microsoft news: Obama huddles with labor on fiscal cliff

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Obama huddles with labor on fiscal cliff

President Barack Obama delivers a statement last week on the "fiscal cliff." (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)President Barack Obama huddles Tuesday with top labor union and progressive group leaders to get their take on the best way to handle the looming "fiscal cliff" ? an economically toxic blend of tax hikes, spending cuts, and end of unemployment benefits.

The get-together will occur behind closed doors one day before Obama hosts business leaders for similar discussions ? which will also occur behind closed doors ? and ahead of talks on Friday with top Democratic and Republican congressional leaders. The bulk of those discussions will take place behind closed doors.

(In the middle of these various meetings, the president on Wednesday will hold his first press conference since June. While the fiscal cliff is sure to come up, that session is expected to focus heavily on the scandal that apparently drove CIA director David Petraeus from office and seems to have ensnared the top military commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen. Other likely questions will cover the deadly September 11^th attack on the American compound in Benghazi, Libya. And reporters are nearly sure to ask about turnover in other key Administration positions. The White House drew heat last week for ignoring tradition and not holding a post-election press conference. That decision gives reporters a prime opportunity to question the commander-in-chief about the Petraeus scandal, which erupted over the weekend.)

Here, according to the White House, are the labor and business leaders sitting down with Obama in the West Wing's Roosevelt Room:

Tuesday: