White House.: “We have now ... met the Republicans more than halfway" on budget.

[jefferson_dem]

W.H.: GOP is met 'more than halfway'
By MJ LEE | 03/07/11 1:29 PM

W.H.: GOP is met 'more than halfway'

The White House insisted Monday that it has met Republicans on their budget-cutting demands “more than halfway,” just a few days after the GOP claimed Democrats were coming up far short of such a benchmark.

Last week, the White House’s proposal to cut $6.5 billion in spending enraged Republicans, who are urging for a figure closer to $60 billion.

Republicans decried the plan unveiled Thursday as “outrageous,” “unserious,” “unacceptable” and just a mere “drop in the ocean.” But with less than two weeks before the government faces another potential shutdown, White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters that the administration’s plan meets Republicans “more than halfway.”

Carney based his statement on saying that “regardless of whatever number you want to start from,” Republicans picked a “baseline” for cuts at $100 billion.

“We have now ... met the Republicans more than halfway, at $51 billion and change,” Carney said in his briefing on Monday. “We are engaged and will continue to engage in negotiations.”

Carney said the White House is optimistic that the government won’t shut down, and he called the practice of staving off such an event every two weeks a “tollbooth” approach.

“The last thing we should be doing is taking actions that reverse the trend of the recovery,” Carney said.

http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/0311/51_billion_and_change_a4831a0a-96fd-4921-89b8-d755d6945617.html

[William769]

1. When are people going to leran?

If we met them 100%, you could bet your last dollar they would then come back and ask for more.

[Cali_Democrat]

2. Not. Good. Enough.

The GOP won't be satisfied until Obama moves firmly over to their position. Then that will be the new "center" and anyone to the left of that position will be branded a socialist/communist/marxist scumbag.

[roguevalley]

13. the talking hasn't even begun and he's already tossed vulnerable

people into the ditch. what a great guy, our Obama

[Lasher]

3. Halfway there now.

This is a charade.

[DirkGently]

4. "More than halfway" continues to be the problem. And bickering over the domestic budget is a joke.

[vaberella]

8. We're dealing with the insane but America voted for them to own the house.

Now we must deal.

[no limit]

5. Yup, they have. And they are about to give in even more.

[vroomvroom]

6. Worst Negotiator Ever

Expect no surprise when republicans now ask for the other half because they know they can get it.

[vaberella]

9. How do you negotiate with the insane..? Really.

Think about this. You know who you should be freakin' blaming.. You should be blaming the dimwits who voted for these fools to own the House. They are the problem not the WH. They are dealing with the hand they've been dealt. I'd like to see how you'd work with them? Because you have too! You don't deal with them and then no program gets an annual stipend.

[Tatiana]

16. You don't. Let the government get shut down and let them get blamed for it.

We've already seen how Clinton played this card and there's no reason to think Obama can't employ the same strategy.

[jefferson_dem]

10. Hey! Welcome to DU!

Hope you enjoy!

[ClarkUSA]

15. Who is? What would you do differently against the Teabagger House Republicans?

[disillusioned73]

7. Until I see otherwise, I'll expect this "leadership"...

to fold like a cheap tent.

[BeFree]

11. Only thing left to cut?

Defense Budget.

"Only budget item that can be cut now is money from the Pentagon's

Out of $1.2 trillion paid to the Pentagon there is plenty of pork that can be trimmed."

[jtrockville]

12. Obama's weekly address: "And I’m prepared to do more."

Sunday's weekly address isn't available at whitehouse.gov yet, but here's a site that posted the transcript:
http://www.shallownation.com/2011/03/05/president-obama-weekly-address-video-transcript-march-5-2011-radio-youtube/

...

My administration has already put forward specific cuts that meet congressional Republicans halfway. And I’m prepared to do more.

...

WHY?
:shrug:

Why is he prepared to do more without ANY INKLING of a good-faith effort from the GOP?

[ClarkUSA]

14. I like the way the WH frames their position to box in the Teabagger House Republicans.

Their success is reflected in polls, which has a large majority of Americans placing blame on Republicans in Congress if there is a budget impasse that leads to a government shutdown. Lately, Boehner and his "Starve The Beast" bunch sure sound awfully defensive, too.

The effort by the WH to appear reasonable is a good strategy.