GOP Senators Talk Debt with Obama

Politico reports:

A potentially uncomfortable meeting between Senate Republicans and President Barack Obama over debt negotiations went smoothly on Thursday senators said, though Obama did more listening than dishing.

Unlike the last time the Senate Republican Conference met with Obama about a year ago, this meeting was described by GOP senators as a “polite” exchange of ideas — mostly well-worn talking points over deficits, spending, taxes and health care.

Obama warned of a risk of default if the debt limit isn’t increased and said Senate Democrats were “genuine” in their calls to reduce the deficit, attendees later said. But he wasn’t specific on his demands or the amount that he’d like to increase the $14.3 trillion debt limit.

“He listened,” Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio told Politico. “But he pushed back a little bit frankly. He thinks not meeting all of our obligations are also important.”

The meeting is part of a White House effort to help broker a deal to raise the debt ceiling. Yesterday Senate Democrats visited the president.

“The president had very much the same message for Senate Republicans that he had for Senate Democrats yesterday, which is that we all need to work together to find common ground and to achieve a goal that we all share, which is serious deficit reduction,” said White House Press Secretary Jay Carney. “He says that we all recognize what the problem is, and we have to work together to solve it.”