Given the surplus of histronics and the lack of complete disclosure, it doesn't surprise me that the majority of Americans agree with the president on "this issue," providing that is on what your preception of "this issue" is of course! Under normal circumstances I would agree with you (in part at least) on what you're saying. However, when it becomes necessary to prevent an inevitable derailment of government, comprimise is not always possible. As they say in the Kenny Rogers song, Coward of the County... "Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man!"

IMHO, the American people spoke loud and clear in the election last November when they overwhelmingly elected Republicans to Congress, and what they were saying to Washington was NOT to allow the derailment of government, but rather to have the courage to fight to keep government from a catastropic future and not comprimise (what you refer to as hostage holding) in that objective, even when under the political atmosphere of fear mongering and charactor assassination.

Is there room for comprimise in this case? There should be! But an increase in US debt of over 3 Trillion over the past couple of years has made comprimise a virtual mission impossible if that debt is to be prevented from escillating to a point of governmental collapse once it grows beyond America's ability to ever recover, and I'm sure none of us want that!