Given today's events its looker clearer and cleared why McConnel wanted direct talks with the President ...he knows that it will be easier to roll the President than Mr. Reid. McConnel realizes that the President in reality wants a deal more than anything else. Victory for Obama is the deal!
Obama's grand bargain includes major changes (read in cuts) to social security and medicare so agreeing to any trigger that may result in this outcome is fine with him. He thinks that there is no way republicans will vote for these cuts during an election year. Just like he thought republicans wouldn't hold the debt ceiling hostage, just like he thought that republicans would be willing to compromise for the good of the country and just like he thought that including republican ideas in the health care bill would gain republican support. I am betting that if it wasnt for Michelle Obama, his girls would already have a pony, nay...two ponies..