Program on Negotiation Chair and “Bargaining with the Devil” author Robert Mnookin was recently asked by CNN Fortune’s Claire Zillman about the strategies that Obama could employ in bringing congressional Republicans to the bargaining table in order to end the three-day old government shutdown.
“Strategically what Obama should be emphasizing, if in fact a budget is passed and the debt ceiling is extended, is that he will sit down and negotiate possible amendments to Obama care.”
You can read more about the government shutdown and Robert Mnookin’s advice for the negotiating parties by clicking here.
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Obama shouldn’t mislead, however. If he is willing to discuss making changes to ObamaCare (and WHEN will he stop calling it that?) he should make it clear that he believes changes are necessary in the funding structure to make the program more affordable and less burdensome on the people for whom the law was passed, i.e., unless he can replace the medical device tax funding, he will not consider cutting it. We have to remember that the GOP’s purpose is not to improve the Act but to destroy it and if they can do so by a thousand cuts, they will do so. I’d like to see more interest-based analysis from the PON experts because I’d love to rebroadcast it on my channels. Thanks.