Obama: Republican Voters Agree With Me

President Obama got combative in his press conference today, saying Republicans’ refusal to raise revenues in a debt ceiling deal is out of touch. “My hope, though, is that they're listening not just to lobbyists or special interests here in Washington, but they're also listening to the American people,” he said, according to CBS. “Because it turns out, poll after poll, many done by your organizations, show that it's not just Democrats who think we need to take a balanced approach, it's Republicans as well.”

Obama was referring in part to a Wednesday Gallup poll showing that a mere 20% of Americans thought a deal should include only spending cuts, with the rest favoring some tax increases. “That’s not just Democrats. That’s the majority of Republicans,” Obama said. Indeed, even among Republicans, only 26% supported a cuts-only deal. Obama also reiterated his determination to “do something big,” and “stabilize America’s finances for a decade, for 15 or 20 years.” (Click to read about negotiations for "Plan B" on the debt ceiling.)