Negotiation For Dumb Asses, er, Donkeys

Negotiation is warfare by other means, seriously. You bring the big guns right from the get-go. You stake out the ground you want and fight for it, and because it is warfare you know going in that you will suffer losses. The units you will lose aren't soldiers, they're your desired points some of which are suicide squads - Medicare for all or single payer is one of those.

You start with what you really do want, like single payer and in the fray with those who only want to turn the consumer into even more of a mark for HealthInc you lose it but their fear that that single payer is a serious player drives them toward something like the public option. If you start with the public option where do you have to go? Into the tank with HealthInc is where you go.

The Republicans will not play the negotiation warfare game, they don't care and simply throw a nuke - NO! Nothing will do except to further enrich HealthInc. Mutual self-destruction is their game and the country can go hang. They are disposable, the ones who count are the so-called Blue Dog Democrats. These folks are of two minds regarding HealthInc, one is the beau coup ducats they get from them and the other is how the hell to pay for it and not kill HealthInc in the process. The part they're willing to talk about has not squat to do with the big part, money in their coffers.

While I'm pretty sure Pres Obama doesn't like to play this way, I'm also pretty sure Rahm doesn't mind suggesting to a recalcitrant Democrat that a truly ugly Primary fight could be made and stunning silence from the White House wouldn't be good. That works with somebody up in '10. There are a lot of not pretty facts regarding some legislators that could be public rather than under the radar. In any Senator's wish list of projects there are high profile ones that could go unfunded by the Executive Branch, whatever an earmark might indicate. Positions on Committees, including Chairs, are not lifetime appointments like the Supreme Court, they actually can be revoked.

The Congress is one third of our form of Federal Government and is frequently under served in that regard. It is also subject to pressure and the fact that such an ability exists does not make it an unequal partner, simply one that can be pushed to be responsible. Aw hell, get out the sledgehammer - you know - Don't force that son, get a bigger hammer...