John Boehner has stated many times that he doesn't want the government to be shut down and he doesn't want the debt ceiling to not be raised, but he simply requests that President Obama and the Democrats sit down to negotiate.
That's all he's asking.
It's not so hard.
Maybe he's right. Maybe Democrats should negotiate. Of course, in a negotiation, the two sides both ask for something they want that the other side really doesn't want to give up and then come to a compromise.
We know what the Republicans want. They want to destroy Obamacare. However, in an act of good faith, they have graciously lowered their opening bid to delaying Obamacare by one year.
The problem currently is that Democrats have not asked for anything yet.
Oh, I know, the assumed position currently is that Democrats are asking for the government not to be shut down and the debt ceiling to be raised and the standing of the United States around the world to not be devastatingly harmed and the country not to be sent back into a recession. I guess we must assume these are the things that apparently the Democrats want which the Republicans do not want to give. But for many in the Republican party, including Boehner, their public position is they want all of those things too. So, it is not clear what the Democrats get in this negotiation.
I think we should ask for something. I think we should enter into negotiations with the Republicans. I would even go so far as to say I'd be willing to delay the individual mandate on Obamacare for one year. But, we get something in return.
I think the Democrats should demand that in return for delaying the individual mandate that Republicans should agree to raising the income tax rate on the top income earners back to the 70% it was before Ronald Reagen came in and started ballooning our national defecit. Also, to return some fairness to the system, capital gains taxes should be at the same level instead of the ridiculous 15% they are today.
Now, this might be painful for some Republicans to accept especially since it would require overturning changes first put into effect by St. Ronnie, but that is what happens in a negotiation. You give something up to gain something. In return, the Republicans will receive another year to try and repeal the hated Obamacare that will surely destroy America. (Though one has to scratch their head a little at a strategy by which Republicans attempt to destroy America to prevent Obamacare from destroying America. I guess they just want to be the ones to do it themselves.)
As for our side, a delay of the individual mandate might seriously harm the program. It puts it at risk of not enrolling enough people to keep the rates affordable. This is the gamble we would take. Though one possibility would be to take some of the revenue earned from the new tax rates to increase the incentives for enrolling in the exchanges, but only for those who do it this year!
So, there you go.... we negotiate. The Republicans simply want a delay of Obamacare for one year. That's not too much to ask. The Democrats simply want the tax rates on the top income earners to return to the levels they were in 1980. Actually, this is already a compromise on our parts. What we really want is a return to the 90% level it was at in 1960 when things were pretty good in the US of A. But, in good faith, we'll only ask for 70%. This really should be pretty easy to settle! And no one gets to destroy America!!
6:30 AM PT: I realize people are taking this suggestion way too seriously and are trying to argue with me. Of course, I am not being serious. The point is that the Republicans are being absurd by stating that Obama will not negotiate. Negotiate over what? Whether destroying our economy is a good or bad idea?