Presidential Doubtreach: 93% of Republicans Decline Obama Invitation to White House

[Tx4obama]

Presidential Doubtreach: 93% of Republicans Decline Obama Invitation to White House

Although the media has dutifully repeated Speaker of the House John Boehner‘s plaintive cries for a “simple conversation” with President Obama over the government shutdown/default crises (despite the two documented conversations they have already had since the shutdown began), they seem less enthusiastic about the actual results of the President’s unclenched fist. On Wednesday morning, President Obama invited 232 Republican lawmakers to the White House complex for a Thursday meeting. Care to guess how many accepted? From The Associated Press:

President Barack Obama is inviting Republican lawmakers to the White House as pressure builds on both sides to resolve their deadlock over the federal debt limit and the partial government shutdown.

With the shutdown in its ninth day Wednesday and a potential economy-shaking federal default edging ever closer, neither side was revealing signs of bending.

But amid the tough talk, Obama invited all 232 House GOP lawmakers to come to the executive mansion on Thursday. Republicans said only 18 would attend, including their leaders and some committee chairmen.

“It is our hope that this will be a constructive meeting and that the president finally recognizes Americans expect their leaders to be able to sit down and resolve their differences,” said Brendan Buck, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

-snip-

Full post here: http://www.mediaite.com/online/presidential-doubtreach-93-of-republicans-decline-obama-invitation-to-white-house/

[Historic NY]

1. Apparently they must be afraid they might have to negotiate.

[Ikonoklast]

2. If GWB had invited me the the White House to talk, I would go in an instant

even though I despised his policies.

That is politics.

What we currently have is a revolt.

[roguevalley]

24. I don't think even Abe Lincoln was

treated with this much disrespect.

[gopiscrap]

3. figures they're nothing but a bunch of

two faced assholes.

[Tx4obama]

4. Names listed below

President Barack Obama was planning to invite the entire House Republican Conference to the White House on Thursday, as part of an effort to find a way to end the government shutdown and avoid a debt default next week. But the office of House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) indicated Wednesday that only some Republicans would be attending the meeting, none of whom are members of the Tea Party flank.

According to an email Boehner's office sent to reporters, the White House meeting "is only worthwhile" if it remains focused on finding a solution, which means House Republicans "will instead be represented by a smaller group of negotiators, including the elected leadership and certain committee chairmen."

A total of 18 House Republicans will now be attending the meeting. All of the top leaders will go, including Boehner, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Va.), House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) and House Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.), along with Reps. Greg Walden (Ore.), Jim Lankford (Okla.), Lynn Jenkins (Kansas), Virginia Foxx (N.C.), Steve Southerland (Fla.), Ann Wagner (Mo.), Peter Roskam (Ill.) and Pete Sessions (Texas).

Republican committee chairmen planning to attend include Reps. Paul Ryan (Wis.), Dave Camp (Mich.), Fred Upton (Mich.), Hal Rogers (Ky.) and Buck McKeon (Calif.).

http://huff.to/17Xc1uI

[Myrina]

34. Are any of them remotely sane?

Or is POTUS wasting his time having a meeting with a bunch of snot-nosed children who will just poop all over the room?

[Politicalboi]

5. Boner didn't want them to vote off the record

Chicken shit that he is. I bet Obama would have taken a vote.

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. virginia foxx. batshit crazy will be well represented!

[C_U_L8R]

7. So much for conversation, eh Boehner ?

Talk about playing stupid games.
You Republicans need to stop pouting
and pull yourself up by your own diapers.
And then we'll accept your unconditional surrender.

[Freddie]

8. Did they at least have the common courtesy to RSVP?

And I heard they served great cocktail snacks at the White House too.

[KeepItReal]

9. When the POTUS invites you to the White House

You get off your ass and go!

This ain't some you-won-a-trophy-last-year pat on the back get together you can just skip out on in protest.

These are elected representatives turning down a dialog on issues of urgent import with the leader of this nation.

So much disrespect. Shameful. Shameful.

[ailsagirl]

28. It makes them look rude and disrespectful

and it makes the President look better and better. How can anyone say he isn't willing to have a conversation about solutions? Their childish and idiotic games make them look stupider and more inept than ever I thought possible. A new low!!

And they're digging their own graves.

[TexasBushwhacker]

29. Can you imagine the uproar if Democrats refused to meet with GWB? n/t

[ailsagirl]

30. It would be unthinkable!

They would dutifully go.

The repuke imbeciles are going down in American history as the dumbest scum on earth.
Richly deserving of that title, too.

[oldandhappy]

10. They complain that he is not talking

to them and now they will not talk to him!!!!

Ah, t-pubs. You are worse than pathetic.

[ailsagirl]

31. They create their own reality

But I think more and more "normal" repukes are falling away from the madness

[jmowreader]

11. And he bought prawns and everything!

I would trade defunding Obamacare for full funding of the more popular Affordable Care Act, a higher debt ceiling and a cut in the capital gains tax rate to 25 percent.

And half the Rs would take it...we increased the chocolate ration to 20 grammes per week even tho it's 45 grammes per week now.

[Curmudgeoness]

16. I don't remember the chocolate ration being 45 grammes.

It has always been 20 grammes.

I love your ideas. More than likely, some of them will go for it...and from what I hear, most of them will go for the more popular Affordable Care Act.

[ltheghost]

12. Seriously..

Obama should tell each and everyone of them to fuck off to high infinity. If they want to go down this road...fine....start charging these bastards with sedition. You want to hold the country hostage because you have a problem with ACA...then sit your ass in Prison. They are seriously pissing me off with the disrespect they show the President. It's not like he started a war on a lie!!! He just wanted to give people healthcare!!! Give me a damn break!

[wryter2000]

14. Welcome to DU

[Jamaal510]

32. +1

I always get a kick out of how they do lip service for reaching out to Black voters, and then turn around and continue disrespecting the nation's first Black president like this. They are phonier than a $2 penny.

[SDjack]

13. Pres. O. should fill 18 of the vacancies with DEM house members so

they can have a multi-dimentional conversation.

[Tx4obama]

15. The Democrats went to the White House today...

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 2013

Readout of the President’s Meeting with the House Democratic Caucus

Today, the President met with the House Democratic Caucus at the White House. The meeting lasted over an hour. The President thanked the House Democrats for their support of the clean, short-term continuing resolution that would re-open the government and end the unnecessary pain this shutdown is causing families across the country. The President and Congressional Democrats will continue to urge the Republican Leadership to allow the bill passed by the Senate to have an up or down vote -- a bill that, if brought to the floor, would pass with a bipartisan majority and end this damaging government shutdown. The President and the House Democrats reaffirmed their shared belief that we cannot let one faction of the Republicans in the House demand a ransom for Congress doing its job and paying the bills we have already incurred. The President discussed his desire, once the threat of default is removed and the government is reopened, to engage with both sides on a discussion of how we achieve a broader budget agreement that puts job creation, economic growth, and a strong middle class front and center. The President is grateful to the members of the House Democratic caucus for continuing to promote those policies we need to achieve a better bargain for the middle class. He reminded them that what they are all fighting for has nothing to do with him, or other party leaders - but is about fighting for working families and building the ladders of opportunity so everyone who works hard has a chance to succeed.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/09/1245787/-Readout-of-President-Obama-s-meeting-with-House-Democratic-caucus

[jmowreader]

25. You could increase the average IQ by filling the vacancies with pallets of brick

[alcibiades_mystery]

17. It's exactly what he wanted them to do

You have Boehner and these clowns screaming for a conversation, then the President invites them to the White House and only 18 of 232 show up?

They look like petty little liars.

[Snake Plissken]

18. I guess only 18 made the Koch Brother's list

the rest are not allowed to attend.

[indepat]

19. Were I the President, I would never invite another Republican to the White House

[Snake Plissken]

20. yeah you're probably right the last time a president invited terrorists to the White House ...

It didn't turn out too well

[Nonhlanhla]

21. The disrespect hurts my heart

The disrespect these yahoos show our dignified, intelligent president just hurts my heart. It remind me of the disrespect that some white racists showed back in the day for Nelson Mandela (I'm South African and lived through those times of change in South Africa when I was a young woman). The rest of the world knew that Mandela was a giant among men, but hardline racists looked down on him and thought him all kinds of evil. Much like now most of the rest of the world loves Obama (including many of those former racists in South Africa!), but these bozos in the US don't know what they've got in him. Kind of sad, really.

[KeepItReal]

33. I have policy differences with POTUS, but I'll never disrespect his office or stature

Anyone who would diss this man in particular is not worthy of the office they hold.

The President is a statesman. Treat him as such.

[Mira]

22. Yet - they are getting paid. It is deplorable. n/t

[cojoel]

23. If I might hazard a guess

If 232 Republican Congressmen showed up for a meeting with President Obama, which he more-or-less was hosting, how long would it take for a "show of hands" for who would vote for a clean CR? That is what Boehner is afraid of, I think.

[AllenSE]

26. Possible opportunity?

If I were Obama, at this point I would have some quiet feelers out to at least some of the republicans who refused, to find out who would go for a meeting without the leaders present.

Given the gravity of a default, there is almost certainly some dissention in the ranks now. Even if the leadership is trying to keep a lid on it, maybe something can be worked out with the dissenters in exchange for a discharge vote ...

[gopiscrap]

27. Welcome to DU