President Obama: "I will invite the same folks that we invited today, and if that doesn't work, we'll invite them again the day after that, and I will have my entire team available to work through the details of getting a deal done."
And then what, Mr. President? Do you recognize a pattern here? Well, the rest of your supporters have for a long, long time.
The government very likely will shut down. We can see that. The important question is - WILL YOU FOLD AGAIN?
Will YOU be the one who blinks?
You've spent a good part of two years - two years you cannot get back - trying to negotiate with people who ONLY WANT TO DESTROY YOU. You've made compromise after compromise, belittled your base and sacrificed everything you campaigned on.
And for what, may I ask? For the ability to say you tried? That you did your best. That you spent every bit of your political capital looking for common ground?
Well, you may feel better about yourself for trying but the rest of us don't feel very good about the outcome. Let me spell it out to you since your latest press conference makes it painfully clear you've learned nothing:
YOU ARE DEALING WITH A BULLY.
This bully has hit you ten dozen times in the past two years. He hit your Democratic controlled congress for two years prior, and then made your entire party pariahs for six years prior to that.
They're response to you has NEVER BEEN "lets negotiate." It's ALWAYS BEEN "What are you gonna do about it now, tough guy?"
They have pushed you against a wall. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? Are you going to finally fight back? Are you going to stand up for what you said you believed in a few hours ago? Or are you going to fold like you did in the tax cut negotiations?
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO THIS TIME?
This is that moment. You've blown all the others. We as a people expect our President to fight for what he believes in or, at the very least, put up a good fight. You've not even rolled up your sleeves, sir.
I gave up on you after the tax break fiasco. Based on your past performance I am sad to say I see you folding yet again in the face of republican opposition. Nonetheless, I am hoping beyond hope that I don't see the same exact capitulation that I've seen before, especially at a time when you've made very clear that you are drawing a line in the sand.
And, by the way, there is no way to sell capitulation as compromise like you've tried to do in the past (unsuccessfully). You can tell me that until your turn blue in the face but you'll be wasting your breath, unless you're simply trying to convince yourself.
So...what are you going to do about it this time? Are you going to stand strong, or are you going to make all of us who supported you say, yet again, "Oh. That's right. He doesn't really represent me at all."
Hit back. It's your only option. Otherwise, enjoy two years in the political wilderness with your friends the republicans and know, beyond ANY doubt, that you have failed at your job.