grown-up in the room
3. But (horrors!) WHAT will you do when the opposition takes up the same tactic?
4. And, this my friends is where we are today.
I am a financial services professional. I know this business back and forth I know it in ways I cannot even write about here because, sorry, I like paying my mortgage and look to continue doing so.
But one thing I cannot stand is people deluding themselves into thinking that Mitch. Fracking. McConnell. is about anything but screwing the US of A over because, dammit, that's what gives GOP the LULZ.
You're seeing the mirror image of what the President does to the GOP.
The GOP wised up to the tactic and adapted.
Break open champagne at your fracking peril.
The Republicans want no deal.
They will have to be compelled.
As Armando says, they are showing their weakness.
Compel concessions. Something low-ceiling but long-term WIN, like end of tax breaks for corporate jets, outsourcing Americans' (with the apostrophe) jobs and more.
Just to get the principle down on paper.
This is Treaty of Versailles country, people - don't settle for the football - demand that football holder Lucy van Pelt be fired at last and replaced by Honest Broker Marcy. :)