John Boehner and his congressional colleagues are currently setting the stage for a colossal debate over the country’s future. The debt limit issue promises to be a contentious one, and Boehner has drawn the line in the sand, saying that tax increases are “off the table”.

That leaves cuts, and his contention that there need to be “trillions” in cuts makes for some uneasy reactions in Washington and around the country – especially where unprotected special interests reside.

It remains to be seen how discussions with the president will go. If the budget dialog was any indicator, the two are not on the greatest ideological terms, and have little chance of a happy meeting in the middle. This will be a compromise, but House Republicans, via Boehner, have already thrown down a substantial gauntlet, in the form of the tax stance.

Let the games begin.