The GOP braintrust (Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS)
That the GOP is being pulled in opposite directions by its rabid tea party base and its overlords on Wall Street has been clear for months, but the debt ceiling negotiations, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's
bizarre capitulation, have intensified that split. It's a game of hot potato in the
GOP leadership.
Since pulling the plug on the deal, Boehner has been largely silent in the meetings, leaving House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) to present details of the House’s position. On Tuesday, people in both parties said, Obama tried to reestablish Boehner’s primacy.
Cantor, who is advocating a smaller deal, at one point demanded that Obama offer the details of his vision for a “grand bargain.”
“Where’s your paper?” he asked angrily.
Obama snapped back: “Frankly, your speaker has it. Am I dealing with him, or am I dealing with you?”
McConnell grabbed the potato, and will be burned by the House.
Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) said Tuesday that more than 59 members of his caucus would not vote for any debt ceiling deal.
"We have a number of members who won't vote to raise the debt ceiling under any circumstances," he told Fox News' Bret Baier, citing ideological disagreements.
Boehner added that he and House Republicans are committed to finding "the biggest spending cuts possible" with no new taxes.
Take for example "Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) [who] tweeted "Don't know what in the world McConnell in the Senate is thinking. Wow. Stupid idea."