Obama on debt limit and spending cut talks: leave "ultimatums at the door"

President Obama, hands on involved in avoiding an Aug. 2 default date, on Tuesday once again called on congressional leaders to make a deal on raising the debt ceiling and reducing spending without jamming up against the looming deadline.

Obama made his second public plea in a week–last week it was at a press conference–for the deal to come sooner, not later

Obama added to his schedule Tuesday an afternoon statement from the White House briefing room where he said, “even as we continue discussions today and tomorrow, I have asked leaders of both parties and both houses of Congress to come here to the White House on Thursday, so we can build on the work that’s already been done and drive towards a final agreement. It’s my hope that everybody’s going to leave their ultimatums at the door, that we’ll all leave our political rhetoric at the door, and that we’re going to do what’s best for our economy and do what’s best for our people.

“And I want to emphasize — I said this in my press conference —

this should not come down to the last second.”