July 13, 2011
AP
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor told Fox News that President Obama became agitated and abruptly walked out of today’s debt talks at the White House – allegations that Democratic sources strongly deny.
“He (the president) became very agitated,” Cantor told Fox News. “He said ‘Ronald Reagan wouldn’t sit here. You either have to compromise on the dollar figure or the grand bargain’…He said ‘Don’t call my bluff. I’m going to the American people on this.’”
Cantor said Obama shoved back and said, ‘We’ll see you tomorrow’ – noting the meeting “ended with (the) President abruptly walking out of the meeting.”
However, a senior Democratic aide told Fox News that Cantor’s version of the meeting is not accurate.
“Congressman Cantor is the last guy who should complain about people abruptly walking out of meetings,” the unidentified aide told Fox.
Another House Democratic source, familiar with the meeting, called this Cantor’s “Gingrich back-of-the-plane” moment.
“Obama was concluding the meeting, giving the closing remarks and talking about meeting tomorrow,” the source told Fox. “Cantor interrupted him and raised for the third time doing a short-term (so after it had already been addressed twice), and Obama shut him down. Cantor was playing the role he’s played throughout this whole thing – being not productive.”
Yet another, congressional aide said that President Obama “dressed down” Cantor.
“The President spoke for several minutes uninterrupted about how he would not be deterred in doing what is best for the country,” the aide said. “The meeting ended with Cantor being dressed down while sitting in silence.”
Cantor told Fox News today’s meeting “was the most tense meeting of the week.”
President Obama was quoted as saying, "This may bring down my presidency, but I will not yield on this."
"He will have to explain to the American people why his vision for bigger government, more spending, and higher taxes will work over the next four years when it hasn't worked in the past three and a half years.” – Sen. Rob Portman on President Obama
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