Deal Still Faces Hurdles

(NEWSER) - John Boehner was a late addition to Fox News Sunday today, and painted a two-step deal as the only alternative left. "It's not physically possible to do all of this in one step," Boehner told Chris Wallace, advocating a short-term fix through early next year; President Obama has vowed to veto any deal that doesn't extend to 2013. "I know the president is worried about his next re-election, but, my God, shouldn’t we be worried about the country?" Boehner said. The speaker said he'll put forth a plan based on the House's Cap, Cut, and Balance plan, and said Republicans are "prepared to move on our own." He added that his last offer to the White House of $800 billion in revenue was "still on the table." Elsewhere on the Sunday debt-ceiling dial, as per Politico: More»

Boehner says they'll be useless

(NEWSER) - President Obama is hauling congressional leaders into the White House tomorrow for a sit-down in a desperate attempt to break the debt-ceiling deadlock. He rejected calls for a short-term increase in the limit, saying they had “a unique opportunity to do something big.” He said the sides had “made progress” over the weekend and hoped to clinch things with the meeting, the Washington Post reports. “It’s my hope that everybody is going to leave their ultimatums at the door.” More»

John Boehner, meanwhile, asks Obama to intercede

(NEWSER) - The White House launched a PR campaign to try to save the floundering payroll tax cut extension last night, asking supporters to chime in with what $40 meant to them—since that’s how much the average family stands to lose per paycheck if the extension doesn’t pass, CNN reports. Whitehouse.gov was inundated with more than 10,000 responses, and #40dollars soon topped Twitter’s trending chart, David Plouffe boasted in an email. Many respondents spoke of gas money, grocery bills, and health care costs. More»

But Harry Reid isn't as optimistic about a deal

(NEWSER) - The debt deal may rest on the shoulders of Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid , but the two can't seem to agree on how optimistic to be. At a mid-afternoon press conference, McConnell sounded like a deal was in the offing. “Our country is not going to default for the first time in history; that is not going to happen,” the GOP Senate minority leader said, according to the Washington Post . McConnell added that he had personally spoken to both Obama and Joe Biden. “We now have a level of seriousness, with the right people at the table, that we needed.” John Boehner echoed the sentiment, notes Politico . More»

But the bill won't pass Senate anyhow, says administration

(NEWSER) - As John Boehner’s debt bill approaches a likely vote tomorrow, the White House has issued a veto threat. The brief statement tells Congress that “the president’s senior advisors would recommend that he veto” Boehner’s plan in the event that it passes Congress. But President Obama’s press secretary said he wouldn’t have to veto the bill because the Senate wouldn’t pass it anyhow, the New York Times reports. More»