House, Senate No. 2s battle over federal budget (AP)

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 8:01 AM By dwi

WASHINGTON – They're a pair of colorful lawyers who are fond of cameras and sensation at messaging, digit deputies with ambitions to land, someday, on top.

So the aborning semipolitical warfare led by Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer and politico Rep. Eric Cantor, today activity discover in multimedia modify over the budget impasse, can resemble a Spy vs. Spy oppose over whatever of the most serious issues covering legislature and the nation.

For them it's not meet about effort to a budget agreement, cutting outlay or the deficit. In fact, neither Cantor nor Schumer is directly participating in the sensitive, secretive budget negotiations. But the snippy bunk is due to intensify as the April 8 deadline — and a possible government shutdown — loom.

To these two, and arguably every of the congressional Republicans and Democrats they represent, the federal budget mess is a crusade within the daylong 2012 re-election campaign. And that effectuation every the responses and "pre-sponses" the Internet, the Twitter verse, television and the old-fashioned ring allow.

Tuesday provided an apt, daylong example. Reporters dialing in to a news conference-by-phone could center Schumer, the media-savvy New Yorker broached by Majority Leader Harry philosopher to appendage the party's messaging, gift conversation points on the budget to added Democratic senators. He was understandably unaware that reporters were already on the line.

Schumer's advice was familiar: disposition the House Republicans' planned outlay cuts "extreme."

"Extreme and draconian," Schumer, 60, advised. "The subtext of this is, the only artefact we can refrain a shutdown is for (House Speaker John) Boehner to become up with a reasonable compromise and not meet listen to what the tea party wants."

The GOP's victory diversion began, from Cantor's duty and beyond. Within moments, Boehner's duty fired off an telecommunicate with an statement of the overheard conversation.

Then Cantor, 47, referred to Schumer individual nowadays during the Republican's weekly off-camera briefing.

"We hit seen what the causative is behind Mr. Schumer," Cantor said. "He says every outlay revilement is unreasonable."

On-camera later, there was more. "I conceive we did encounter discover that Chuck Schumer's intent on activity semipolitical games," the Virginia politico said.

Other Republicans chimed in.

With a winkle of smirk, Boehner twice referenced the Democrats' "marching orders."

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., added politico leader, said he wonders who's in calculate of the Senate.

"Do we hit a de facto cheater in Schumer, who thinks he wants to engineer a semipolitical game, as many reporters could actually center on the call?"

And Rep. Jeb Hensarling quipped that it was "extremely disclosing that Senate Democrats hit taught their members to ingest extreme language."

The exchange followed a kindred back-and-forth terminal week, which included Schumer's salutation to a Cantor speech at Stanford University — before the politico had delivered it, and before many reporters had modify obtained a copy.

On Friday, a Twitter war poor discover after Schumer said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that "some progress" had been made between philosopher and Boehner in budget talks.

In one tweet, Cantor's duty didn't modify mention Reid.

"Sen. Schumer and the WH (White House) continue to desert their domain to intend our business concern in order by negotiating off of the status quo," tweeted CantorPress.

For his part Tuesday, Schumer wasn't championship off the conversation points overheard by reporters. They're the aforementioned ones he and added Democrats hit been using for weeks, a point underscored when Schumer stopped talking, the word call officially began and the senators on the line delivered embattled statements.

First up: Sen. Barbara Boxer of California.

"We hit a very direct communication and each of us module provide it in our possess words. And my words are these," Boxer said. "We Senate Democrats are occupation on Speaker Boehner to desert the extreme right wing of his politico caucus."


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