 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) NV flanked by Sen. Patty Murray (D) WA and Sen. Dick Durbin (D) IL speak to reporters outside the White House after Democrats met with President Obama Wednesday on the debt ceiling.
May 11th, 2011
07:51 PM ET
Obama to Dems on debt ceiling: Work it out! WASHINGTON (CNN)–President Obama is laying down the law to his Democratic colleagues as they begin negotiations to raise the nation's borrowing limit. The president's message: you have no choice but to work this out. Wednesday, Mr. Obama met with Democratic senators at the White House as Congress continued to try to reach a compromise by this summer to raise the nation's borrowing limit which is now $14.2 trillion. If the debt ceiling, as it is called, is not raised the government could default on its loans. Wednesday, in the first of what will likely be many meetings between both parties in Congress, Mr. Obama told Democratic senators not to "draw any lines in the sand" according to Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid. Reid told reporters the caucus' meeting with the president ended on a "high note" and Democrats and the president stand united, "without any question, we're together," he said. Just last month, Mr. Obama took the lead in negotiations between congressional Republicans and Democrats when it looked like they might not reach a compromise to avert a federal government shutdown. There was grumbling among some in his own party that the president gave too much. But Wednesday, Reid said there is no division between democrats as they head into negotiations over raising the nation's debt limit. "We are singing from the same hymn book, on the same page" he said. The majority leader conceded deciding what to cut in the budget will not be easy but he maintained "all options are open." Mr. Obama meets with Senate Republicans Thursday at the White House and will call both parties from the House over for talks in the coming weeks according to White House Press Secretary Jay Carney to "adopt a balanced approach in confronting the nation's long-term deficit challenges |
  |
 |
|||
|
|
|
||||
Reed: 'We are singing from the same hymn book, on the same page'. That assumption by Mr Reed, the PRESIDENT and many Democrats, is sadly percieved to be the truth in Washington, when comes to negotiating resolutions on MOST issues. Republicans are nothing more than backstabbing, two-faced, talking-out-of-both-sides-of-their-mouths treasonists! They're fearmongering, undermining, obstructive, stonewalling LIARS who'll come right out after the meetings, and loathe to the media their GREAT disdain the outcome.
We would not have to increase the debt ceiling if Barry had not spent so much money on special interest projects. Three unfunded wars, unfunded increases in heath care, tax breaks for big oil companies like Exxon and expensive date nights.
If they don't raise the debt ceiling, the loans made by your 'PRESIDENT' BUSH and a few others that were probably made on behalf of raising AMERICA back up out of the dungeons of previous failed policies, will go into default! Healthcare? You say that it's unfunded; the government has always subsidized the poor and disabled in their health needs. It's a basic humane necessity! Obama tried to get a 'public option plan' in it, but your good insurance-dealing republicans didn't want it! I pay $63 dollars more!
'We the people' have no 'public option' choice of insurances to select. Therefore, your fearmongering, money-grubbing bought-out conservatives have done nothing but put the weight of higher premiums on the poor and middle-class taxpayers, who have been struggling to pay for private insurances all along, like myself. I now pay a premium for 'self only' of $293.00 per month; which is automatically deducted from my 'federal pension'! So is that what you mean? Unfunded? Not governmentally funded? We are paying!
Your 3 'unfunded wars' claim was first instigated and set off by your 'President' Bush, and they went 'unfunded' and borrowed on for years! Those are two of the main reasons we need to raise the debt ceiling; those loans are certainly going into default, I'm sure! If you're claiming LIBYA as a war, (and I do not) well it's not costing us anywhere near as much money, American lives; nor will it. We certainly have no reason to stay there as long! Big oil taxbreaks? Lie. Special interests and date nights? Lie.
The 3 unfunded wars, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya are all Barry's decision. He could have ended Iraq as President Bush had negotiated. No, he extended it by over 1 year. He could end Afghanistan war, now that we know that Osama was in Pakistan. No, he extended the war, expanded the number of soldiers, over 100,000 and has spent more in two years than President Bush did in his two terms. Libya war, what for? Just another drawn out expensive conflict that will continue for some time.
You continue to tell the liberal lie that we are in debt because of President Bush did not 'funding the wars' Look at the math. When he took office were were 6 trillion in debt, 10 trillion at the end, therefor 4 trillion dollars. Most spent on entitlements increased by Clinton. The total cost for both wars was 700 billion. That is about 17% of the total debt.
Barry on the other hand has spent over 1.5 trillion in Afghanistan alone. That is over two times what President Bush spent in all his years. Barry is the one that is now running unfunded wars, he has increased the war spending.
Jay, did YOU not tell me that Bush made his war decisions using the information or 'intel' that he had at the time? Well, Obama decides on the intel that he has! He drewdown in IRAQ, shipping much of the military to AFGHANISTAN since that's the place OBL was! We were told that anyway! We should've been focused on AFGHANISTAN all those years in the first place while OBL WAS there! But NO! They were too busy over there profiteering in IRAQ! Now OBAMA's expected to get it ALL done lickety-split! UNREALISTIC!
I know you love to twist things around to fit your Obama bashing spew, but Pres Obama's decision to send those soldiers, marines and spend money on the war in Afghanistan occurred quite before he and the 'war room' officially found out that OBL had already slipped out of there and was now hiding out in Pakistan! Bush dropped the ball on it and you conservatives continue to try to ignore that 'fact', which is also the TRUTH; OK? This whole OBL thing and the wars should've already been shutdown and over!
I agree President Bush dropped the ball on OBL. I also agree the wars should have been shut down and I would add never started.
However Barry knew that OBL was in Afghanistan from August 2010. Even now he refuses to end the wars. Again we agree, the wars should have already been shout down and over.
Wow, so you do agree with most of my comment; but as far as your complaint that it was alleged that President Obama found out OBL was in Pakistan in AUGUST of 2010, how can that be viewed so negatively by anyone in reference to the timeline the mission was actually carried out? If it's true, it's reasonable to think it may have taken the military strategists and intel investigators some time to find out his exact location! However, to even think of questioning 8 months versus 8 years?!? My goodness, Jay!