[BigV]

Boehner: (a paraphrase, but a very close one)

"the american people have made clear that there is no mandate for raising taxes"

"instead of discussing what taxes we can raise, the president needs to come to us with a plan we can accept that discusses what reforms we can undertake to reduce the deficit."

Boehner does not talk like a man who is willing to compromise, just as he did not compromise before. Whether or not this is a good negotiating strategy in other circumstances is debatable. In the context of the "fiscal cliff"

The president, personally and politically, has little to lose, having won his last election ever, unlike Rep Boehner. His impetus to politick is far less than his motivation to get things done for the good of the nation. Honestly, I don't see much evidence on Boehner's part of a desire to do the nation's business. I see him as consistently obstructionist--not helpful, certainly not to the nation.