I don't think conservatives like Scott Walker, Joe Scarborough, Kasich and the Wall St. Journal op ed page, who have blasted Cruz and the defund obamacare koolaid, would have a problem with the gop negotiating spending cuts and entitlement reform for a CR. But it's a little late in the day for that, since the govt is shut down.
You hint at my point in the OP...how can the repubs give in on the CR....and then have no negotiating power.
I think Ryan's op ed piece in the Wall St. Journal today is the answer, and boehner may be hinting. If the gop offered to means test soc sec and medicare, in exchange for lower COLAs and higher eligibility ages, and some limited tax loopholes in exchange for a couple of percentage points in reduced spending over two year, I think the majority of the media would be all over Obama to do a deal.
The gop could also agree to seek some bipartisan deal on reducing loopholes in exchange for lowering corp or private rates. That's not poison for either party ... unless it's about not doing anything because both parties don't want to do anything, and that's unpopular with the public.
But Obama's been stiffed on immigration and to a lesser degree guns, and he does have that board up the backside, Hah-vahd law professor, lecture thing.
