Don't read this if you're Easily Nauseated

[Cereal Kyller]

From Slate:

Couples Therapy: Why Barack Obama and John Boehner work so well together

At a meeting last year with congressional leaders, President Obama and then-Minority Leader John Boehner got into a testy exchange. When Boehner suggested that Obama's policies were making the business community nervous, the usually cool Obama lost it a little. "The president didn't like it," Boehner recounted in a speech last year. "He looked at me, he slapped the table, and said, 'Boehner, it's not my policies that are paralyzing the employers. It's you Republicans who are scaring them.' "

Boehner and Obama held another meeting Thursday, along with congressional leaders of both parties. Boehner is now the speaker of the House, and the relationship between the two men has warmed. Like men of a bygone era, Obama and Boehner are now holding secret meetings in the White House. On Sunday the two met as a part of a mini-breakthrough in talks over raising the debt ceiling. In private the president says that Boehner reminds him of the Republicans he worked with in Springfield as a state legislator, the kind of Republicans he played poker with on Wednesday nights.

There's a long way to go before a deal on the debt limit. But if it happens, the story of how Obama and Boehner learned to deal with each other will be at the heart of it. In the Saturday-serial narrative of this drama, the stage of gloom and doom has lifted momentarily to suggest that a deal even larger than imagined might be possible. Instead of $2 trillion in spending reductions over 10 years the White House is now suggesting that as much as $3 trillion to $4 trillion in reductions might be possible.

http://www.slate.com/id/2298672/

I'm posting the :nopity: icon because there should be violin music accompanying such a sickly-sweet romantic art---arti---artic---

:puke:

Sorry. Thought I could handle it.

[Autumn]

1. Thats some damn strange negotiations. Start at $2 trillion

and raise it up to $3 trillion to $4 trillion. I wonder what we get for that. I didn't read any more
.

[formercia]

2. Stockholm syndrome

In psychology, Stockholm syndrome is a term used to describe a real paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express empathy and have positive feelings towards their captors; sometimes to the point of defending them. These feelings are generally considered irrational in light of the danger or risk endured by the victims, who essentially mistake a lack of abuse from their captors as an act of kindness.<1><2> The FBI’s Hostage Barricade Database System shows that roughly 27% of victims show evidence of Stockholm syndrome.<3> The syndrome is named after the Norrmalmstorg robbery of Kreditbanken at Norrmalmstorg in Stockholm, in which the bank robbers held bank employees hostage from August 23 to August 28, 1973. In this case, the victims became emotionally attached to their captors, and even defended them after they were freed from their six-day ordeal. The term "Stockholm syndrome" was coined by the criminologist and psychiatrist Nils Bejerot, who assisted the police during the robbery, and referred to the syndrome in a news broadcast.<4> It was originally defined by psychiatrist Frank Ochberg to aid the management of hostage situations.<5>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome

[Enrique]

3. the power of golf n/t

[Cereal Kyller]

4. Edited to include Title

[NCarolinawoman]

5. As I understand it, Biden would offer up "only" two trillion, so

the Republicans demanded that they be able to negotiate with Obama (knowing Obama's history and all). Obama then offered up much much more than Biden would--more than the Republicans had even dreamed of..

...and so,I guess, the process continues...:scared: :(

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. Dude never watched The Godfather.

They walk out of negotiations with Biden, with 2 trillion on the table, insisting they deal with Obama.

They meet with Obama demanding to negotiate from the 2 trillion, and Obama offers 1 trillion.

THAT is how you negotiate.

Make an offer they can't refuse.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[lbrtbell]

8. I'd rec your post if I could

Just when I thought Bush had pissed away the (post-9/11) support of America and the world faster than one would ever believe possible, Obama comes along and does his best to beat the record.

At least with Bush, we always had the hope that a Democrat could be elected. Now, there is no such hope, because he IS the Democrat.

[Cereal Kyller]

9. Excuse me? George W had

the whole fucking world on our side after 9/11, and managed to punt ALL that good will away in 18 months.

Am I disapponted in Obama? Damn straight. But Dubya is in a cage match with Jimmy Buchanan for the Worst POTUS Ever crown.

[Doctor_J]

11. Maybe

the prez didn't have the "advantage" of havng the country attacked on his watch. But he has dashed hope like no one in history. And Bush at least got most of his agenda passed, even though it was disastrous. Obama, OTOH, has gotten most of his opponents' agenda passed, despite the fact that they were astoundingly unpopular in 2009. So in that sense, Bush succeeded at something.

[Cereal Kyller]

14. Self-prescribing tonight, doc?

:evilgrin:

[PoliticAverse]

10. Worst? Bush set a pretty high bar... n/t

[lunatica]

12. Obama probably lets him bring his own bottle to the secret meetings.

That's probably why the Boner is warming up to him.

[Cereal Kyller]

16. And doesn't laugh when Johnny cries

:rofl:

[Doctor_J]

13. You're right- that is downright sickening

but it does shed some light on why Obama capitulates to the Repukes on every major issue.

[unkachuck]

15. K&R....but I hate Ralston Purina....n/t

[Cereal Kyller]

17. Fine! (Sniffle) Then go back to your Kellogg whore!

:cry:!

[Cereal Kyller]

18. Kick for the Night Shift

:beer:

[Cereal Kyller]

20. And....the Graveyard

:scared:

[QC]

19. How heartwarming. n/t