They call that Negotiation?

Is Reid about to make a tactical mistake? From the New York Times coverage of the latest episode of theater of the absurd:

The Senate is expected on Monday to dispense of the House bill quickly and then send back to the House a budget bill that Republicans there have already rejected.

“Until they send us a clean bill, we’re going to table whatever else they send us,” said Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, the No. 3 Senate Democrat.

In other words, the Senate Democrats are arrogantly telling the elected House majority that they will consider nothing short of an Obama-approved bill.

Outlandish.  As Boehner has said, it doesn't work that way.  The Dems need to go back and study Reagan and Tip O'Neill (back when a minority party leader was seen as noble, speaking truth to power) and understand that the House has a certain amount of power even as a minority and therefore, some negotiation must occur.

Meanwhile, Reid wants Americans to believe that by taking this intransigent attitude, John Boehner is responsible for shutting down the government.  In other words, the Senate Democrats are sitting around today watching football or whatever, not doing their jobs while hoping the clock runs out so they can blame everything on the Tea Party, their goal from day one.  And that could be a huge mistake if the Republicans can get the message across through the baby-bird media.  Which is hopefully at least a 50/50 prospect with all the division and weak spines.

MORE  9/30/13

The GOP indeed did try to use their limited megaphone to call out Reid for being lazy (how about Obama) in not opening the Senate yesterday.  So a shutdown looms.

But that's fine.  House members should school each other on the history of shutdowns.  It's not the end of the world.  Screw the media, they are never going to change.  Caving on the other hand, as in allowing a vote on Reid's clean CR bill, would be the end of the world for the GOP as we know it.

MORE  9/30/13

Looks like the move to conference by Boehner is a dismissal for the night and a shutdown, barring some kind of special rules miracle.  There was no way the conservative caucus was going to let the Speaker vote on a clean CR, thank heaven.

And now, a word from our president..

A group of extremists in the House is hours away from shutting down the government. Tell them #EnoughAlready: http://t.co/aUr33RXCIZ
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 1, 2013

Did the president ever call Major Nidal Hasan an extremist? Just wondering.