This should stiffen some Democratic Catfood Commission II spines.
And a CNN/ORC International Poll released Wednesday, one week before the panel's November 23 deadline, also indicates that a plurality of the overall public, as well as crucial independent voters, would blame the Republicans more than the Democrats if no agreement's reached.
Seventy-eight percent of people questioned in the survey say they think it is somewhat or very unlikely the committee will develop a plan to significantly reduce the federal budget deficit by November 23, with just over one in five saying it is likely a majority of the panel's six Democrats and six Republicans will reach an agreement. [...]
The poll indicates that 42% say they would blame the Republicans in Congress, with 32% blaming the Democrats, and another one in five volunteering that they would hold both parties equally responsible. [emphasis added]
Republicans have made it completely clear that they are not negotiating in good faith. They're thumbing their noses at the whole ill-conceived process. So Democrats could tread water, offering up no other concessions (and please, by all that they might consider holy, no more concessions!), and let the damned thing die the death it deserves. They'd be ten points ahead in doing so. Sounds like a plan to me.