I’m more than a little bit stunned to see the Speaker of the House say that the President welshed on a deal and that dealing with him is like dealing with Jell-O. Yet from the accounts we have those comments seem justified. Barack Obama agreed to $800 billion in additional revenues, from eliminating tax preferences and perhaps cutting tax rates, as a ceiling, and then insisted on $400 billion more, in tax rate increases. No wonder John Boehner cut the negotiations off.◼ Obama, 11 a.m.: We won't default. Obama, 6 p.m.: We might default. - Byron York/Washington Examiner
Throughout the debt ceiling talks, one of President Obama's key tasks has been to serve as a reassuring voice, expressing confidence to the public and the financial markets that the United States will not default on its debt. When he appeared at a town hall at the University of Maryland Friday morning, Obama did just that. "The United States of America does not run out without paying the tab," he said. "We pay our bills. We meet our obligations. We have never defaulted on our debt. We’re not going to do it now." Later in the town hall, Obama said, "I just want to make sure that everybody understands defaulting is not an option."◼ Obama chides Republicans as debt negotiations fall apart - Brian Hughes/Washington Examiner
Just a few hours later, shortly after 6:00 p.m. Friday, the president appeared in the White House briefing room and delivered a message that was almost precisely the opposite of what he had said a few hours earlier.
“I’ve been left at the altar now a couple of times,” he said. “One of the questions the Republican Party is going to have to ask themselves is whether they can they say yes to anything.”◼ Boehner bites back: "The White House moved the goal post" - Philip Klein/Washington Examiner
◼ Boehner: "The House has done its job" - Philip Klein/Washington Examiner
“The House has done its job," Boehner said. "We’ve given the president an increase in the debt ceiling of $2.4 trillion, which would take us at least the next 18 months. For that, we’re asking for real cuts in spending and a balanced budget amendment. So the House has done its job, and I hope that the Senate will do theirs.”◼ The benefits of triggering a repeal of the individual mandate as part of debt deal - Philip Klein/Washington Examiner
As he was holding his press conference, the Senate was voting to table the Cut, Cap and Balance plan passed by the House this week.
“If they don’t like our version of Cut, Cap and Balance that two-thirds of the American people support, then what’s their plan?" Boehner said. "They can make amendments to it and send it back over.”
...As I said, there are two challenges here that we have to overcome. We have to raise the debt ceiling, and we have to have a serious down payment on reducing our budget deficit and our debt.”
