House GOP Pounces on Visiting Obama

President Obama’s visit with House Republicans on Capitol Hill today, intended as an olive branch, instead turned into a forum for grievances about Obama’s stimulus proposals, Politico reports. The GOP is steadfast in its push for more tax cuts, but Obama isn’t budging, either. “Feel free to whack me over the head,” he said, “because I probably will not compromise on that part.”

“He won’t compromise on more tax cuts,” one lawmaker said. “All form—not substance.” Still, GOP leaders were careful to applaud the initiative, and to push the blame onto House Dems. “We are grateful for his outreach, we are grateful for the spirit of bipartisanship,” said one House Republican. “It’s not so much his effort, it’s what the House has done with this bill, what Pelosi has done with this bill,” another said. (More President Obama stories.)