President Obama appeared on Sunday to still be enjoying a bit of good karma from his extended outreach to Congress last week, but Republican leaders who hold the most sway over fiscal negotiations were holding firm in opposition to the president.
The good karma was reflected in remarks like those from Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, who said he could imagine fellow Republicans agreeing on a big budget deal that would provide new revenue through tax reform if Democrats would give ground on reductions to entitlement programs like Medicare.
“I think there, by the way, is a chance on a deal,†Mr. Corker said on “Fox Nes Sunday.†“I know the president is saying the right things, and we have an opportunity over the next four months.â€
But Republican leaders who appeared on television Sunday seemed to indicate that Mr. Obama’s three days of visits to the Capitol would not change Republicans’ opposition to his desire to raise taxes as part of a larger plan to reduce the budget deficit.
Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio said on the ABC program “This Week†that he “absolutely†trusted Mr. Obama; but he also said that “the talk about raising revenue is over†and added, “I don’t know whether we can come to a big agreement.â€
And Representative Paul D. Ryan, the Budget Committee chairman, was emphatic in defense of his budget proposal, despite Democratic criticism that it recycles ideas that voters rejected in November, including a plan to turn Medicare into a subsidy for private insurance purchases.
“I think that that’s what people want,†he said on the CBS program “Face the Nation.†He called his budget “a vision document†and said progress was possible if both sides engaged.
Mr. Ryan, of Wisconsin, seemed wary of Mr. Obama’s outreach efforts. To be effective, Mr. Ryan said, they will have to last more than a week. “This charm offensive needs to be sincere,†he said, “and needs to last throughout the summer.â€
