Negotiating with Republicans

D: "OK, we've won the last two Congressional elections convincingly, we have the presidency, but let's not let the past trouble us. We want to work for the good of the country, and we're willing to listen to your ideas and let you sit at the table and work together with us...."

R: <*snarl*> <*growl*> "Ayers." "Barack the Magic Negro." "You want us to bend over..."

D: "No, really. We want to work with you. We don't want you to feel left out and angry...."

R: "Tax cuts. We want tax cuts. More tax cuts. Yeah, and money for big bidness execs. No abortions. No sex even...." <*grumble*> <*snort*>

D: "OK, tell us what you want; what's your position, and maybe we can find some middle ground."

R: "We want tax cuts!!!! And abortion is abhorrent! No money for family planning of any kind!!!!"

D: "OK, we'll toss in a sop to you in the spirit of bipartisanship. We'll take out the family planning funds for now, even though it will save the government money. And you can have some tax cuts too. Deal?"

<* Republicans take the tax cuts and the nix of family planning, gobble them down and then bite the Democrats' hands *>

D: "Owwww. That hurt!!! Look, we're really trying to compromise here. What more do you want?"

R: "Tax cuts. We want tax cuts. More tax cuts. Yeah, and money for big bidness execs. No abortions. No sex even. And we want offshore-drilling. And no environmental regulations. And no mortgage relief for those losers...." <*grumble*> <*snort*>

D: "I don't think you understand how negotiations proceed. You're supposed to find some place in the middle where we both can agree, not add additional demands."

R: "Tax cuts. We want tax cuts. More tax cuts. Yeah, and money for big bidness execs. No abortions. No sex even. And we want offshore-drilling. And no environmental regulations. And no mortgage relief for those losers. And conservatives appointed to the executive and the judiciary. " <*grumble*> <*snort*>

D: "You just got trounced in the last two elections? Why do you keep demanding more?!?!?"

R: <*growl*> <*snap*> <*lunges at chain*>....

The big error was this: "What more do you want?"

WGAF? Really. The correct question is "if you won't even take what we already gave you, why should we even listen to you?"

Glenn Greenwald lays it out well. Time for the Democrats to say, "here's what a negotiation is; you can take what we offer you, or we'll just take it from here and you can let history run you over."