“With no basis in fact,” according to Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein’s study of congressional dysfunction, It’s Even Worse Than It Looks, Boehner claimed that the president had reneged on the terms of their agreement. “I gave it my all,” Boehner proclaimed. “Unfortunately, the president would not take yes for an answer.” Cantor later told the real story to Ryan Lizza of The New Yorker. Blowing up the grand bargain had been his idea. He said it was a “fair assessment” to say that in the critical final moments he had talked Boehner out of accepting the deal for purely political reasons. Cantor
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