Obama turns the heat up on GOP in budget talks

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Good evening I'm -- -- -- the country plays the waiting game to see if congress and the president take the economy off the fiscal cliff.

President Obama says he will not play the debt ceiling game again.

But he is taking a few more shots in the public relations game turning the screws on Republicans a little bit more.

Chief White House correspondent Ed Henry starts us off tonight.

Trying to lay the blame for stalled budget talks on Republicans President Obama today ratcheted up the pressure on speaker John Boehner nobody wants to get this done more than me.

By having the White House for the first time tell the Pentagon and other agencies to start planning for massive spending cuts from going over the fiscal cliff.

While he warned business executives the economy could take another hit.

If Republicans decide to extend just the middle class tax cuts -- avoid the -- for now and then come back next year with more leverage to tie spending cuts and major Medicare reform to another hike in the nation's debt ceiling.

We are not going to play that game next year.

If if if congress in any way suggests that they're gonna -- negotiations to.

Debt ceiling votes.

And take us to the brink of default once again as part of a budget negotiation.

I will not play that it.

Republicans held their own meeting with small business owners and denied -- trying to punt until next year probably here.

And I'll be available at any moment.

-- that I'm the president.

To get serious about solving the front.

They noted the president has not scheduled any meetings -- GOP leaders in weeks.

It is not offered any counterproposal debaters plan from last week frankly it was a balanced approach that the president's been asking for.

Now and in response from the White House the president continues to insist the only impediment to a deal is that meters 800 billion dollars in new tax revenue is not enough.

Hold up right now.

Is that.

Speaker -- Took a position.

I think the day after the campaign.

That's.

What what would it bring it -- what we're not.

-- -- race except two Summers ago the president himself claimed he could raise even more revenue without raising rates give us one point two Detroit.

In additional revenues.

Which could be accomplished without.

Hiking taxes tax rates but could simply be accomplished by.

Eliminating loopholes.

Eliminating some deductions.

And engaging in a tax reform process the -- -- rates generally.

While broadening the base.

No White House officials insist that comment was made in a different context but Republicans say.

It all sounds an awful lot like what speaker Boehner is pushing for right now in these talks meanwhile officials confirmed that late this afternoon the president speaker had a phone call.

-- there wasn't a lot of progress but as one aide told me it's more than we've had and long time friend that's -- Ed -- -- in the north lawn Ed thanks.

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Obama turns the heat up on GOP in budget talks

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