David Espo:
Officials say Senate Democrats are considering including spending cuts in legislation to keep the government in operation after existing funding expires on March 4, the first time they have signaled they are willing to embrace immediate reductions.
According to Espo, the specific cuts under consideration include the elimination of some or all of the $8.5 billion in earmarks that have already been appropriated as well as accelerating some of the cuts included in President Obama's 2012 budget.
If this report is accurate, it seems like a huge mistake -- another example of Democrats negotiating with themselves. Everybody knows that at the end of the day, there needs to be a compromise with House Republicans to fund the government and prevent a shutdown. But unilaterally giving ground doesn't isn't the same thing as reaching a compromise -- reaching a compromise requires two parties. You can't do it on your own, no matter how much you might want to.
Earlier this week, both Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer did a fantastic job of making the case that it's Democrats who are willing to negotiate, and that it's Republicans who are refusing to sit down at the table. As long as you're willing to actually sit down at the table, that's a winning position. Either you get a deal done, or Republicans are responsible for shutting down the government. But if you start making preemptive concessions, all you're doing is establishing a new baseline for negotiations. You're not actually changing any of the fundamental dynamics at play.
Senate Dems should continue making clear that they are open to negotiations with House Republicans. But they shouldn't negotiate with themselves.