Obama Calls John Boehner As House Taunts Democrats With Anti-Obamacare Spending Bill

[CatWoman]

Later on Friday, Obama called House Speaker John Boehner, to reiterate he would not negotiate on another bill that will soon be before Congress: one to increase U.S. borrowing authority, which is rapidly approaching its $16.7 trillion limit.

House Republicans said they were considering a series of controversial initiatives to attach to that bill, which likely prompted Obama's phone call.

A White House official said Obama told Boehner in the call that the American people had worked long and hard to dig the country out of the financial crisis and the last thing they needed was another politically motivated, self-inflicted wound.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/20/obama-boehner_n_3965616.html?ref=topbar

[AgingAmerican]

1. I have this weird feeling

That the whole "Obamacare" thing is a ploy by the GOP to get Obama to sign away chunks of SS or Medicare, as as 'compromise' to save Obamacare.

[Wounded Bear]

3. Very possible...

I'm a couple of years away, even from early SS, so it wouldn't surprise me if the Repubs try to move the goalposts again.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

4. I'll take him at his word that he's not negotiating.

The Republicans have boxed themselves into a corner. I think by now we should have learned that Obama is a smart enough pol that he'll just sit there and let them squirm around in there until they finally decide to give up.
Also, Ezra Klein pointed out last night that most of the funding for Obamacare is non-discretionary, so the piece they're threatening to "defund" isn't all that big anyway. The law's implementation won't be affected much. You can be sure Obama knows this, so he's probably quite relaxed about all their threats.

[AgingAmerican]

6. Not negotiating with them would be the pragmatic thing to do

I hope you are right, but in the past he has folded in these situations.

[leftstreet]

2. Choices: wash Boehner's car, or offer chained CPI

hmm...

[Cha]

7. K&R thanks Cat

[sheshe2]

8. K&R