To be fair to Biden, his presumption that Republicans would propose entitlement reform was not unreasonable. The GOP hadto do as much in the lead-up to last year’s midterm elections. And without cuts to Social Security and Medicare, the House GOP’s position is incoherent.
But Republicans have no problem with lying about their fiscal priorities.
The notion that Biden could have secured a better deal if only he’d adopted a more aggressive opening stance — and/or messaged the fight better — is plausible but not obviously correct. The White House has gone on “offense” in some areas during negotiations, proposing the closure of various tax loopholes dear to the GOP donor class. But there is no indication that this has caused McCarthy to moderate his demands.