permanent tax cuts for the rich saying any talk of making any rates permanent is moot because part of their offer is doing comprehensive tax reform next year. are you buying that? >> no. i think it's important right now to step back and understand the stage craft that the losing side in these debates always has to go through. i went through two of these negotiations very intimately when i was a staff government reform committee in '91. it's slow walking. when one side realizes they've lost debate but not able to go to their caucus and tell them they lost. in boehner's case because he's a weak speaker at the moment. what they have to do is pick the process up to the 11th hour to show their caucus they did everything they could possibly do but they have no option but to agree to the other side of the debate. everybody agrees that the obama administration has won the debate on the met ta issue right now. and that is the tax rates.