BREAKING: Party leaders emerged following a two-hour meeting at the White House still without a long-term spending deal, but appear to have made significant progress in that direction. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) and House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) made brief statements at a rare joint-press appearance — perhaps the most telling sign that a deal is close — and said that staff members would continue negotiating “through the night.”
“We’ve narrowed the issues significantly,” Reid said. “I have confidence that we can get this done. We’re not there yet, but hope lies eternal.”
Boehner was a bit more hesitant, saying “some progress” had been made, but that “honest differences” remain. “I want to reiterate that there’s no agreement on a number and there’s no agreement on the policy riders,” he said, repeating the same line he has been using all week.
President Obama made a separate appearance before the press, hailing the “productive” nature of the talks and the “narrow differences” that remain, but with a heavy dose of ‘adult-in-the-room’ admonishment over the prospect of a government shutdown. “It would be inexcusable… [if] we can’t get this done,” he said. “There is no reason why we should not be able to complete a deal, there’s no reason why we should have a government shutdown, unless we’ve made a decision that politics is more important than [everyday Americans].”
He promised to “keep on pounding away at this thing” and to summon leaders back to White House on Thursday if necessary. Lawmakers have until midnight on April 8 to reach a compromise.
For more on today’s rapidly unfolding events, see here and here.
I thought it was "hope springs eternal" but I guess in the Obama era hope does something else.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSeems like the Dems got cornered and are trying to set another trap. They come out and say, "Oh we're so close." Boehner comes out and says, "Not much has changed."
If it falls through, the Dems have set the table to break out the tired cliches yet again, "As we said last night, we were negotiating and getting close to a deal, but the extremistss are holding Boehner hostage and he'd rather shut down the government, starve kids, deny old people their medicine, make our braves troops work without pay, etc. than go against his tea party puppetmasters."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt matters now what Obama and Reid say, they either sign the bill in order to support the troops or they fail utterly. Boehner has offered them so many solutions that Republicans have proposed, the only people saying NO are Obama and Reid. They can't go 19 months whining about not having their way when all they did while holding total power was go against what the majority of Americans wanted on everything.
Dig your arrogant grave Obama and Reid, I hope all of the Democrats you get booted from office in 2012 thank you like the masses you got booted in 2010. As I recall it was the Tea Party supporters that accomplished great feats and made history, and yet you still insult them and call them extremists, talk about ignorance and being foolish. I believe the Tea Party will be an even much larger force in 2012. Better funded, experienced and prepared to the degree 2010 will look like a warm-up.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDiogenes - hope has changed. Now the hopers don't spring, they --- lie. lol...
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Chutzpah You Can Believe In"
Hearing Barack "I won, didn't I?" Obama lecture anyone about how it is not about getting your way is just about too much to take.
And this "act like adults" business? The bowels rumble. If it wasn't for the Dems punting last year on their responsibility to pass a budget, would we be pulling all-nighters like freshmen before the finals? Real adults do not make it a habit of spending more money than they receive in revenues...
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse“There is an intent on both sides to continue to work together to try to resolve this,” Mr. Boehner said. “No one wants the government to shut down.”
That is false. There are indeed some who want the government to shut down. Once you acknowledge who these people are, you have a fairer perspective.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI believe we can pigeonhole our politicians quite nicely with this Eleanor Roosevelt saying: "Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people." The minds of many are nicely displayed in this budget fight.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"unless we’ve made a decision that politics is more important than [everyday Americans].”
As an "everyday" American (you know, the little people), I have the distinct impression that decision was made a LONG time ago.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI agree - the saying is "hope SPRINGS eternal". Reed is just confused. It's DEMOCRATS who "lie eternal(ly)".
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYou're right Mike B! Those people are Shumer, Reid and Obama. They have been aiming for this for this all along. Between Shumer's "extremist" claptrap, Reid's "no cuts, we're not broke" twaddle and now Obama's "no more short term CRs, I just stuck my head in to be a pest" comments the message is clear-"we want a shutdown and we think it'll play like 1995".
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMy hope is that they have completely misjudged the mood of the country.
The MSM has already started the "parks are closed, kid's vacations are ruined" theme. Can anyone not be depressed by an attitude that places an emphasis on short term pleasures and ignores the looming threat to those same kids' fiscal future?
If a shutdown happens, the Republicans will take the hit, and it will be a big one. Trust me.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSo to use an Obama analogy:
His enemies, who drove the car into a ditch - want the keys back.
His friends, who got in the faces of these enemies - got the car back on the road (just go with it) and relegated his enemies to the back seat.
From the back seat, his enemies realize that he is accelerating the car to a crash and burn off a very large cliff.
Believing his enemies brought knives to a fight, Obama and his friends brought guns.
His enemies, however, brought votes and managed to access the front seat.
His enemies are warning him of the cliff and how fast he is driving, (after-all, they were speeding as well when the car went into the ditch).
But Obama and his friends are certain that that cliff is far away - and besides, driving fast is FUN!
Nearly everyone in the car agrees it is fun, but some of Obama's enemies remind them all it is irresponsible and dangerous to everyone.
Now we are at the point where we find out if Obama and his friends slow down and turn.
Are Obama's enemies persuasive enough to convince some of his friends that there is a real danger in continuing on this way?
Will Obama tell his enemies that the only way to stop his joy-ride is to remove the keys from the ignition and turn off the engine (which may put the car back in the ditch)?
The saying, "only a fool fights in a burning house" can probably be applied to speeding cars as well.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNothing said here changes my mind that the Republicans will take the hit if a shutdown occurs. The president has an overwhelming advantage over Congress in pitching his side of the story, as Clinton showed in 1995 and 1996.. Remember -- despite Obama's not-so-great poll numbers, Congress's are far worse.
Kinda underlines the old saying that those who don't learn from history are condemned to repeat it.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseOne side will be responsible for the shutdown if there is one. The side that failed to pass a budget by October 1, 2010 holding the House, the Senate and the White House. No excuses.
They had the reins to do as they saw fit and did not do it. Now they refuse to compromise.
I am very afraid for this country. The essential functions are being held hostage to the non-essential. Why do we tolerate this for even one second?
Everyone should be on the phone, email and every other form of communication telling their Senators to do their job and keep this government running.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis is not 1995-6. The fiscal situation is recognisably dire to even the least schooled in the science of economics. The trick this time will be to, not only shut it down, but leave it down until the books are balanced, and no retroactive pay for the "non-essential" beaurocrates that are sidelined. The key word here is "non-essential". I believe that the american citizen fully undeerstands the problem, and will be willing to forego this years' trip to Yellowstone, the oversite of the EPA, Dept.of Commerce, the Dept. of Ed., etc.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSo much drama! I wait breathlessly to see what happens next. Gosh, I sure hope we can get a compromise. Fearful, exciting, and at all times spell-binding. I can't get enough of this spooky shutdown talk. Its as exciting for me as the Kardashians show. I hope Kourtney can work things out with her boyfriend, but the family doesn't like him, oh that makes me worry too....
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHavana: If you believe that, then you believe that when Obama told Schumer and Reid that there was no agreement, Schumer and Reid applauded.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe Dems are fighting about Planned Parenthood and NPR, oh, and the Cowboy Poet Festival.
We are drowning in debt. Even if these weren't partisan organizations, surely with all the supporters they have, they will have no trouble funding them through private donations. And especially when we are so in debt, we have to learn to get by without extraneous expenses, i.e., things like . . . Planned Parenthood and NPR that are Democrat sacred cows. I'm sure these politicans that stand by these organizations would be glad to contribute. I don't think I should be forced to.
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