Leaders take over in debt crisis — it's down to Obama and Boehner

[WestVirginiaRebel]

The Hill:

Negotiations over cutting Washington's debt plunged into crisis Thursday, as the top Republican negotiator walked out of talks over his Democratic counterparts’ demand that taxes be raised.

The walkout, by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), means talks to avert the first debt default in American history can now be saved probably only by the two men at the top — President Obama and Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).

The two men, who had sought to break the ice over a round of golf last weekend, met late Wednesday to discuss various issues before the president's televised speech to the nation about the Afghanistan war.

Thursday’s dramatic developments suggest Obama and Boehner will be speaking again soon. The Speaker told reporters Thursday that he expected to hear from the president in the wake of Cantor's exit. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Thursday strongly hinted that negotiations now had to move up to higher level than those that have taken place between GOP and Democratic lawmakers. “My honest feeling is that we are beyond gangs of five and gangs of sixes,” he said.

In a statement released Thursday evening, Vice President Biden said the goal of the talks he had led was always to report findings to "our respective leaders," suggested his group's work had run its course.

"The next phase is in the hands of those leaders, who need to determine the scope of an agreement that can tackle the problem and attract bipartisna support," he said. "For now, the talks are in abeyance as we await that guidance."
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It seems quite apparent that the Democrats didn't want to deal; Republicans responded accordingly.