For Speaker Boehner and the House GOP: Choose Strategy over Tactics

We are hours away from the "Fiscal Cliff,"

Hear the sound of the clock...

"Match of the Century"

Speaker Boehner and the House GOP, it is time to re-read Sun Tzu:

"When your weapons are dulled and ardour damped, your strength exhausted and treasure spent, neighboring rulers will take advantage of your distress to act. And even though you have good counsellors, none will be able to lay good plans for the future,"
-- The Art of War, pg. 73

"If a general is unable to control his impatience and orders his troops to swarm up the hill like ants, one third of them will be killed without taking the city, Such is the calamity of these attacks."
-- The Art of War, pp. 78-9

"If the enemy is strong and I am weak, I temporarily withdraw and do not engage,"
-- The Art of War, pg. 89

In modern life (and politics), everyone is going for the win, what Sun Tzu is saying, without the support of the people (post media blitz 2012), and flagging energy (Thanks to the Establishment GOP who brought Romney upon the locals), sometimes it is OK to retreat.

The tactic is simple (since the modern Democrats do not read Churchill's, "....in Victory: Magnanimity,"):

At the end of the 112th Congress, retreat, but regroup and fight across the 113th.  

The Strategy of "The Long Game," beats a Tactical win in the short one. 

Or to quote many of us on the ground:

LET. IT. BURN. 

 My question: Will the Speaker listen to Sun Tzu?

UPDATE 11:55 PST: Welcome Instapundit readers! And have a very Happy New Year! 

The Fiscal Cliff: Teaching President Obama to Negotiate

This whole "Fiscal Cliff," thing could have been avoided and we could all be settling down to enjoying the New Year,

But Noooooooooo! Majority Leader Reid spent years NOT negotiating with the House of Representatives over Appropriation bills.  Had those bills been passed (even as Omnibus bills), we would not be at the Fiscal Cliff.

Even the foreign markets are  scared at the Democrat's stupidity in not passing Appropriation bills. 

Democrats, you have a President who doesn't know how to get ahead of a problem -- that's not what Presidents do. 

The last Budget that was passed, occured on April 29, 2009. 

Conference Committee and negotiation, that's how Congress works.  You cannot blame Bush and Republicans forever if you want them at the table.  Maria Bartiromo at CNBC put it best:

Now, a gift from a California Republican to the intransigent Democratic Majority in the Executive Branch and the Senate.....

A lesson on How to negotiate!

1) The GOP and Tea Party want to get Government spending under control -- not wipe it off the map.  By allowing both groups and Speaker Boehner to "Save Face," a deal can be reached;

2) Senator Reid needs to own up by not going to Conference Committee, lo these many years, he owns "The Fiscal Cliff,"  and

3) If the GOP is attacked, the Partisans defend -- if done during the inauguration, what riots will break out? All President Obama and Senator Reid must do is give countering numbers. Speaker Boehner did it with Plan B.  Your pieces cannot remain immobile on the Chess board.

In the end, the ball will be kicked into the 113th Congress and if a budget is passed, I will be surprised.

My question: Why did the Democrats never pass an Appropriation Bill?