Debt limit talks breaks down; no deal reached as deadline draws near

**Jenna** · 07-23-11, 02:33 PM

Congressional leaders returned to the White House Saturday, meeting for less than an hour at the start of a last-gasp round of negotiations with President Barack Obama to avert a government default on the nation’s debt.
The meeting was brief, starting at 11:09 and ending by 11:58, and there was no immediate sign that the parties had resolved their differences.

Obama and the leaders are expected to work through the weekend to strike a deal to raise the debt limit before the Aug. 2 deadline after talks on a large budget deal collapsed.
“Leaders discussed the urgency of finding a path forward this weekend,” a Senate Democratic aide said, adding that Republican and Democratic staff would huddle over the next two days.
Following a stunning breakdown in efforts to reach a $3 trillion, 10-year agreement to cut the deficit, the challenge for Obama and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) will not just be devising a legislative strategy to push a debt limit increase through a resistant Congress, but repairing the bruised relationships that received a very public airing Friday.

Read more: Talks resume - briefly - at W.H. - Carrie Budoff Brown - POLITICO.com

**Xiphos** · 07-23-11, 02:49 PM

I notice the media keeps screaming at the GOP to compromise. Why isn't anyone asking the Democrats, who spent us into this mess the last couple years, to compromise?

**Five-0** · 07-23-11, 04:08 PM

Well the House presented a plan that was called "not serious". The Senate Leader, Ried, did not even allow it to come up for a vote. If they wanted the Senate could have ammended the House bill, but they did not. Time for the Dems to present a plan instead of whining.

**pgg** · 07-23-11, 04:08 PM

Exactly. This can easily be taken care of. Make cuts that matter.

**Jks9199** · 07-23-11, 06:06 PM

Here's all I want.

President Obama, and all of the members of the Congress: Do the freakin' jobs you were elected for.

Drop the egos, drop the posturing for the next election and simply do your job.

I'm pretty much at the point of saying that NO incumbent should be reelected over the next several years. Clean house. In fact, if you have recall options -- use 'em.

**Morris** · 07-27-11, 05:21 AM

Failure is an option because some at the Federal want it to happen to further their insidious agenda.

The hum you hear? Our founders revolving in their grave sites.