Why the President is meeting with the Republican leaders?

[kentuck]

It is not necessarily about the present shutdown. This is small potatoes, relatively speaking.

He wants to impress upon them that the debt limit is rapidly approaching and that they are playing with fire. They could throw our country, and the entire world, into a steep economic decline.

He is not going to give up anything in regards to the ACA. This is about the debt limit. He would like for them to extend the debt limit and then go to conference to resolve the present shutdown over the ACA.

He will ask them to come to their senses.

It will be up to the Turtle and the Weeping Cheeto whether or not our nation is threatened by the upcoming debt limit vote.

[TheMastersNemesis]

1. I Think It Is A Mistake To Meet. It Sends A Message That You Are Caving.

If Obama backs down on anything right now even Social Security he will really destroy what is left of his presidency and even the Dems.

[madamesilverspurs]

3. No.

It sends a message that the adults in the room are being the adults in the room.

[kentuck]

6. You are right unless...

...the President gives up something like the oil pipeline or cuts in Social Security. I don't think he will do that. I think he wants to impress upon them to come to their senses.

[Cali_Democrat]

16. Yup. n/t

[Peregrine Took]

5. Definitely agree. n/t

[Eddie Haskell]

13. Obama should let Congress resolve this mess.

He can call for a meeting, but in my opinion, he should not participate.

[AlinPA]

17. Already Boehner has said (heard on NPR) that "the President is coming to his senses, blah blah..."

and so he is turning this invitation into a "victory" where he can claim he brought the President "to the table". There is nothing the President can do about what Boehner says, but watch the media play it that way.

[JDPriestly]

18. If he said that the President is coming to his senses, it probably means that Obama is going

to sacrifice Social Security.

Obama may be figuring that he has a lot of support among Democrats right now and can get by with cheating Social Security.

I think that people could turn against him if he did that. Turn against him very fast.

If the President wants to drop a program, he should drop the NSA spying and metadata collection programs. What wastes. They should focus on real terrorists and not just sop up phone records for everyone. Way back when, I used to deal with phone company customers, phone bills, etc. I know the volume involved. They are wasting our money on those surveillance and metadata programs.

Before someone accuses me, I hope I am wrong on this. But I am really edgy about Social Security. Presidents of the United States don't need it. I wish that we could limit their retirement to what they privately save and Social Security. But unfortunately, they get big comfy pension cushions. If you get elected president, you do not have to worry about Social Security.

But most of the rest of us Americans do.

Wall Street is just not reliable when it comes to investing pension money.

[kentuck]

19. The people support the President when he is strong and fighting the Republican extremists...

Not when he is weak and compromising.

Let's hope that lesson is learned.

[JDPriestly]

20. I hope. Wall Street sees all the cash going into Social Security and wants to grab a big percentage

That is the problem. There is a lot of pressure against Social Security.

But I am retired, and I know that for most of us, Social Security is the only hope for actual income in our retirement years.

The other day, I was reviewing documents about my retirement funds. I ran across one that predicted that if were 65 today, I would receive about $95 dollars per month in retirement cash.

I am well over 65, and I am not receiving anywhere near that kind of money. The fund lost money in the recession, and was adding next to nothing in monthly increases. What a joke! Empty promises.

The 401(K) hysteria is just a huge, cruel joke.

Don't every give up on Social Security. Unless you are very wealthy, you will probably need it, sorely need it when you are over 65.

And don't think that you can easily get a job once you are over 55, much less 65. It gets harder and harder. You read about the people who are still working.

You read about them because the fact that they are still working is exceptional. Jobs are not, in my opinion, going to get more plentiful. If anything, they will become more scarce.

[1StrongBlackMan]

30. Boehner, also said …

He got 98% of what he wanted in the 2011 negotiations. Democrats on the Hill laughed … republicans on the Hill cried … Pundits on both sides shot down the claim …

The only ones that believed him were, and continue to be, folks calling themselves “Democrats” on DU.

Go figure

[Uncle Joe]

21. Meeting with the Republicans sends a message to the American People that Obama is doing everything

within his power to send a message to the Republicans that shutting down the government is a stupid, irresponsible policy with disastorous consequences for both the nation and the Republican Party.

If Obama didn't meet with them, the Republicans and their corporate media puppets would only end up using it as ammunition that Obama was to blame for the actions of the Republican House.

[1StrongBlackMan]

31. Thank you …

Why is it so difficult for so many to understand that the ONLY reason that President Obama has a majority of the electorate saying that the modern gop is being unreasonable is because he has cultivated the “reasonable player” imagine for himself (and Democrats).

[lostincalifornia]

26. No it doesn't. It is to make sure they understand his position, and that they will bear the blame

He is not backing down. Incidentally, Nancy Pelosi, and Reid will also be there

[Skittles]

2. the Weeping Cheeto

[FSogol]

8. +1.

[riqster]

10. Brilliant!

[kentuck]

12. I must confess...

I read it somewhere but I don't recall where?

[riqster]

15. I always think of Lost in Space when I look at him:

Uncanny resemblance, I'd say.

[Whisp]

14. a thousand + yuks.

[barbiegeek]

4. Farm bill collapsed today. 32 US Export offices in charge of $140million food exports closed

Milk assistance gone by end of year. look for $8 a gallon milk

Food stamps not funded

[riqster]

7. It calls "bullshit" on their "we are at the table ready to negotiate" PR push.

[Lifelong Dem]

9. If this isolated group of Republicans don't care about this

Then we really have a big problem and maybe we should deal with them as rebels who are in rebellion against the Government.

They could throw our country, and the entire world, into a steep economic decline.

Obama won't budge on ACA.

[WilliamPitt]

11. Optics.

This fight will be played out on television.

The meeting is good.

[kentuck]

22. Would they be so insane as to...?

...refuse to extend the debt limit unless ACA is repealed? Are they that crazy??

[WilliamPitt]

23. One view

"But could it really be that the number of representatives driving this train is, on the high side, between 50 and 80 people? If that's true, Boehner's position is dramatically more craven than many of us have imagined. And the dysfunction is greater than at least I had imagined."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/just-where-is-the-center-of-gravity-here

Insane doesn't come into it. Cowardice does, apparently.

So my answer: yes. It could quite easily happen, especially if Obama folds on the shutdown. Give a mouse a cookie...

[kentuck]

24. I think Obama should take it to the Court.

Roberts would be hesitant to vote against something he has already voted for, I would think?

The President has the duty and responsibility to execute the laws and it specifically states in the 14th Amendment that the debt of the United States shall not be questioned.

So....

[WilliamPitt]

25. Take what to court exactly?

Not following.

[kentuck]

27. The right of Congress to refuse to pay our debts, per the 14th Amendment.

Also, the right and responsibility of the President to execute the laws. The 14th Amendment needs to be clarified by the Court, in my opinion.

[WilliamPitt]

28. Hm.

Intriguing.

[SomethingFishy]

32. It's not a bad idea actually..

But it is a damn shame that we even have to consider creating a law that will keep a political party from holding the debt hostage.

[sad-cafe]

29. because he is a leader

and that is what they do?

[SomethingFishy]

33. Someone has to be the grown up in the room.

He should be pissed enough by now that he concedes nothing and asks for more.