Is The 'Grand Bargain' Back?

As DSWright of FDL says, "It’s not too late for Democrats to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory." From Robert Costa at National Review's The Corner, the rumor is that Obama, despite overwhelmingly negative public reaction to suggested cuts during the last debt limit confrontation, still wants to be known as the president who whacked Social Security and Medicare:

...

“It’s the return of the grand bargain,” says one House Republican, who requested anonymity to speak freely. “There weren’t a lot of specifics discussed, and the meetings were mostly about just checking in. But he’s looking hard at the debt limit as a place where we can do something big.”

...

Per sources, entitlement reforms, such as chained CPI, an elimination of the medical-device tax, and delays to parts of Obamacare are all on the table as trades for delaying aspects of sequestration and extending the debt limit. Camp, especially, is pushing to have a tax-reform framework included.

...

I'd say "just shoot me now," but who knows how much GOPer spin Boehner is putting on this story for the sake of his hard-to-please public.

I'm not hard to please: just don't kill or maim SocSec and Medicare, and I'll at least listen to you.

AFTERTHOUGHT: I came back from lunch and all mention today of a "grand bargain" has vanished from the TPM site, at least if their search is any good. TalkingPointsMemo... we can rewrite the news faster than you can read it.

UPDATE 10/3 about 1:30pm CDT:  Politico has it a bit differently:

When House Speaker John Boehner raised the idea at a White House meeting Wednesday with Obama and congressional leaders, “everybody laughed at him because they’ve heard this song and dance so many times before,” said a Democratic aide briefed on the meeting. A Republican aide disputed the account, saying Democrats harangued Boehner to appoint budget negotiators. The speaker retorted, saying Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will not allow Senate Budget Chairman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to hold talks with House Budget Chair Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).

Believe whomever you please. I'm tired of this b^llsh!t.

UPDATE 10/3, mid-afternoon time uncertain: Phoenix Woman at FDL assesses from multiple sources that Obama is not caving, and that Republicans are aware he's not. I suppose we'll see.