Rep. Cantor: Obama Stormed Out Of Meeting After Saying ‘Don’t Call My Bluff’
This much we know is true: a little while ago, a private meeting between President Obama and Congressional leaders regarding the budget battle ended. Beyond that, the hearsay is flying fast and loose, as Rep. Eric Cantor tells Politico that the President lectured him on Ronald Reagan, told him “don’t call my bluff,” and “abruptly” left the meeting. Meanwhile, Democratic sources claim the President left when the meeting was over and “lit up” Rep. Cantor so badly “if the public saw, Obama would win in a landslide.”
“Eric, don’t call my bluff,” Rep. Cantor claims the President told him, and– according to reports from both parties– then began to lecture the room on talks, claiming that not even Ronald Reagan would accept the terms Republicans were proposing and that, according to Reuters, “I’ve reached my limit. This may bring my presidency own, but I will not yield on this.” He then left the meeting– because the meeting ended, claim Democratic sources, but Republicans say he merely stormed out. Rep. Cantor himself said the President “shoved back and said ‘I’ll see you tomorrow,’ and walked out.” For added cattiness, the Politico report notes one Democrat quipping off the record, “Cantor is the last guy who should complain about people abruptly leaving meetings.”
CNN’s Jessica Yellin reported on John King USA today that the key issue that ticked the President off was Rep. Cantor proposing “a series of short-term votes for the term extension,” something that had been considered unacceptable in many points during the negotiations. This, Yellin relayed, sent him into a lecture about how inefficient Washington was and why faith in the government was at such a low point. This matches the Politico report, in which one official described the speech as “incredible.” The budget talks will continue tomorrow, in the shadow of Moody’s threatening to lower America’s credit rating if the nation defaults on its debt.
Yellin’s report via CNN below:
