OK, how do I put this diplomatically ... Boehner and co have paraded to wall street to ASSURE them that they will raise the debt ceiling so everything they are doing now is playing a game of chicken. So what should the president do...
I know he's smarter than we perceive when he's negotiating because he cannot tip his hand but what if he did this?
Officially have all the key players go on record as to what will happen if they fail to act and the country went into default. We can rest assured consensus will be we cannot default.
With everyone on record, he may then dig deep and hold his ground on shared sacrifice all the time holding these meetings to prove he's trying. Stick to his guns until they cave and they will have to one way or the other, essentially choose between disappointing Wall Street and/or Norquist.
Of course it'll not be good for him if the Country were to default on his watch and there's another recession so at the 11.59pm minute on the 2nd, he may invoke the 14th. He has every one on record should they decide to sue him for breach or whatever, He put the Nation First.
What else was he supposed to do?, the country (middle) will be on his side.
Also I wonder why no one plays back arguments Boehner and Mitch made during all the previous debt ceiling debates under Bush, we know what Obama said.