Boehner Ends Talks With White House on Debt Deal

[cal04]

http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/boehner-ends-talks-with-white-house-on-debt-deal-20110722

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, on Friday said he ended negotiations with President Obama on a so-called grand bargain to achieve sizable deficit reduction in the context of raising the debt ceiling.

Boehner informed all House Republicans in a letter released at 6 p.m. EDT.

"A deal was never reached and was never really close," Boehner wrote. "I have decided to end discussions with the White House and begin conversations with the leaders of the Senate in an effort to find a path forward."

Boehner blamed Obama's demand for higher taxes and opposition to "fundamental changes" to entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.


Letter from Boehner
http://www.nationaljournal.com/letter-from-speaker-boehner-20110722

Sam Stein:A Dem source emails me: "Boehner briefed the press before he called obama"
http://twitter.com/#!/samsteinhp

[DJ13]

1. Aw, thats too bad

I guess blackmail doesnt always work.

[sakabatou]

2. In other words...

Obama wouldn't let Johnny destroy America.

[monmouth]

3. The cynical in me says this was the plan from the git-go. Boner ran

to Rush to tell him that the Prez. was driving him nuts. The tea partiers will say he tried but just couldn't make that Obama capitulate, it's not Boner's fault. The Pres. gets the credit for either going 14 or whatever he's going to do. It's all good...Bwahaha.

[Buns_of_Fire]

7. The Teabaggers will turn on boner soon enough -- with some prodding from cantor. nt

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. "Opposition to "fundamental changes" to entitlement programs"

This whole charade was supposed to destroy the programs that support ordinary Americans...

You know, the types of programs that the Republicans hate...

:eyes:

[Lorien]

9. Good cop/ bad cop. Keep the charade going in hopes of creating a real crisis

so they they can slice and dice the poor and working classes even MORE.

[dionysus]

5. dupe

[dionysus]

6. "A deal was never reached and was never really close," but i read here it was as good as done!

"Boehner blamed Obama's demand for higher taxes and opposition to "fundamental changes" to entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security." but i read on here obama wanted to slash taxes for the wealthy!

[myrna minx]

8. What a petulant child.

:eyes:

[Buns_of_Fire]

10. The letter was tear-stained, I hope.

It's a shame, really -- we were just hitting our stride with insulting things to say about Speaker boner, and now we're going to have to ramp up again for Speaker cantor (can they replace him in the middle of a Congress?).

[robinlynne]

11. best news i've heard in a long time!!!!!

[lpbk2713]

12. Continuing a dialogue would not conform to the GOP agenda.

Obstructionism is their primary objective. They wouldn't want to give the
impression that they might actually want to get something constructive done.

[lunatica]

13. Boner is a coward