WASHINGTON–White House staffers, including Chief of Staff Bill Daley, broke into applause after President Obama announced a budget deal late Friday, averting a federal government showdown. The pool report, by Carol Lee of the Wall Street Journal, has the details–including that Obama re-enacted the statement for still photographers.
Click at the bottom for the Carol Lee pool report.
Click here for Obama budget deal announcement transcript.
Click here for Sweet blog budget battle coverage.
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Subject: Pool report #2
Biden, Plouffe, Carney, Daley, Lew, Sperling, Bruce Reed and Zients were at POTUS’s statement, which was carried live.
Transcript coming.
POTUS praised a budget deal to avert a shutdown.
“Americans of different beliefs came together,” he said.
He touted the “largest annual spending cut in our history” – twice.
Some of the cuts he didn’t want, but he compromised, he said.
He thanked Boehner and Reid.
“It is my sincere hope that we can come together” again, he said.
“Today we acted on behalf of our children’s future,” he said.
POTUS spoke like it was an Oval statement, head-on into the camera. He then walked two rooms over to the State Dining Room, where Biden, Plouffe, Carney, Daley, Lew, Sperling, Bruce Reed, Zients and Pfeiffer were. Pool heard applause coming from the room and after a few moments POTUS was back in the Blue Room to re-enact the statement for the still photogs. He stood at the podium and said things like, this is where I pretend I’m talking, etc and then, with a big smile on his face, he left.
Carol Lee
The Wall Street Journal
