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| Obama faces tough task to win over House Republicans in budget push | Obama faces tough task to win over House Republicans in budget push |
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| Barack Obama faces the toughest encounter of this week's Capitol Hill budget diplomacy push when he holds a rare meeting on Wednesday afternoon with House Republicans, the most stubborn and determined of his political opponents. | Barack Obama faces the toughest encounter of this week's Capitol Hill budget diplomacy push when he holds a rare meeting on Wednesday afternoon with House Republicans, the most stubborn and determined of his political opponents. |
| Although the president found frustration and scepticism in the ranks of his own party when he met Democratic senators on Tuesday, the meeting with House Republicans is potentially the most flammable. By contrast, meetings with House Democrats and Senate Republicans, due on Thursday, are viewed by the White House as relatively straightforward. | Although the president found frustration and scepticism in the ranks of his own party when he met Democratic senators on Tuesday, the meeting with House Republicans is potentially the most flammable. By contrast, meetings with House Democrats and Senate Republicans, due on Thursday, are viewed by the White House as relatively straightforward. |
| Obama's hope that voters will blame congressional Republicans rather than the White House for the budget standoff was thrown into doubt by an ABC/Washington Post poll published Wednesday. The poll, which saw his approval ratings dropping 5 points since January to 50% over his handling of the economy, puts some pressure on him to try to reach a compromise with Republicans. | Obama's hope that voters will blame congressional Republicans rather than the White House for the budget standoff was thrown into doubt by an ABC/Washington Post poll published Wednesday. The poll, which saw his approval ratings dropping 5 points since January to 50% over his handling of the economy, puts some pressure on him to try to reach a compromise with Republicans. |
| The poll shows that Obama enjoyed an 18-point lead over congressional Republicans in December, but that has dropped to just four points – 44% to 40%. The number blaming both has grown. | The poll shows that Obama enjoyed an 18-point lead over congressional Republicans in December, but that has dropped to just four points – 44% to 40%. The number blaming both has grown. |
| But the poll carries a warning, too, for Republicans, with 47% blaming them for the sequester crisis, compared with 33% who blame Obama. | But the poll carries a warning, too, for Republicans, with 47% blaming them for the sequester crisis, compared with 33% who blame Obama. |
| The meeting with House Republicans comes the day after they published their proposed budget. The White House almost immediately dismissed it , saying the maths did not add up. | The meeting with House Republicans comes the day after they published their proposed budget. The White House almost immediately dismissed it , saying the maths did not add up. |
| Republican budget hawk Paul Ryan, who met Obama last week, told MSNBC on Wednesday he did not know whether the president is being sincere or not in his so-called charm offensive. | Republican budget hawk Paul Ryan, who met Obama last week, told MSNBC on Wednesday he did not know whether the president is being sincere or not in his so-called charm offensive. |
| Ryan, the chairman of the House budget committee who met Obama last week, said: "It didn't come across as terribly charming to me, but, look, we're used to this. | Ryan, the chairman of the House budget committee who met Obama last week, said: "It didn't come across as terribly charming to me, but, look, we're used to this. |
| "The question is: is he [Obama] going to go on the campaign trail and start campaigning against us like he has been since the election? You know, is the so-called charm offensive a temporary poll-driven political calculation, or was it a sincere conversion to try and bring people together and start communicating? I hope that's the case." | "The question is: is he [Obama] going to go on the campaign trail and start campaigning against us like he has been since the election? You know, is the so-called charm offensive a temporary poll-driven political calculation, or was it a sincere conversion to try and bring people together and start communicating? I hope that's the case." |
| The instinct of most US politicians is to show at least a semblance of respect for the office of president. Against this will be a desire to enjoy the rare opportunity to speak out and earn some points from diehard conservatives in their districts. | The instinct of most US politicians is to show at least a semblance of respect for the office of president. Against this will be a desire to enjoy the rare opportunity to speak out and earn some points from diehard conservatives in their districts. |
| At one of Obama's last meetings with Republicans, when he was invited to address their retreats in Baltimore in 2010, he turned on them. He accused them of portraying his planned healthcare reforms as a Bolshevik plot and that such rhetoric made bipartisan politics near impossible. | At one of Obama's last meetings with Republicans, when he was invited to address their retreats in Baltimore in 2010, he turned on them. He accused them of portraying his planned healthcare reforms as a Bolshevik plot and that such rhetoric made bipartisan politics near impossible. |
| "What happens is that you guys don't have a lot of room to negotiate with me," Obama said. "The fact of the matter is, many of you, if you voted with the administration on something, are politically vulnerable with your own base, with your own party, because what you've been telling your constituents is: 'This guy's doing all kinds of crazy stuff that's going to destroy America.'" | "What happens is that you guys don't have a lot of room to negotiate with me," Obama said. "The fact of the matter is, many of you, if you voted with the administration on something, are politically vulnerable with your own base, with your own party, because what you've been telling your constituents is: 'This guy's doing all kinds of crazy stuff that's going to destroy America.'" |
| Obama's likely strategy this time will be to adopt a listening pose, presenting himself as a president in search of a compromise on tax and spending, the so-called grand bargain that will prevent a federal government shutdown. | Obama's likely strategy this time will be to adopt a listening pose, presenting himself as a president in search of a compromise on tax and spending, the so-called grand bargain that will prevent a federal government shutdown. |
| The Republican conference in the House includes a large bloc of members elected with Tea Party support who have been reluctant to compromise with Obama in almost all the tax and spending standoffs over the last two years. | The Republican conference in the House includes a large bloc of members elected with Tea Party support who have been reluctant to compromise with Obama in almost all the tax and spending standoffs over the last two years. |
| House speaker John Boehner, a traditional midwestern right-of-centre Republican, has been unable to bring them under control. Boehner, having come off second best to Obama during the fiscal cliff crisis in December, has said he no longer wants to try to negotiate any more backroom deals with the president. | House speaker John Boehner, a traditional midwestern right-of-centre Republican, has been unable to bring them under control. Boehner, having come off second best to Obama during the fiscal cliff crisis in December, has said he no longer wants to try to negotiate any more backroom deals with the president. |
| The White House can claim that Obama's meeting with the House Republicans at the very least showed he tried to seek a bipartisan agreement, useful in next year's congressional mid-terms in seeking to pass the blame for any economic impass. A few Democrats harbour hopes that there is an off chance that the president's charm offensive – which involves inviting Republicans to the White House and dining them out around DC – might even persuade a few, maybe enough, to vote for compromise bills, not only on tax and spending but on gun controls and immigration reform. | The White House can claim that Obama's meeting with the House Republicans at the very least showed he tried to seek a bipartisan agreement, useful in next year's congressional mid-terms in seeking to pass the blame for any economic impass. A few Democrats harbour hopes that there is an off chance that the president's charm offensive – which involves inviting Republicans to the White House and dining them out around DC – might even persuade a few, maybe enough, to vote for compromise bills, not only on tax and spending but on gun controls and immigration reform. |
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