When you negotiate, don't you have to present your own conditions, opposed to the other side's?

[badtoworse]

9. It depends...

I've negotiated numerous contracts and there have been times I've told the other side that their offer is flatly unacceptable and that I would not counter - basically, I walked away. It's been my experience that if you do that, the other side generally presents a position that can be the basis for negotiation.

The proposal that Congress surrender control of the debt ceiling to the Executive branch is just plain ridiculous. No one on either side of the aisle in Congress would agree to that, so why propose it? Tax now and cut later? Does anyone honestly believe the RW is just going to give up their negotiating leverage for nothing?

I think both sides need to present a balanced proposal that demonstrates good faith, Sorry, but I haven't seen that from either side yet.