I agree its a trap, but I think you're mistaken about the details.

The Dems know that no matter what is voted in, the economy is not going to recover by Nov 2012, and if the Reps get their spending cuts it will get a lot worse. What they want is to get the long term benefits of spending cuts, pay the price in unemployment and recession, and still be able to tell the angry entitlement losers and general electorate, "See, it wasn't our fault, the Republicans made us do it. We had to deal to prevent gridlock." It's not dumb, its greed that will sink the GOP. They will sell their mothers for a tax cut. Once they get that they will deal.

The Republicans have one concern. One. Getting Obama out, and taking back power. They've admitted that publicly and repeatedly. But they want a tax cut even more. They are convinced it will solve all their problems.