Harry was tough and smart. Unfortunately, he had the rug pulled out from under him by Biden (Obama). The result? Weak and stupid. No "Give 'em hell, Harry" for them.
The White House sent Reid a list of suggested concessions as his staff debated what to send back to McConnell. Reid looked over the concessions the administration wanted to offer, crumpled up the paper and tossed it into his fireplace.
. . . .
Perhaps the most important concession he wrangled from the administration, which Reid had been unwilling to make, was a two-month extension of the sequester, automatic cuts to defense spending and domestic programs that were supposed to be triggered Jan. 1. Reid wanted much more, worried that the two-month period will simply set up another colossal showdown that will also rope in the debt ceiling and funding for the government. "The deal itself is OK, but sets up Democrats for [a] worse fight and strengthens Republicans' hand for what they really want: cuts," said a Democratic source close to Reid. "Biden gave away the store on timeline. Two months and we're back at this and in worse shape."
President Barack Obama has vowed not to negotiate over the debt ceiling, but Democrats in the Senate are worried that they've now lost their leverage. "Everyone knew taxes would be raised on high earners," said the Democratic source. "So with that out of the way, what do we bargain with?"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
What indeed?
And that's just what the Republicans want.
In the wake of the president’s victory [sic] on taxes over the New Year’s holiday, Republicans in Congress are betting that by refusing to unconditionally raise the $16.4 trillion debt ceiling, they can force Mr. Obama to the bargaining table on spending cuts and issues like reform of Medicare and Social Security.
That would inevitably reprise the bitter clash over the debt ceiling in the summer of 2011, when the government came close to shutting down before lawmakers and the president agreed to a $1.2 trillion package of spending cuts in exchange for Republican agreement to raise the debt ceiling by about the same amount.
And that is exactly what Republicans want.
http://www.nytimes.com/...