Obama Breaks Bread with GOP Senators

Friday, March 08, 2013

President Barack Obama took almost a dozen Republican senators opponents out to dinner Wednesday, part of a multi-step, multi-meal plan to thaw the chilly relations with Congress that threaten his second-term agenda. Obama and the senators broke bread at the Jefferson Hotel near the White House, a meeting the host and guests billed as another chance to revisit stalled negotiations over the nation's deficit. "It's hard to sit across the table and have a rational conversation when there's a countdown clock on CNN," said a senior administration official, who asked not to be identified in order to discuss the plans. "What we're trying to do is find like-minded people to build momentum for a compromise."

Posted by BruceBanner at 09:31 AM | 35 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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BruceBanner

Joined 2009/10/09
Visited 2013/05/23

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The president also requested a meeting with Republicans in the House of Representatives. The office of House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) notified members in an email Wednesday that the president wanted time next week "to discuss various policy matters."

Comments

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A true president would do this even if his agenda could be done without republicans. Does anyone think that if he had majorities in the House and Senate he would be doing this?

#1 | Posted by boaz at 2013-03-06 08:20 PM | Reply | Flag:

So what, Boaz? This is reality today. Jeez.

#2 | Posted by cbob at 2013-03-06 08:24 PM | Reply | Flag:

I don't think so, and I don't think he should. Why waste his time??? he only has to address this because they're obstructing the functioning of the country.

Also, can you define what the term "true president" means? Does it have any relation to "real man" comments that Anne Romney would use? These digs at the Prez are often confusing to me since they have no basis in reality.

#3 | Posted by BruceBanner at 2013-03-06 08:28 PM | Reply | Flag:

he only has to address this because they're obstructing the functioning of the country.

The republicans are actually representing me by not letting him destroy the nation.

#4 | Posted by boaz at 2013-03-06 08:34 PM | Reply | Flag:

masturbation is not governing. if they have some ideas then they should put them on the table. so far i see a lack of ideas.

#5 | Posted by BruceBanner at 2013-03-06 08:39 PM | Reply | Flag:

"What we're trying to do is find like-minded people to build momentum for a compromise."

A veiled threat to the voters.

#6 | Posted by Diablo at 2013-03-06 09:13 PM | Reply | Flag:

"How do you say no to the president of the United States?"

Senator Graham needs ideas? I got some:

Flake off you socialist touch hole.

Get back to us, Mr. President, after you count to $16 trillion on your fingers.

We'd like to meet, Mr. President, but we are lining up our party members for Rand to cede his time to when he needs a break from the filibuster.

So what part of "your agenda is failing" do you not get?

#7 | Posted by Diablo at 2013-03-06 09:24 PM | Reply | Flag:

Did the kitchen staff get laid off too along with the tour guides?

#8 | Posted by KBM at 2013-03-06 09:25 PM | Reply | Flag:

I think the rethugs will see through this. Suddenly when he needs them he wants to play nice. I would tell him to take a hike.

#9 | Posted by matsop at 2013-03-06 09:42 PM | Reply | Flag:

A 20 car motorcade with a hoard of Secret Service to get to the dinner is so frugal but since when has this Presidency shown commonsense?

#10 | Posted by Gimme_a_Scotch at 2013-03-06 10:19 PM | Reply | Flag:

I fear, Matsop, based on Graham's wimpy words, they will start doing the Yin/Yang position with passion.

#11 | Posted by Diablo at 2013-03-06 10:19 PM | Reply | Flag:

I think the rethugs will see through this. Suddenly when he needs them he wants to play nice. I would tell him to take a hike.

#9 | POSTED BY MATSOP AT 2013-03-06 09:42 PM | FLAG:

Then where do we begin to move forward? The tough guy attitude is paralyzing the RW. They can't even accept their own ideas spoken by Obama.

I hear Obama paid for dinner too. How does that feel ladies?

#12 | Posted by BruceBanner at 2013-03-06 10:40 PM | Reply | Flag:

Gawd...hope they give him the same response as....

General Anthony Clement "Nuts" McAuliffe

#13 | Posted by Greatamerican at 2013-03-06 10:41 PM | Reply | Flag:

Then where do we begin to move forward? The tough guy attitude is paralyzing the RW. They can't even accept their own ideas spoken by Obama.

#12 | Posted by BruceBanner at 2013-03-06 10:40 PM | Reply

Look, you have a POTUS that has denigrated folks and has been divisive to the max. He has built up such a wall of distrust that you can't expect people suddenly to want to work with him. Anyway the 100 day honeymoon is almost over and we can watch the country slide further into oblivion.

#14 | Posted by matsop at 2013-03-06 10:46 PM | Reply | Flag:

"I hear Obama paid for dinner too."

Likely with the same money he uses to pay for 'free' health care.

#15 | Posted by Diablo at 2013-03-06 11:24 PM | Reply | Flag:

Mat sop; These are all just meaningless and baseless slogans. Meaningless. Baseless.

How to get anything done???? It's time to grow up RW.

#16 | Posted by BruceBanner at 2013-03-06 11:24 PM | Reply | Flag:

#4
i thought you wanted immigration reform, and pot holes filled, etc.

#17 | Posted by ichiro at 2013-03-07 04:06 AM | Reply | Flag:

Obama's nervous b/c his sequestration threats have not happened. First he lies about janitors pay being cut and Napalatona lies and fear mongers we may have a terrorist attack b/c of sequestration. Truth is the planes are flying and everything seems to be running fine. I'd let him hang out to dry if it were me. The house has put up several proposals but, Obama wants some tax increases and talk about spending cut down the road. Which means never.

#18 | Posted by Dalton at 2013-03-07 11:42 AM | Reply | Flag:

"President Obama took his Republican opponents out to dinner Wednesday"

And the dining room still has the stench of sulphur.

#19 | Posted by nullifidian at 2013-03-07 11:47 AM | Reply | Flag:

"Obama Breaks Bread with GOP Senators, GOP Senators Break Wind"

#20 | Posted by Harry_Powell at 2013-03-08 09:47 AM | Reply | Flag:

Rethugs don't want a deal. They don't want any solutions. They just want to be able to say that Obama failed. They lost the last election and now they've doubled down. Their ace in the hole is gerrymandering, the only reason they control the house. The abuse this President has endured is unprecedented in American history, though perfetly consistent with our racist past.

But the larger problem is Obama bought into the Rethuglican mythology years ago. He has allowed them to control the issues being discussed, the most inane being deficit reduction. Change will not happen under Obama, he is too mainstream in his thinking. The kind of thinking that has brought a Capitalist economy to its knees. To fix it, nationalize the Banks, make borrowing money affordable or gie it away to people that will spend it. The only effect of lowering taxes has been to divert more money into interest payments to Banks. That is what is at the heart of that right wing campaign all along, diverting even more money into the hands of fraudsters and gamblers.

#21 | Posted by nutcase at 2013-03-08 09:59 AM | Reply | Flag:

Did he turn the water to wine and tell them "this is my body"?

#22 | Posted by Dalton at 2013-03-08 10:04 AM | Reply | Flag:

Nut, name one spending cut Obama has proposed. When he continues to say increase taxes now and I will come up with spending cuts later it is impossable to cut a deal with him.

#23 | Posted by fishpaw at 2013-03-08 10:35 AM | Reply | Flag:

name one spending cut Obama has proposed. When he continues to say increase taxes now and I will come up with spending cuts later it is impossable to cut a deal with him.

#23 | Posted by fishpaw at 2013-03-08 10:35 AM | Reply | Flag

#24 | Posted by Dalton at 2013-03-08 10:41 AM | Reply | Flag:

Some got uncomfortable as he started referring to them "eating his body" and "drinking his blood."

#25 | Posted by kanrei at 2013-03-08 10:51 AM | Reply | Flag:

I bet

#26 | Posted by Dalton at 2013-03-08 10:59 AM | Reply | Flag:

Fishy,

What are you talking about, Obama's put cuts in Social Security and Medicare on the table, exactly as demanded by Rethugs, who promptly refused his offer. To be sure they're going to do that, which is just bad policy, always picking on the poor and shortening their lives. Clinton slashed welfare, which Rethugs couldn't pull off. Obama's proposal to increase taxes on the wealthy is just good policy. Taxes should be progressive, but for the last thirty years they have become increasingly regressive, most of it behind closed doors but always in the same direction. Examples include taxing unemployment and Social Security, elimination of income averaging, Corporate tax rates, Capital gains locked in at 15%, and lowering all income tax rates to starve the beast, but especially the top rates from 90% to 34%. The clowns in Washington have spent 5 years arguing over a 3% raise in the highest bracket, which used to be 90% under Eisenhower. Prior to about 1915 all Federal spending was paid for with tarrifs. Now that's a plan that will bring prosperity back.

#27 | Posted by nutcase at 2013-03-08 11:08 AM | Reply | Flag:

he only has to address this because they're obstructing the functioning of the country.

The republicans are actually representing me by not letting him destroy the nation.

#4 | Posted by boaz

AGAIN..spot on right from BOAZ...

and if you read the liberal attacks here carefully you can see just what they want..they want an end to our constitutional republic....BOAZ you are just so 'old fashioned' to think that your representives are sent there by you to do what you would do if you were there or at least things YOU would like to see.

liberals and obama are all about changing that to be elect people that will do the bidding of 'our daddy' ( according to chris rock)...you want to see the results of that just look at the long list of people arrested and MURDERED by hugo chavez because sooner rather than later the people must be controlled by people like barak obama by force, not by the ballot

#28 | Posted by afkabl2 at 2013-03-08 11:27 AM | Reply | Flag:

Oh! I thought it said "Obama Breaks Bad With GOP Senators"

...Disappointed!

#29 | Posted by WhoDaMan at 2013-03-08 11:50 AM | Reply | Flag:

jesus christ you work in education? unbelievable.

#30 | Posted by cjk85 at 2013-03-08 02:01 PM | Reply | Flag:

I've always been amazed by that, myself. But then again, he blogs from the public library (oh!, the ironic heresy of that) and he's probably just a made-up persona who likes to screw with peoples' minds on the internet.

#31 | Posted by WhoDaMan at 2013-03-08 02:28 PM | Reply | Flag:

Did the kitchen staff get laid off too along with the tour guides?

#8 | Posted by KBM

You do understand that this is a restaurant, not a government facility? Or hasn't gatewaymoonbat.com got around to explaining the difference to you yet?

###
#28 | Posted by afkabl2: Loved every murderous dictator Reagan and the Bushies did, especially Saddam and Quackdaffi.

Guys, aflac is a drone working for the Harris County GOP and living on his socialist pension, earned after working for decades as a civil servant. But his posts do explain some of the problems with the Texas education system

#32 | Posted by northguy3 at 2013-03-08 03:20 PM | Reply | Flag:

Some got uncomfortable as he started referring to them "eating his body" and "drinking his blood."

#25 | Posted by kanrei

I believe he actually said "eat me you bloodsucking corporate whores"

#33 | Posted by northguy3 at 2013-03-08 03:21 PM | Reply | Flag:

When he continues to say increase taxes now and I will come up with spending cuts later it is impossable to cut a deal with him.

#23 | Posted by fishpaw

which is pretty much the same as the GOPpers when they said give tax cuts to billionaires and we'll fund it with closing loopholes at some undetermined point in the future, maybe even before the end of the universe.

#34 | Posted by northguy3 at 2013-03-08 03:23 PM | Reply | Flag:

Probably a set up to follow them with drones.

#35 | Posted by Federalist at 2013-03-09 04:35 PM | Reply | Flag: