White House Meeting Ends in Kind Words but No Deals

NYTimes ^ | 11/30/10 | Peter Baker & Carl Hulse

[Nachum]

President Obama and Republican Congressional leaders emerged from a high-profile, post-election meeting on Tuesday with gracious words and pledges of cooperation but no concrete agreements on the fiscal and national security issues that divide them.

The two sides agreed to conduct negotiations over the next few days in search of a compromise on whether to extend the Bush-era tax cuts that expire in a month. “There must be some sensible common ground,” Mr. Obama said. Yet the two sides yielded nothing in their disagreement over whether the cuts should be extended across the board as Republicans insist or exclude income over $250,000 as Mr. Obama wants.

The president assigned Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner and his new White House budget director, Jacob Lew, to sit down with four lawmakers, one from each party and each chamber of Congress, to find a resolution to the tax dispute. Republicans made clear that settling the issue was the precursor to any other matters that Democrats want to raise in the lame-duck session of Congress now underway.

[Nachum]

Playing Obamsky's game now. Lot's smiles, soothing words, and biding their time. We've got your number pal. You're goin' down.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

What, no “I won” or “get in the back of the bus” or “defeat our enemies”?

[MasterGunner01]

What a bunch of total Bravo Sierra.

[Cicero]

“There must be some sensible common ground,” Mr. Obama said.

Oh, sure, Hussein. You have shown yourself to be so nice and sensible over the years, so willing to compromise and listen to reason. NOT.

He wouldn't know what common sense was if it bit him in the butt.

[Sacajaweau]

Can't we all just get along?? said Mr. Boehner.

Then he laughed and under his breath he said "We won stupid!!"

[Cheerio]

The Tea Party is not disbanding - we will throw out every RINO we can come Nov 2012. If you were voted into the freshmen class of the 112th Congress, and you end up selling out to the Zer0 we will bring you down. Expect lots of calls and emails in the next two years.

[Mouton]

Anyone at that meeting needs to check their pockets to ensure they still have their wallets. The three card monte dealer in chief is not to be trusted.

[Carley]

Obama appoints Geithner to be his point man on negotiating tax plan for our future.

The perfect rep...... a tax cheat.

[pallis]

We don’t need no stinking deals.

[tobyhill]

The GOP needs to quit negotiating and wait till they control the House and then extend the tax cuts for all, even if it's retroactive.

[Hardraade]

Thank you. Come again.

[Don Corleone]

we will throw out every RINO we can come Nov 2012.

There is a nice starter list on that "Food Bill" that was passed today. Bullseye on their backs for 2012.

[goldstategop]

There’s no common ground. If Republicans think Obama will meet them half way, they’re wasting their time. Ain’t gonna happen.