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House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, speaks to reporters following a meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House (Image: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP/PA).
TALKS BETWEEN AN exasperated President Barack Obama and top Republicans failed to end a government shutdown, with both sides accusing the other of refusing to negotiate.
The breakdown ensured that the United States heads into a third day of a dramatic government spending freeze today, with no end in sight and the economy in peril.
Ramping up tensions, Obama had sent Wall Street a blunt warning that the political crisis that has paralysed the federal government could yet trigger a US catastrophic debt default.
But when he met for more than an hour with Republican House Speaker John Boehner and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, there was no sign of a breakthrough.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., departs the Capitol en route to the White House (J. Scott Applewhite/AP/PA).
Hundreds of thousands of federal workers home, museums and national parks are shut, much scientific research is on hold and the shutdown is now threatening already sluggish economic growth.
“The president reiterated one more time that he will not negotiate,” Boehner said, emerging empty-handed into a warm Washington night to address reporters after the West Wing talks.
House Speaker John Boehner, speaks to reporters following a meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House (Image: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP/PA).
On that point at least, the two sides agreed.
Obama said in an interview with CNBC that he would not negotiate on budget matters until Republicans had passed a bill to reopen the government and raise the $16.7 trillion-dollar US debt ceiling.
The cap must be raised within two weeks or Washington could default on its government debt and payments for the first time, result that could hurt the credit rating of the world’s largest economy.
After the talks, Obama’s spokesman Jay Carney issued a statement saying that his boss still hoped “common sense” will prevail.
Senate Democrats have repeatedly blocked Republican House funding bills that seek to dismantle or delay Obama’s signature health care reform bill, widely known as “Obamacare.”
The impasse left the government without a budget for the new fiscal year, and the shutdown with go into a third day today.
House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, right, walks with Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid, left, after speaking to reporters (Image: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP/PA).
Reid emerged from the talks complaining at Boehner’s attitude, and vowed never to allow Republicans to overturn the health care law.
“We are locked in tight on Obamacare,” Reid said.
In his CNBC interview, Obama reached his opponents to directly address the already nervous financial community.
This time’s different
Obama was asked whether Washington was simply gripped by just the latest in a series of political and fiscal crises which reliably get solved at the last minute.
In unusually frank comments on issues that could sway markets, Obama warned that investors should be worried.
“This time’s different. I think they should be concerned,” he said.
“When you have a situation in which a faction is willing potentially to default on US government obligations, then we are in trouble.”
Obama said he would not negotiate until lawmakers pass a temporary financing bill and raise the debt ceiling, but that after that he would be “prepared to have a reasonable, civil negotiation around a whole slew of issues.”
The president warned it would set a terrible precedent to allow lawmakers of any party to hold a White House to ransom over the government’s borrowing limit.
“Absolutely I am exasperated, because this is entirely unnecessary,” Obama said.
Hopes of an early exit to the shutdown are fading.
“Most of the time you can see an end game,” Republican Senator Johnny Isakson told MSNBC. “Right now, there’s no end game in sight.”
Some signs of incremental movement did emerge, however.
Democrats pledged to appoint negotiators to thrash out a long-term budget — provided Republicans agree to an immediate six-week federal spending measure with no anti-Obamacare provisions.
- © AFP 2013.
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A good kick in the ballacks. Bring any man down
@Brian Dunne: Don’t they do that already? And blame a cow if questioned about it.
@Brian Dunne: excellent suggestion
Knowing is one thing, having the confidence to use it in a situation is another.
Honestly, the people I know who took it up are well able to use their skills and usually don’t even need to. Somehow it shows. Give the new learners time. Part of self defence training is apparently mental prep.
Minding your own business and keeping your mouth shut usually works best …
@Ciaran Dunne: Speak softly and carry a big stick
@Ciaran Dunne: Not the greatest qualities in a prospective Garda
It’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it, also not every style suits the individual , martial arts like shoes are not a one size fits all.
I support the futon roll up like Japanese police :)
No, but I know where to aim a kick, and thanks to watching some sport during the summer- how to eye gouge.
@Teresa O’Halloran: watching a few fights does not make one proficient in self defence.
If this was the case then we’d all be grand after checking out some YouTube clips.
More public funds wasted…
Better spend time policing themselves first, and put emphasis on violence de-escalation during training.
@Stan Papusa: it’s already in place and obviously doesn’t work, hence the high number of assaults on front line workers
@Disco Inferno: Do frontline workers have time to take it up? Certainly they should have it as part of their training.
It’s 2022 and the Gardaí don’t already have some martial arts training? Yikes!
@Todd Hebert: It says they did and are requesting more training.
In 63 years I haven’t had cause to fight since school.
Going to start boxing soon at my prime
When I went to school we children were told to kick a strange menacing adult on the shins and run away like Billio. No kung fu or judo was mentioned.
Today’s bearded check-shirt wearing gen would be better thought how to make a decent cup of coffee instead of flittering their coinage away on cafemuchachos and beard greese for their 1870′s ungainly growths.
I’m big and loud so I’ve always been grand, but I could fight my way out of a wet paper bag
As James Brown once sang “i dont know karate but i know crazy”
Yes. It’s what’s used when the government make life even harder for you while trying to live a simple life.
The best martial art for Gardai is BJJ. It is a basically submission grappling and the focus is on disabling an opponent without strikes.
i don’t know karate but i know karazy
Ya keep my mouth shut
I don’t know karate but i know crazy
This is great news for them. I worked with summer students who had part-time jobs as bouncers. One took up judo and the difference in him was amazing. It certainly gave him a great deal and he was better off and more cheerful, and oddly enough, in less trouble. Over a couple of months, he grew in confidence and was able to handle himself and de-escalate conflicts all of a sudden. He said himself that he noticed far less drunks trying it on, as if they could see he wasn’t easily daunted.
have your say