Yesterday, after negotiating $2 trillion in spending cuts with Vice President Joe Biden and other senior Democrats, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor pulled out of budget negotiations and denounced any attempt to raise revenues or increase taxes. Speaking for Cantor, Speaker John Boehner commented: “I understand why [Cantor] did what he did. But I think those talks could continue if they’re willing to take the tax hikes off the table.” Likewise, in a joint statement with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Jon Kyl (who joined Cantor in leaving the talks), declared his opposition to new taxes:“President Obama needs to decide between his goal of higher taxes, or a bipartisan plan to address our deficit. He can’t have both.”
As Ezra Klein points out, this redefinition of “bipartisanship” isn’t a surprise. In January, when asked about the prospect of working with the Obama administration, McConnell said, “If the president is willing to do what I and my members would do anyway, we’re not going to say no.” This was true even before Republicans won the House of Representatives; during negotiations over health care and financial reform, Republican “compromise” amounted to demanding Democrats abandon their plans in favor of GOP policies. For example, here is what Boehner proposed as a bipartisan solution to health care reform:
The president wants to have bipartisan conversations. It is going to be very difficult to have a bipartisan conversation with regard to a 2,700 page heath care bill that's a Democrat majority in the House and a Democrat majority in the Senate can't pass. So why are we going to talk about a bill that can't pass? It really is time to scrap the bill and start over.
For the last two-and-a-half years, the GOP has been crystal clear about its negotiation stance: Absent complete capitulation from the other side, Republicans will reject any attempt at “bipartisanship.” That was true when the administration was negotiating the stimulus package; it was true during last year's lame duck session;and it is true now.
