Boehner Walks Out of Negotiations After Reagan Prayer Snub
Speaker of the House John Boehner walked out on fiscal cliffÂ negotiationsÂ with President Obama today after the president refused to joinÂ BoehnerÂ in a prayer honoring Ronald Reagan. Sources say the pair had been making considerable progress in resolving the looming fiscal crisis until Bohner abruptly demanded that Obama join hands and praise '"The King of Kings, the Captain of Salvation, The Alpha and the Omega, our Lord and Savior- Ronald Reagan."Â  In aÂ hastilyÂ arranged press conference outside the White House the Speaker explained that Obama was being unreasonable: "I pray to Ronald Reagan and Grover Norquist three times daily. IÂ politelyÂ asked President Obama to join me today as a sign of good faith in our negotiations. Like a petulant child, he refused. All I can say is that I amÂ severelyÂ disappointed that our President can't take this process seriously." "I don't know who this Obama thinks he is, but if he thinks he can disrespect Lord Reagan and Saint Norquist - he's got another thing coming." The fiscal cliffÂ negotiationsÂ seek to avoid a mixture of tax rises and deep spending cuts that go into effect on January 1st by replacing them with a more modest deficit reduction package. The process has been held up by what some describe as a religious aversion to tax increases on the Republican side.