Rhetoric vs. Action

First Read: “As House Republicans are huddling on Maryland’s Eastern Shore for their retreat, the GOP appears poised to move on at least two key issues — the debt ceiling and immigration. But you’ll be forgiven if it doesn’t exactly SOUND that way. The rhetoric is going in one direction, while the action is going in another.”

“Here was House Speaker John Boehner talking about the debt ceiling yesterday: ‘I don’t think we Republicans want to default on our debt. Secondly, the president’s made clear he doesn’t want to negotiate. Third, it’s become obvious to me, after having tried to work with the president for the last three years, that he will not deal with our long-term spending problems unless Republicans agree to raise taxes, and we are not going to raise taxes.”

“Translation: Obama won’t negotiate, Obama will demand tax increases. But we’re not going to default. In other words, despite the anti-Obama rhetoric, a deal and a clean-ish debt-ceiling hike seems to be in the works. But Boehner can’t sound like he’s being conciliatory, or that could light the base on fire.”