Speaker John Boehner’s 'Plan B' is the talk of Capitol Hill, but many Republicans are less than optimistic about its chances. Several veteran lawmakers tell me that Boehner’s move to extend rates for most Americans is noble, but they think it’ll ultimately die in the Senate.

“Harry Reid will happily blow this up, and the president won’t accept Boehner’s terms,” predicts a GOP senator. “If this is the end of the game, then we’re going over the cliff.”