President Obama urges deficit panel to act

Despite prodding from President Barack Obama, members of Congress’ supercommittee concede no deal is in sight to meet their goal of US$1.2 trillion or more in deficit savings over the next decade. Instead, with only 10 days remaining until a Nov. 23 deadline, the panel is divided along partisan lines and Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., said Sunday the six committee members of his own party “have not coalesced around a plan.”

Obama mentioned his own unsuccessful negotiations with Speaker John Boehner in passing at a news conference in Hawaii on Sunday where he urged the members of the committee to show more flexibility. “It feels as if people continue to try to stick with their rigid positions rather than solve the problem,” he said.

Read more…