Obama refuses to negotiate debt ceiling raise

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Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Monday rejected any negotiation with Republicans over the most pressing U.S. fiscal issue, refusing to trade cuts in government spending in exchange for raising the borrowing limit.

"If the goal is to make sure that we are being responsible about our debt and our deficit - if that's the conversation we're having, I'm happy to have that conversation," Obama said. "What I will not do is to have that negotiation with a gun at the head of the American people," he told a news conference.

Republican leaders quickly reiterated their demand that increasing the debt limit must be accompanied by spending cuts.

With an agreement to prevent the so-called fiscal cliff of sharp spending cuts and tax increases barely two weeks old, Obama faces another fiscal showdown with congressional Republicans.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/14/us-usa-obama-debt-idUSBRE90D0UK20130114

[TwilightGardener]

1. Good.

[BlueNoteSpecial]

2. Never negotiate with the hostage takers, sabotuers, or grifters, they own this.

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3. I think the point is that the President does not decide on spending and taxing.

That is the Congress' job, and these feeble attempts to shift the blame for unpopular policies need to stop.

[BlueNoteSpecial]

6. no foolin?

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7. Yep. I think the Pres is fed up with the whole blackmail thing too.

[socialaidem]

4. Though, someone had an interesting question during the press conference.

She asked him about saying not negotiating but then going against his word.

[FreeBC]

13. That's part of the problem. Why shouldn't they expect Obama to fold?

He has in the past.

[cstanleytech]

5. The article made a mistake. It said

"Republican leaders quickly reiterated their demand that increasing the debt limit must be accompanied by spending cuts."

when it really should have said

"Republican leaders quickly reiterated their demand that increasing the debt limit must be accompanied by spending cuts or they will shoot the hostage."

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8. "Republican leaders quickly reiterated their promise to cut spending while raising the debt limit."

"But they once again failed to agree on what to cut."

[cstanleytech]

9. "But they once again failed to agree on what to cut."

"They did however came to the agreement that they would kill the hostage if their vague demands were not met."

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12. +1. nt

[madokie]

10. I'm pissed, he's pissed and anyone paying attention should likewise be PISSED

This is bullshit from the word go. They think they are going to make this President eat shit for the next 4 years just because he is 1: Black. 2: Because he got elected by the majority of the American People, me included.

Yeah you can say I'm pissed about this whole fucking shit that the republiCONs are pulling.

[John2]

11. Pin their behinds

down. The spending cuts they want is to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Their claims are those spending measures created the Debt and America can no longer continue to afford it. What needs to be done is educating the people in those Red States about what actually created the Debt.

The Republicans use code to race bait with the majority of their rural districts by pretending those programs only applies to urban areas and Blue States with lots of minorities. I listened to the woman representing a red district in Tennessee making claims her constituents are calling for those cuts. This is a woman has millions of Dollars and no interest in things that apply to her ordinary constituents. She is not serving her constituents at all. The only constituent she is serving is her purse. It is the same attitudes those in the South was fooled into fighting a War over slavery for wealthy plantation owners. She needs to be gotten rid of instead of complaining about a President because he is Black. It is the same issues with immigration. The Republicans take these issues and turn people against each other because they think someone is getting a free ride. The only person getting a free ride is her. Once you get rid of the Republican House, the better this country will be off. Quit blamming the Democrats and everybodyelse don't look like you. The real scoundrels are the Republican obstructionists in the House. And that applies to the gun issues also.

[blkmusclmachine]

14. Suuuuuuure.