Maybe, just maybe, the antics of Rep. Jeb Hensarling and his merry band of nihilists have opened up Democratic eyes to what the Catfood Commission II cannot accomplish in its remaining days. Just a reminder of the Republican plan currently on the table:
Average change in taxes, relative to current policy (click here for full-size image):
That's the line Hensarling has drawn. Big tax breaks for the wealthy, tax increases for everyone else, and they're calling it "revenue." But now Democrats might be taking Hensarling's no tax increases statement at face value.
Aides now say if Hensarling was telling the truth—if Republicans "have gone as far as we feel we can go"—then that's it. Democrats will see that as Republicans walking away from the table. Because that was nowhere near far enough. That's the key question for today and basically the next week. Will Republicans come off their mark. Because if they don’t, looks like it’s game over.
Really for the next few days, because something would have to be finalized by Monday to be scored by the Congressional Budget Office in time to meet the Nov. 23 deadline. If the extremely regressive Toomey proposal of last week is as far as they're willing to go, then it really should be game over.
Of course, their newfound stalwart opposition to Hensarling and his colleagues could be over their lack of decorum.
"We've been really working hard not to negotiate in public and not to negotiate through you folks but to talk to each other in good faith and try to work through a compromise," said Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) after a closed door meeting. "I think when people go public and say what they're willing and not willing to do, it isn't as helpful as sitting at a table and trying to work through these things."
As a citizen, Sen. Kerry, I respectfully disagree. Since it's our skin in your austerity game, I'm glad Hensarling is willing to show his cards. That aside, this time Republican intransigence might actually help the nation dodge a bullet.