Obama, GOP Call Meeting 'Productive'

After a much-anticipated White House meeting Tuesday, President Obama and Congressional GOP leaders said they had a “productive” session, but they had little to show for their two hours in the Rose Room. Both sides agreed to come to a deal in the coming weeks about extending the Bush-era tax cuts, an issue that has divided Democrats and Republicans since the midterm elections. Obama called Tuesday’s meeting “very civil” and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said the two sides had a “a useful and a frank discussion.” Obama told lawmakers he needed to do more to make sure the two parties work together, press secretary Robert Gibbs said. But the meeting also did not yield any results to two other major divisive issues: extending unemployment benefits that are set to expire at the end of the week and the new START nuclear weapons treaty with Russia.