It's not a sign of a "cave." Obama must agree to meet with Congressional leaders now,

[pnwmom]

so when the R's insist on going over the cliff , he will be able to say, as he invokes the 14th amendment and ignores the debt ceiling limit, that he met with them and they wouldn't budge.

[dkf]

1. This isn't the debt ceiling yet, it's the annual budget.

The debt ceiling is going to be reached in a couple of weeks

[pnwmom]

2. I read that it's about both. n/t

[dkf]

3. Yes two problems.

[upaloopa]

4. We already know they won't budge. They need to pass

a clean CR in the House to open the government.
Everyone knows that. We have all the Dems and about 20 Repubs ready to vote for a clean CR. The Speaker has to put it on the floor for a vote.
Obama has no role to play in that. The debt limit battle is similar.

[pnwmom]

5. We do, but the public doesn't. This meeting shows Obama

making the effort.

[JustAnotherGen]

6. Meeting this afternoon

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/us/politics/congress-budget-battle.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1380734349-T6tSekHhFUgT2f9/o51G7w

WASHINGTON — President Obama summoned the Republican and Democratic leaders of Congress to the White House for an afternoon meeting Wednesday, the second day of the government shutdown, to urge the passage of measures financing the government and increasing the nation’s borrowing limit — without add-ons like a limitation on his health-insurance law.

It was to be the first such meeting since large portions of the government were forced to close at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, when the new fiscal year began without agreement on a stopgap spending measure, known as a continuing resolution, or C.R., that would finance the government until spending levels are set for the new year.

“The president will urge the House to pass the clean C.R. to reopen the government, and call on Congress to act to raise the debt ceiling to pay the bills we have already incurred and avoid devastating consequences on our economy,” an administration official said.

Invited were Speaker John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio; Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the House Democratic minority leader; Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader; and Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader.

[mfcorey1]

7. Let the meeting be open to the public so that the nation can see the bullies in

action.

[Mojo Electro]

8. I hope you are right.

A cave in this situation would be the worst possible outcome. It would legitimize this despicable tactic. The government shutdown is by far the lesser of two evils compared to the house repubs being given even an INCH on this.

Stand firm, Mr. President! Slap them down

This particular group of republicans needs to be utterly defeated, not negotiated with.

I recall the line by Leonidas in the movie 300: Give them nothing, but take from them everything.