(Community Matters) from Mike Allen’s Playbook:
DRIVING THE WEEK — “Back-channel talks set up week ahead,” by David Rogers: “Senior Republican and Democratic staff, who worked closely with one another to avert a government shutdown in April, are again central … Obama and Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) met Sunday at the White House. … The situation remains precarious. Reid even went so far as to quote from T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Waste Land’ on the Senate floor – the barkeep’s call, ‘Hurry up, please; it’s time.’ … [T]he Nevada Democrat is supportive … of Obama’s and Boehner’s desire for a bigger deficit-reduction deal, even if it means taking risks in their own parties — over Medicare reforms, in the president’s case; or tax revenues, in the case of the speaker. Indeed, going for the bolder deal could prove smart politics for Boehner, but it is a hugely complicated undertaking, and there is always the risk of he and Obama talking past one another and then tripping up over last details — or disgruntled allies. …
“House Republicans have dug a political hole for themselves on the debt issue and their own controversial budget plan to dramatically reshape Medicare. A deal now that includes substantial Medicare savings – and thereby diffuses that political issue in 2012 – could be a real asset for Boehner. Democrats have put options on the table representing close to $500 billion in 10-year savings from Medicare and Medicaid. This could be dialed up or down depending on Republican willingness to agree to more revenues. And … Obama is trying to make the GOP look small if it walks away. … A larger deficit deal is not without risks for Obama going into his own reelection campaign … But he is gambling that the deal will freeze independents in place and help him hold onto swing voters who were key to his victory in 2008. Tuesday’s appearance in the White House press room was plainly aimed at this audience as much as at Congress. And if he can’t get a deal, Obama wants independents to know he at least tried.” http://bit.ly/owrRao
Community Matters 