Behind the failed “grand bargain”

Behind the failed “grand bargain”

via Power Line by Scott Johnson on 3/18/12

(Scott Johnson)
Peter Wallsten is a first-rate political reporter who has worked for newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal and now the Washington Post. In today's Post he is the lead contributor to the long behind-the-scenes story reconstructing Obama's negotiations with Republican leaders this past summer over a "grand bargain" on tax and budget issues. Reader Steve Walser writes:

Please closely read Sunday's front-page article on the breakdown of negotiations between Obama and Boehner/Cantor before the debt ceiling votes. It reveals three stunning [facts]:
1. Obama intentionally lied to the nation at his prime time address when he said the Republicans insisted on a "cuts only approach" when he knew full well Boehner and Cantor had already accepted over $800B in tax increases.
2. Obama is a TERRIBLE negotiator. He combines great arrogance with great timidity and ignorance. A truly awful combination in an executive.
3. Reid and Pelosi are merely "useful idiots" for Obama and they had no influence in one of the most critical domestic issues to come up during the Big O's presidency.
To see this actually reported by the Post is stunning.

STEVE adds: I have heard from a well-placed Hill person that Boehner was asked some months back about the difficulty of working with Harry Reid, and Boehner responded sharply that Reid was not the problem–if it were up to him and Reid, they could reach a budget deal.  The problem, Boehner told this person, is Obama.  This Post story amply confirms this.