Obama says he and Boehner are ‘pretty close’ to a budget deal

With measured optimism, President Barack Obama said today he and House Speaker John Boehner are “pretty close” to a grand fiscal deal to avoid a first-of-the-year shock to the economy, but that congressional Republicans “keep on finding ways to say no as opposed to finding ways to say yes.” Obama today cast a resolution to the “fiscal cliff” talks as a matter of political will. He also mentioned the recent massacre of schoolchildren in Connecticut in making the point, saying the nation deserves a compromise by its political leaders. “If this past week has done anything, it should just give us some perspective,” he says, further urging lawmakers to “peel off the partisan war paint” and strike a deal. Obama spoke to reporters at the White House after announcing an administrationwide response to Friday’s shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, which killed 20 first-graders and six adults. His comments came shortly after the White House threatened to veto Boehner’s backup plan for averting the fiscal cliff. Boehner’s so-called Plan B would block tax increases from being triggered Jan. 1 on everyone but those whose income exceeds $1 million. Boehner is planning a House vote on his proposal Thursday, hoping it will raise pressure on Obama to make concessions as both sides continue reaching for a bipartisan deal. The Associated Press has the full story here.