This seems like a pretty big deal to me.

According to Harry Reid, in early September he and John Boehner not only negotiated over a clean continuing resolution that would have avoided a government shutdown, they came to an agreement on one.

The agreement would have funded the government on a short-term basis at the level of spending set by the sequester, namely $988 billion for the full year. They had a deal, then suddenly Boehner reneged.

Furthermore, Reid said that Boehner in no way desired to connect defunding Obamacare to funding the government. That was not his plan at all. However, that's exactly what he ended up doing. Here's more from Senator Reid:



“I know that that’s not the path he preferred,” Reid said. “I know that because we met the first week we came back in September and he told me that what he wanted was a clean CR and the $988 [billion] number. “We didn’t like the 988 number. We didn’t like it but we negotiated. That was our compromise,” Reid added. “The exact bill that he now refuses to let the House vote on. That was our negotiation.” “He twisted [my arm] a little bit to get that number,” Reid said. “Now he refused to let his own party vote because he’s afraid to stand up to something he originally agreed to,” he added.

“His job is not as important as our country,” Reid said. “I say to my friend John Boehner–and I do like him, I’ve said that lots of times–John, if you want to really have history books account who you really are, do this,” he said, urging Boehner to take up the clean bill. “He has to have some courage,” he added.

CNN has additional quotes from Reid about Boehner on this topic:Clearly, Reid is trying to embarrass Boehner with this information. I hope that works. But this information shows exactly who is the tail wagging the dog right now among Congressional Republicans.

John Boehner can't even keep his own word when he makes a deal that maintains sequester-level spending. Think about the impact of that on future negotiations, and on Congress's ability to get anything done at all.

There is only one answer, and Harry Reid has it right. John Boehner has to risk his job for his country. We may well have reached the point where it's one or the other.