Obama takes political heat, in person, from House GOP

President Obama turns to reporters as he leaves Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 13, 2013, after his closed-door meeting with House Speaker John Boehner and Republican lawmakers to discuss the budget. / AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

The first question to President Obama during his closed-door meeting with House Republicans, according to those in the room, had to deal with perceived political favoritism to Democrats and the deep-seated fear within the GOP that White House political calculations trump all other concerns.

Rep. James Lankford, R-Okla., opened the question and answer session - supervised by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers, R-Wash. - by registering a complaint. Lankford wanted to know why on election night, Mr. Obama called Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., the head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, before he called House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. Lankford's point was that it appeared to many Republicans that Mr. Obama couldn't bask for even a night in re-election before turning his eye toward the mid-term elections in 2014.

Mr. Obama admitted he called Israel but said he called Boehner first. But Boehner was unavailable.

Silence hung momentarily before Boehner interjected, drawing waves of laughter when he admitted he missed Mr. Obama's first call because he had already gone to sleep.

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Lankford also noted Mr. Obama was meeting House Republicans the same day he was going to address Organizing for America, a non-partisan group managed by top aides to the president's re-election campaign and devoted entirely to advancing the White House legislative agenda.

Mr. Obama tried to quiet Republican angst by assuring them he'd run his last campaign. He also told Republicans that if he really wanted to devote all his attention to Democrats regaining control of the House is 2014 he wouldn't push for a bipartisan solution to immigration reform. Obama said the sharper political move would be to let that issue fester and use it against Republicans.

The president spent an hour and a half with the House Republicans. About halfway through the session, Deputy Chief of Staff Rob Nabors handed Mr. Obama a note informing him white smoke above the Sistine Chapel indicated the election of a new pope. "We have white smoke," Obama said. Rep. Billy Long, R-Mo., asked if that meant the White House was open for tours. Mr. Obama said no, but the Vatican was.

House Republicans asked the president eight questions. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, asked Mr. Obama why he wouldn't just cut a deal with Republicans now to reduce cost-of-living-adjustments for Social Security and other federal pensions.

The president said he still favors using a less generous formula to calculate those cost-of-living-adjustments through what's known as chained or superlative CPI (Consumer Price Index). But Mr. Obama added he would only do that in the context of Republicans agreeing to raise more revenue for deficit reduction through the closing of tax loopholes. Recent estimates project $300 billion in savings over ten years by shifting to a newer, less-generous cost-of-living formula for Social Security and other federal pensions.

A day after several White House officials trashed Rep. Paul Ryan's budget as riddled with gimmicks and a threat to economic growth, Mr. Obama nevertheless praised Ryan during the meeting as a serious player on budget issues. The president in no way signaled agreement with Ryan but said he took seriously Ryan's breadth of knowledge on budget issues.

Mr. Obama took a question on the Keystone XL pipeline and said a decision on final administration approval would happen soon. He didn't prejudge the decision.

The president was accompanied by Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, Nabors, and his top congressional liaison Miguel Rodriguez.

[Fantom65]

Hey, We the People are paying for all this bull. This is why we have a 17 trillion dollar debt, Get off your tiffs and earn your gigantic pay checks. We the people have paid and paid so you bufoons can run up debt and chaos. We are headed for an economic collapse. So what are your plans for that? Retirement!! We the people are disgusted with all of you politicians. Democrates and Republicans your policies suck!! What happen to common sense? 17 trillion in debt, North Korean kid threatens us, Iran lies to our face, we give billions more than the "sequestration" to countries that burn our flag. We spend more money than we make and our president thinks more spending is the answer. Mentally ill criminals kill our teachers and kids and our elected officials blame the guns. 11 million criminals are hiding within our boundries and you guys are looking for a way to make them citizens (Voters). Inflation is here,look at your grocery bill, and gas prices. Oh that's right "We the People (Taxpayers) are paying for yours! All this and you guys are waisting our money on non productive lunches that cost more than most of us eat for a month. We the people have made some drastic mistakes at the voting poles and we the people are going to pay, for several generations. Here's an Idea, Stockpile food, start a garden and buy an assult rifle. Your going to need it to keep 11 million illegal alliens out of your garden!

[keote_poet]

fendferyerself replies: KEOTE's name in real life is "Chip" as in huge chip on his shoulder, and boy does it SHOW !!!! That is what is keeping him back in life, keeping him on welfare, he has no skills, no education, so all he can do is sit around and wimper about slavery and how blacks are so maligned and held back ! WAH WAH WAH.
Uh, Keote, is it the 21st century now. Try to get with the program. You don't have to sit around and cry about slavery any more.
__________________________________

normally i pay no minds to idiots, but in this case, I'll throw the dog a bone.
for your info, i'm a white man living high in the hills with a mansion. I should be voting republican, but I won't succumb to delusional people. But i understand you're trailer park rhetoric anyday..
Obama has overcome the worst economic scenario given to a president, and the economy is doing a lot better than it was given to him.
Obama continues to overcome adversity among southern trash..reading your rant proves it..when people are pointed out as being the racist they are, they pretend it's the 'race card'...see it for what it is, be proud your a racist..

Meanwhile the rest of the country will move forward, like it is right now...republicons are who they are, a group that still cant get over Obama won...plain and simple.

[omnibus66]

Why would he go talk to lunatics? People who are insane rarely realize their condition. The voters will cure their illness next year.

[coachchrisnorris]

Because he doesn't need to go talk to his cult they already follow their master.

[keote_poet]

Obama will never appease racist t-baggers..just do as you will Obama, the economy is doing great!!...let the jealous republicons wimper because he didn't give them a gracious 'phone call'. let the idiots alone.

[Ulgnud]

Halt the campaigning? Yeah right. I'll believe it when I see it.

[keote_poet]

republicons getting over the fact a black man won the presidency? yeah right!

[mturner1938]

POET - When you don't have a valid argument just play the race card.

[payasyougo]

Done campaigning? This should be interesting since that is his only area of competence.

[RobertVBrand]

Obama is no more done campaigning than Boehner or Ryan. All 3 subjugate the country to the needs of campaigning. And empty-headed echo chambers on both sides parrot their accusations.

[F0X_PARR0TS_LIE]

Very seldom does a man of this stature take the world stage. President Obama taking the "political heat" from the dogmatic GOP proves his altruistic objectives.

[ThomasSense]

Those Republicans only care about dirty tar from Canada. They have no clue that the world is changing around them because of man-made climate change. Wheat prices rose because of drought in China, Australia, India, Syria ....; and the fires in Russia. 38% of an Egyptian's income goes to food which is mostly bread. So, food riots happen when the government subsidy doesn't cover the higher costs. Arab Spring anyone.
There are going to be water fights and riots in the future too when the glaciers are gone. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/03/opinion/sunday/friedman-the-scary-hidden-stressor.html?ref=thomaslfriedman&_r=0

[coachchrisnorris]

You mean that resource that powers most Americans homes and cars? Yea let not worry about that. Instead lets invest in risky green energy companies that costed the us billions in losses and failed to provide any new innovations. If we are so interested in green energy why don't we invest in a proven green energy. Ohio State just developed a way to get the energy with coal and reduce emissions by 99 percent. No one will take that idea because it cost money to change our machinery.

[dj_chi]

Coach - dirty tar from Canada doesn't power any American homes. It's all slated to get shipped overseas.

[opedanderson2]

After 4 yrs hes ready to start doing his job.....

[keote_poet]

he was doing it years ago, back when racist baggers were calling him a nonAmerican....guess what? he won, now its past 4 years, get over it.

[coachchrisnorris]

People don't dislike him because of his race Poet. They dislike him because of his policies and views. You are really the racist since it appears you voted for him based on race and do not even know his policies.