Notes From Today's White House Gaggle

2011 Budget Talks:
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney deferred any specific budget questions or speculations to the afternoon briefing, as the President and congressional leaders are just starting their meeting and the GOP budget hasn’t come out yet. They do believe that we they will find a agreement is within reach.
This is business of Congress and yet the engagement on Presidential level has been intense and regular and ongoing, Carney said. There is a great misperception out there about the relative engagement of leadership of the White House and the leaders in Congress.  We have been engaged from the presidential level to the Vice President and Director Lew, in a process that really should be done on appropriations level in Congress. Our input is important and our role in this is significant, but it is a congressional process, and the President is putting together this meeting because Congress can’t get their work done. The $73 billion was a number that was agreed upon as a target. The content obviously matter a great deal.

“73 is a heck of a long way towards 100; 33 is a long way towards 61. We have demonstrated our willingness, because the American people expect us, to come more than half way, to be reasonable and to find common ground.  It is incumbent upon of all players in the discussion to do the same.” OMB has started the process of what happens in a government shut down. It would be irresponsible not to start the procedures that are required to be taken about what happens if funding would be cut off, Carney said.

Gitmo:
We remain committed to closing Gitmo as it’s in our national security interest.

Libya:
There are more sanctions to come as they are effective.