(Previous thread.)
9:16 AM PT: So far, 5 question: 3 on debt limit, 2 on guns. Obama is answering a debt limit question at the moment, making the argument that we need to break the cycle of governing by crisis and hostage standoff, and that he's taking a stand on the debt limit and won't back down.
9:21 AM PT: Now a question on appropriations—whether Obama would be prepared to let Republicans shut down the government. Obama points out that Congress has the power of the purse. It would be a terrible make for them to shut down the government, he says, but if they want to do it, they probably have enough votes. But he says they shouldn't: they should, instead, ask what it is they want to achieve, and sit down and talk with Democrats on how to accomplish their agenda. Obama is now hinting at a grand bargain style deal. But Obama says it seems as though the GOP isn't primarily interested in deficit reduction, rather they are on a ideological bender and are obsessed with going after things like Social Security and Medicare. (Well, he says it more politely, but that's basically his point.)
9:25 AM PT: First part of last question is about whether or not President Obama and his staff don't socialize enough. The second part of the question is whether there is enough diversity in his administration.
9:26 AM PT:
McConnell statement: "The President and his allies need to get serious about spending, and the debt-limit debate is the perfect time for it."
— @ZekeJMiller via TweetDeck
9:29 AM PT: Obama points to the diversity of his first term picks, particular with women. And then says people should wait to see his full second term picks before judging. On the question of whether he's a sociable enough guy, he somehow manages to answer the question with a straight face, which is pretty much all the proof you need that he's not that hard to get along with. Obama says the problems aren't personal: it's that there's substantive differences between his views and Republicans.
9:30 AM PT: Man, what a stupid question. (The part about whether he socializes enough with Washingtonians.)
9:32 AM PT:
Nixon hit up the karaoke bars EVERY NIGHT.
— @SimonMaloy via web