Notes from today’s off-camera briefing with White House Press Secretary Jay Carney:
DEBT TALKS
Carney does not expect a deal to be reached on Thursday at the meeting at the White House. This is part of a process that will continue beyond tomorrow. There was back and forth over use of the word “negotiate” regarding a deal. “We’ve been negotiating a deal for weeks.” “The President is intimately involved in this process.” “We are aiming high.”
The White House believes there are enough members of both parties who support the idea that a big deal has to include spending cuts and the tax code, and it can pass conference. Carney refused to read out “any meeting the President may or may not have had” or “confirm or deny” the meeting Obama is reported to have had over the weekend with Speaker Boehner or a meeting the Vice President had. (There was considerable back and forth on this subject.)
Obama and senior members of his staff had meetings and conversations with congressional leaders over the weekend to discuss ongoing progress in the budget negotiations. Won’t get into details because he believes it increases their chances of reaching an agreement.
The President said Tuesday there are tough issues yet to decide. There is no guarantee of success. WH believes success is possible, success is within its grasp if “we dare reach for it”. “Check the rhetoric, check the maximalist positions at the door, and instead doing the will of the people by compromising and reaching an agreement”. The WH does not believe that outside of DC most people believe in “my way or the highway”. They would much rather see an agreement.
“To achieve significant reduction in the trillions, we need a balanced package. What you call it is less important than the fact that you do it.” The WH stands by the overall principle that a balanced approach needs to include revenue.
Carney said that the simple fact is that there has to be a balanced approach if there is to be a big deal, unless “you are willing to achieve significant deficit reduction by ending Medicare as we know it or unfairly placing the burden on seniors, children and their parents…” Shared sacrifice. No single sector of society to bear the greatest burden.
Carney said that there are disagreements that need to be negotiated, compromises that need to be made, but what this will look like is not a mystery. “We can’t cover our eyes, cover our ears, and wish it (the debt ceiling) away.” “There is an obligation here to act.”
DALAI LAMA
Asked if thought had been given to inviting him to the White House as he is in Washington DC today and why he has not been invited, Carney said that he did not have a scheduling announcement.
ALLEGED SOMALI TERRORIST BROUGHT TO NYC
Asked under what rules he was kept on a Navy ship for two months and interrogated without Miranda rights, Carney said Mr Warsame is a member of al Shabab and has close associations with al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. He was detained lawfully under the law of war.
The ICRC was told of Warsame’s detention on the ship, visited the site of detention on the ship, visited the site of detention and had the opportunity to visit the detainee aboard the ship. The government has obtained very valuable material from the detainee.
TWITTER TOWN HALL MEETING TODAY
First of its kind on the economy and jobs. Questions limited to 140 characters. President Obama is the “leader of the free world” and not limited to 140 characters in his response as some responses don’t lend to that. Live streamed, answers will be summarized.
PORTUGAL DOWN TO JUNK BOND STATUS
The WH continues to believe that the IMF and the Europeans have the capacity to deal with this. They need to address the issues and deal with it. “We think that they will”.
TSA & DHS - AIR CARRIERS - RECENT INTELLIGENCE
This did not relate to an imminent or specific threat. The idea that terrorists are looking for other ways to target aircraft is not surprising. (Regarding possible threat involving implanted bombs.) The President was regularly briefed.
FOX HACKING INCIDENT OVER THE WEEKEND
The Secret Service is investigating this. The White House has confidence in the Secret Service.