Obama shifts "hands off" approach to supercommittee, calls co-chairs

On Friday, President Obama phoned both Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Representative Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas,  the bipartisan co-chairs of the supercommittee, and urged them to reach a deal. He also reminded the two that both parties agreed to a sequester.

This marks a shift for President Obama, who has had a "hands-off" approach to the congressional deliberations.

A senior White House official says the president called the co-chairs in response to media reports, like this one from Foreign Policy's "The Cable," outlining an attempt by Republicans to circumvent the "trigger" mechanism.

This week, Sen. John McCain said, "We'll do everything we can to prevent [the trigger] being implemented. You can't bind future Congresses."

In his call, President Obama responded, emphasizing that, "Congress must not shirk its responsibilities."

[Idiosync]

What a pile of lies and deceit. No on has any doubt as to if they will agree on something or what that something will be. Either way, the 99% will have to pay or lose money and services asininely more than the 1%. Anything but raising the debt ceiling and funding the safety net organizations is wrong and 99% won't stand for it, not now, not ever. The 1% will not be happy until there is more death in the streets. Break up the investment banks and put the criminals CEO'in jail. Break the cycle of war economics. How much is enough for these fiends of the corporate state?

[releggneh1]

First Odummer can't get his stimulus passed so he gets a super committee, they won't agree on a stimulus, so now he gives the duty to others. Never take the blame and push your duties on someone else. I have never seen a president spend so much money and never get anything done. Even when he had the majority in the senate and house! He has never done a budget since he's been in office. He don't know what he's doing except keep buying votes!

[oneslownewsday1]

There goes Obama sticking his desperate re-election nose where it doesn't belong. The Super Committee knows what to do and their own time table with out being reminded by this lazy incompetent president.
The Chairs should have told him to go back to campaigning since that's what he does best.

[mik12345]

The disaster is the republican congress that insisted we trade what America needs such as the unemployment benefits for a continuation of the useless Bush tax cuts. Two negatives causing a large addition to the debt.

[oneslownewsday1]

The disasters are people like you who voted for Obama the worst president in history.
When are you going to start blaming the guy who promised you Hope and Change but refused to deliver on those promises and others.
Wake up and smell the coffee!

[mwade002]

Tea party republicans forced the super committee on us. Taking away our constitutional right to be represented. Now they are harassing the committee, to derail a compromise,crash world markets, discredit the president, and trigger cuts so they can continue to lop hole out of paying tax.Congress is getting an automatic pay and cost of living raise this year, like every year . They forget to include themselves in the shared sacrifice they expect old and poor people to shoulder.

[little_hiti]

@RobAla : '....Contrary to some unrealistic dreamers, we do not live in that world....',
you know what else is unrealistic dreaming? sitting and crying all day that Obama is the worst president ever.
He certainly not be the best but he is certainly very far from the worst.
Bush got $ 10 T dollars in debt, and what for? spent in Wars and then spent in rebuilding and stabilizing those countries after the ravages of war and the destruction the war caused. The only Americans that got the Money are the fat cat contractors and the Defense Industry, and the countries
that got destroyed and believe you me, those countries would have paid to the far more than you spent on them for you not to attack and destroy their
lives,but Cheney and Co did not give them a chance did it?

A very well equipped and trained Army leads to some conceit which lead leaders and citizens to be convinced of their invincibility which ends up in a crazy war that destroys a country.

Obama has racked up $ 4 trillion in three years. There was the $ 1 trillion dollars for the Stimulus, and the continuing wars
and there was about $ 1 trillion for the Wall Street and Detroit Bail out. All except the Money committed to wars by Cheney and Co of them have been spent on American business and the situation though not best is not as dire as it was in 2008 is a testimony for the effectiveness of the bail out. Even poor third world countries put in a significantly in their stimulus programs. As you know but like to ignore, the Global Melt down was trigger by the failure of Lehman Brother and soon there after Merrily Lynch or whatever it was, Bear Stearn. As you know but like to ignore those were in walstreet. Their failure made many things unravel. Walstreet continue to peddle lies and sickness everywhere, almost most all the time, it gets away with alot. But even its magical luck sometimes runs out, the entire global financial system get screwed when that happens.

Detroit has survived to fight another day, Walstreet can continue its fancy scamming businesses. They survived. they can be fixed.
If the bailout would not have happened, Wall street and Detroit would dead, nothing to fix. the country would be dead too. That structure Bankruptcy Mitt is pitching around is hog wash. That's what Bain capital does to struggling companies so that they can get buyers to shred the company up as they earn millions in commission. So, after forcing the country in structured Bankruptcy, who will he sell it too? China perhaps, or maybe the the Arabs, they have alot spare cash due to increased general prices of war since the wars started.

Detroit, with all its imperfections is the only place where significant manufacturing is still happening in the States. The current joblessness will not improve whether GOP or Dem gets into white house next year until manufacturing jobs are significantly brought back and that is dependent on Wall street reducing its performance pressure on the companies.

Lastly, A well known Sexual Predator is being seriously considered for GOP ticket for Presidency next year??? Obama might not be very good a president, Bush was worse
and certainly ,if the Candidate that GOP is going to pick will be based on the Anyone But Romney rule, then you probably shouldn't call Obama names cause you will be much of losers than he will ever be.

Romney is Obama 2.0, his current policies are Anti-Obama policies to get elected not because he believes in any of them,
deep down Romney and Obama share alot of similar policy issues stands and that's why
despite all other candidate crushing, Romney aint going beyond 25% among GOP voters, coz they already figured that out. Mitt and Obama, two different sides of the same coin.

[mwade002]

Obama did not drive up debt. We all did. Put your money where you big mouth is and stop spending. You drive up debt as much as the next person.

[RobAla]

n 2008, the national debt was just under $10 trillion. Under President Bush's eight years, the national debt rose from $5.6 trillion to just under $10 trillion (it rose a terrible $4.4 trillion in 8 years). I would agree that President Bush contributed to the debt, but no President has added $4.4 trillion to the debt in just 3 years.

President Obama takes the prize, hands down. Facts show he has been the worst President ever in deficit spending. I am not defending President Bush, I am calling on Americans to wake up to the disaster President Obama has been.

"A very well equipped and trained Army leads to some conceit which lead leaders and citizens to be convinced of their invincibility which ends up in a crazy war that destroys a country."

So, you are in favor of a weak and ill equipped military? I don't know what to say to that. To ignore the dangers the US is facing is absolutely naive, in my opinion. We are each entitle to our own, but I am almost speechless at your response. Wow!

[Robert_G_Ingersoll]

@RobAla:

It is difficult to see how you could be more uninformed as to the causes of debt and deficits.

These links should give you a more accurate picture...

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/07/the-chart-that-should-accompany-all-discussions-of-the-debt-ceiling/242484/

http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/dont-blame-obama-for-bushs-2009-deficit/

[RobAla]

President Obama and other progressives have irresponsibly over spent the nation into an outrageous $14.4 national debt, which continues to grow. Now, a "super committee" is supposed to clean up his mess. The first Constitutional duty of federal spending is Defense. If we lived in a Care Bear group hug world, we would not have need of large military spending. Contrary to some unrealistic dreamers, we do not live in that world.

It would be another act of irresponsibility to gut the military in such a volatile world. Iran is on the brink of nuclear capability, and it has threatened to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. A North Korean nutcase is pushing for the same capability, and the Chinese are using the interest we are paying them on our debts to them to quickly build a massive military. Why would our friendly Chinese brothers do this? Who is asking this question? I don't always agree with McCain, but in this he is absolutely right. President Obama is the most irresponsible President I have seen in my life; and I have seen 12. In 2012, he has to go.

[BuckeyeChuck]

I believe you meant to say "Past President Bush and other republicans have irresponsibly over spent the nation into an outrageous $14.4 trillion national debt, which continues to grow. Now, a "super committee" is supposed to clean up his mess. The first Constitutional duty of federal spending is Defense. If we lived in a Care Bear group hug world, we would not have need of large military spending. Contrary to some unrealistic dreamers, we do not live in that world.

It would be another act of irresponsibility to gut the military in such a volatile world. Iran is on the brink of nuclear capability, and it has threatened to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. A North Korean nutcase is pushing for the same capability, and the Chinese are using the interest we are paying them on our debts to them to quickly build a massive military. Why would our friendly Chinese brothers do this? Who is asking this question? I don't always agree with McCain, but in this he is absolutely right. President Obama is the most irresponsible President I have seen in my life; and I have seen 12. In 2012, he has to go."

[RobAla]

BuckeyeChuck: In 2008, the national debt was just under $10 trillion. I would agree that President Bush contributed to the debt, but no President has added $4.4 trillion to the debt in just 3 years. President Obama takes the prize, hands down. I am not defending President Bush, I am calling on Americans to wake up to the disaster President Obama has been.

Just consider the facts. I wish you well.