A third option changes the negotiation

The conventional wisdom on the fiscal cliff is that there are two options: (1) an Obama-Boehner deal; or (2) no deal, in which case there is no legislation before the end of the year and we “go off the fiscal cliff.” Even those who acknowledge the possibility of…

Under Construction

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The venue shifts

A few days ago Speaker Boehner redirected his focus from negotiating an ad hoc Obama-Boehner deal to a more traditional legislative path. Since the Speaker announced plan B at the beginning of the week, the venue for substantive negotiations has shifted from Obama/Boehner to a standard House/Senate…

What kind of negotiator is President Obama?

President Obama’s behavior over the past month is consistent with three different models, and I cannot figure out which one applies.

In model 1 the President is a risk-taker. He is a competent and effective negotiator who is…

Understanding the President’s fiscal cliff offer

I am going to describe the President’s proposal to Republican Congressional leaders, then react to the most important parts of it. Secretary Geithner offered this proposal last Thursday.