House Speaker John Boehner went on ABC News “This Week” to make clear his position: Republicans won’t give the government new borrowing authority until Democrats agree to negotiate about Obamacare and fiscal priorities. When host George Stephanopoulos asked Boehner directly whether Republicans would let the government default if Obama won’t talk, Boehner said: “That's the path we're on. … I don't want the United States to default on its debt. But I'm not going to raise the debt limit without a serious conversation about dealing with problems that are driving the debt up. It would be irresponsible of me to do this.”

Of course, this is what Boehner has always said publicly. Privately, he has been saying something else. According to multiple media accounts, Boehner has told colleagues he will make sure Congress passes a bill to raise the debt limit, even if he has to rely on Democratic votes to do so. Many pundits think Boehner’s public statements represent nothing more than posturing—an effort to keep his conservative critics at bay, so that he can tell them honestly he wanted until the last moment before agreeing to raise the debt ceiling for the sake of the country.

Which John Boehner is telling the truth—the one talking to Stephanopoulos? Or the one talking to his colleagues? Your guess is as good as mine. It may also be as good as his.

Boehner seems unsure of what he wants to do. That's unsettling. He seems less sure about what he can do. That's even more unsettling. If you want proof, go and read Friday’s New York Times story by Jonathan Weisman. As it explains, Boehner has on at least two recent occasions promised to pass spending bills, only to fail because the conservative wing of his party wouldn’t support him. That’s why the government is shut down right now. And if Boehner can’t get the Republican caucus behind him on a bill financing basic government operations, who’s to say he can get the Republican caucus to vote for a bill raising the debt limit? And that's assuming he wants such a vote.

I know: It’s pretty confusing. But that wasn’t the most important part of Boehner’s interview. The most important part was the argument Boehner made for why Obama and the Democrats must start talks over the debt ceiling. It’s actually the best argument yet for why they shouldn't.