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WHEN THE TWO SIDES ARE SO
ENTRENCHED ON TWIN ECONOMIC
CRISES.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN SHUT
DOWN SINCE LAST WEEK.
THE COUNTRY COULD DEFAULT NEXT
WEEK, AND THE PRESIDENT AND
HOUSE SPEAKER SPENT THE DAY
TALKING PAST EACH OTHER.
>> THE REASON THAT SPEAKER
BOEHNER HASN'T CALLED A VOTE ON
IT IS BECAUSE HE DOESN'T
APPARENTLY WANT TO SEE THE
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN END AT THE
MOMENT.
>> THE PRESIDENT HAD US ALL DOWN
AT THE WHITE HOUSE LAST WEEK,
ONLY TO REMIND ME THAT HE WAS
NOT GOING TO NEGOTIATE OVER
KEEPING THE GOVERNMENT OPEN OR
OVER THE LOOMING NEED TO
INCREASE THE DEBT LIMIT.
>> LET'S START WITH THE DEBT
CEILING DEADLINE, JUST TEN DAYS
AWAY.
THE WHITE HOUSE SIGNALED SOME
FLEXIBILITY ON TIMING.
THE PRESIDENT'S SPOKESMAN SAID
THEY PREFER TO RAISE THE DEBT
CEILING FOR A YEAR BUT COULD
ACCEPT SHORTER.
>> WE'RE NOT SAYING TODAY THAT
THAT CEILING OUGHT TO BE OR CAN
BE ANY PARTICULAR LENGTH OF
TIME.
>> Reporter: BUT TIMING ISN'T
THAT RELEVANT IF THE PRESIDENT
INSISTS HE WON'T NEGOTIATE
ANYTHING AS A CONDITION TO
RAISING THE DEBT CEILING.
>> WE'RE NOT GOING TO NEGOTIATE
UNDER THE THREAT OF FURTHER HARM
TO OUR ECONOMY AND MIDDLE CLASS
FAMILIES.
>> Reporter: AND THE HOUSE
SPEAKER SAYS ANY HIKE IN THE
DEBT CEILING MUST INCLUDE TALKS
ON ISSUES DIRECTLY RELATED TO
THE NATION'S DEBT, LIKE
ENTITLEMENT REFORM.
IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE THE
PRESIDENT LOOK UNREASONABLE,
SOME 20 TIMES SUNDAY, JOHN
BOEHNER SAID ALL HE WANTS IS A
CONVERSATION.
>> MY GOAL HERE IS NOT TO HAVE
THE UNITED STATES DEFAULT ON
THEIR DEBT.
MY GOAL HERE IS TO HAVE A
SERIOUS CONVERSATION ABOUT THOSE
THINGS THAT ARE DRIVING THE
DEFICIT AND DRIVING THE DEBT UP,
AND THE PRESIDENT IS RISKING
DEFAULT BY NOT HAVING A
CONVERSATION WITH US.
>> Reporter: ON THE GOVERNMENT
SHUTDOWN, SEVEN DAYS IN, STILL
NO END IN SIGHT.
THE PRESIDENT TAUNTED THE
SPEAKER FOR REFUSING TO SCHEDULE
A VOTE ON A CLEAN NO STRINGS
ATTACHED BILL TO FUND AND REOPEN
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
>> IF REPUBLICANS AND SPEAKER
BOEHNER ARE SAYING THERE ARE NOT
ENOUGH VOTES, THEN THEY SHOULD
PROVE IT.
>> Reporter: THAT IN RESPONSE TO
BOEHNER INSISTING THE VOTES ARE
NOT THERE.
BUT SOME OF BOEHNER'S RANK AND
FILE MODERATE REPUBLICANS
DISAGREE.
YOU AGREE WITH THAT?
>> WITH RESPECT TO THE SPEAKER,
I DO NOT AGREE.
I BELIEVE THAT IF A CLEAN C.R.
WERE PUT ON THE HOUSE FLOOR,
THAT IT WOULD LIKELY PASS WITH
MORE THAN 218 VOTES.
I BELIEVE COMFORTABLY.
>> Reporter: 195 DEMOCRATS
TRYING TO CALL BOEHNER'S BLUFF
SIGNED A LETTER DEMANDING A VOTE
ON A NO STRINGS ATTACHED BILL TO
FUND THE GOVERNMENT.
THAT WOULD MEAN 22 REPUBLICANS
WOULD HAVE TO DEFY THEIR
LEADERSHIP.
NOW, ON THE QUESTION OF WHETHER
A CLEAN BILL COULD PASS THE
HOUSE, CNN HAS PUT A VOTE COUNT
TOGETHER.
RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED
200 DEMOCRATS, INCLUDING SOME
DELEGATES, AND 14 REPUBLICANS
WHO HAVE EITHER PUBLICLY STATED
OR TOLD US THEY WOULD VOTE FOR A
CLEAN CONTINUING RESOLUTION,
WHICH OF COURSE MEANS A BILL TO
FUND THE GOVERNMENT TO END THE
SHUTDOWN.
JOHN BOEHNER NEEDS 217 TO PASS A
CLEAN BILL.
SO BY OUR COUNT, HE IS SHORT.
THERE ARE FIVE REPUBLICANS WHO
ARE, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WAY TO
SAY IT, SQUISHY ON THIS ISSUE.
BUT THE THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS
EVEN THOUGH TECHNICALLY, WHEN
YOU GO DOWN NUMBER BY NUMBER, WE
DON'T HAVE THE VOTES, TWO
THINGS.
ONE IS THIS IS VERY MUCH A
CHICKEN OR THE EGG SITUATION.
SEVERAL REPUBLICANS HAVE NOT
SAID PUBLICLY THAT THEY ARE --
THEY WOULD VOTE FOR THIS, AND
WON'T DO SO BECAUSE WHY TAKE THE
POLITICAL RISK IF JOHN BOEHNER
ISN'T GOING TO PUT THIS ON THE
FLOOR.