McConnell moves with caution the budget - Politico deal

Meeting of the White House on Monday between President Barack Obama and the Senate Leader of the minority Mitch McConnell is an important first test for the two men, each trying to shoot the other to the limit of ceiling for debt in August.

Before the Republican walkout, last Thursday, budget negotiations, led by Vice President Joe Biden had made significant progress towards a promising package savings in the range of $ 1.6 billion to 1.7 billion over 10 years, not counting the reduced interest expenses.

Continue as read the Democrats support simple arithmetic dictates that revenues should be added to help fill gaps and target trillion-plus $2. But having established a Foundation, the larger question is whether both parties should move forward to a much broader encompassing over reforms Medicare and tax revenues.

Among the GOP, McConnell was stronger that the President plays a more important role. But Kentucky Senator is under pressure to provide more, where he is after leaving the bulk of the work to the House Republican and Chairman John Boehner of Ohio.

So far, McConnell has been realistic to use the 2012 elections to consolidate their power and eventually to regain control of the Senate and prudent, intelligent, partisan whose instinct is to think small, to protect themselves against criticism of tea party.

He rejected the tax revenues - including the faults of closure or to terminate grants tax - to get an agreement, then promised to punish the Democrats in the Senate by forcing them to raise the debt only this summer of ceiling, if no agreement is reached. And for the inconvenience of the House GOP leaders, McConnell has fostered a more gradual approach - which would avoid default in August but also require at least a second round of floor votes on the debt ceiling before the 2012 elections.

This scenario allows him to dodge taxes and implement Democratic Senate through the wringer of ceiling for debt again. But it spells trouble for the Republicans in the House, and the great irony is that Boehner can find there more in common with Obama in a larger deal - especially if it helps to defuse the problem of Medicare eat in the House GOP.

Appearance McConnell Sunday on "this week the string ABC" remained faithful to the form.

"We got to the point where we store our talking points and get off at what can go," he said. "All of the company to increase taxes — regardless of how you go about it - is something that this Congress is not likely to do so." … "We need to talk about what can go."

But in its own Conference of the Senate, there is a clear Republican nostalgia for a bigger deal of deficit reduction and Obama challenge is to play to this audience in the hope to McConnell.

Despite democratic House, the administration is attempted by an agreement to reduce large deficit that could solidify the support of independent voters. After gaining what is likely his last term, Leader of the majority of the Senate Harry Reid (D - Nev.) is open to this approach - as long as Republicans acknowledge also the soil on the income.

Indeed, Reid and Obama were already in active discussions, and the meeting of White House scheduled for Monday majority leader seems more designed to define the stage of McConnell with Obama and Biden.