But anyway, to my theory. I think the Boner Boehner is constantly changing the final negotiated "figure" for budget cuts to keep the media attention on that number, and less on the policy riders that haven't been removed from the negotiations. Mike Pence said as much:
“If liberals in the Senate would rather play political games and force a government shutdown, instead of accepting a modest down payment on fiscal discipline and reform, I say, ‘Shut it down!’ ” yelled Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) at a tea party rally at the Capitol.
Quoting from a Daily Caller article:
"Republicans say the final deal must include at least some of the policy riders in their bill, a long list that includes defunding Obamacare, a slew of strict EPA regulations, Planned Parenthood and National Public Radio, among others."
and back to Pence:
"Insiders say Rep. Mike Pence is leading the charge. His spokesman, Matt Lloyd, says Pence thinks Republicans ought to draw the line at “$61 billion in budget cuts, defunding Planned Parenthood and defunding ObamaCare.”
And here's some more quotes from Pence, from a PBS interview with Judy Woodruff (where another participant was the FINE Senator from Maryland, Ben Cardin):
A. "But, look, it's good news that discussions are under way, but it's also good news that House Republicans are determined to take a stand for fiscal discipline, keep our word to the American people, and do what we said we'd do, which is that we would take spending levels down to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels. That will require $61 billion in budget cuts.
We also passed provisions to defund Obamacare and defund Planned Parenthood. We're fighting for those provisions. And we're going to continue to fight to them right up to April the 8th."
B. "There may be details. There may be room for negotiation. But the overall number and the key policy elements, defunding Obamacare, defunding abortion providers like Planned Parenthood, Republicans are going to keep fighting, and fighting hard."
[How is there "room for negotiation" if they insist on a number and insist on keeping all the riders in the bill?]
C.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, let me ask you about that, the so-called policy rider, policy provisions, defunding Planned Parenthood, defunding health-care reform. Are those really germane to the budget bill?
REP. MIKE PENCE: Yes, sure. Well, they're spending. Of course they are.
I mean, to say that defunding Obamacare or defunding Planned Parenthood is not germane to a spending bill, you may as well say that funding Obamacare and funding Planned Parenthood, as we do to the tune of about $350 million, is not germane.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Well...
REP. MIKE PENCE: Look, all -- all spending decisions are policy decisions. The senator knows that. Everybody knows that. I appreciate the rhetorical jousting over policy riders and that, but this is all about spending and it's all about policy.
And check out these two ripostes from Cardin:
"Well, we have legislative committees that have jurisdiction over these areas. I thought that the Republican leadership in the House believed in regular order. Regular order allows these matters to go to the committees of jurisdiction to debate these issues."
and finally:
"Democrats are prepared to negotiate in good faith. We're not prepared, though, to give up the rights of the United States Senate or the rights of the American people. We will negotiate. We will come -- we will make compromises. But we're not going to just say that, whatever the House or Republicans want, it's going to become the law of the land."
Damn right we're not.
--- So to sum up, clearly Pence isn't willing to consider taking the riders out. And the riders are take 'em or leave 'em. So if we hear the GOP say tomorrow that they can't agree, and the Dems say (again) that they agreed to about $35 billion in cuts, then the whole issue comes down SQUARELY on the riders, and if the deal breaks on those, then the ENTIRE blame for the shutdown falls on the Tea Party a-holes.
Simple.
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