Washington (CNN) -- Forgive President Barack
Obama and Democrats if they are getting confused by the tactics of House
Speaker John Boehner and his Republican caucus.
After prompting a partial
government shutdown by trying to undermine Obama's signature health care
reforms, GOP leaders now are focused on spending cuts elsewhere in their
demands for agreeing to fund the government and raise the federal borrowing
limit.
Boehner, who earlier this year
told his GOP colleagues that he was finished negotiating one-on-one with the
president, now pleads for Obama to sit down for what he calls a
"conversation" on how to reopen the government and prevent what would
be the first-ever U.S. default as soon as next week.
But when Obama invited the
entire House Republican caucus to the White House as part of a series of
meetings with legislators, Boehner's office responded that only the GOP
leadership and committee chairmen would attend the Thursday gathering.
"It is our hope that this
will be a constructive meeting and that the president finally recognizes Americans
expect their leaders to be able to sit down and resolve their
differences," said a statement by a Boehner aide.
Obama's invitation was intended
to demonstrate outreach to Republicans on the ninth day of the partial shutdown
and just eight days from when the Treasury says Congress must increase the
federal debt ceiling or risk default.
No comments:
Post a Comment