Obama Calls Lawmakers to the White House

Congressional leaders will head to the White House on Friday to meet with President Obama in what Politico says “may be the final chance to restart negotiations just a few days before the nation plunges over the fiscal cliff.”

New York Times: “Lawmakers and aides from both parties cautioned that the burst of activity could be more about making sure the other side gets the blame than any real search for a resolution before the Jan. 1 deadline.”

Wall Street Journal: “It is still possible the two sides can reach a deal, especially with the leaders meeting Friday. Any resolution would be a scaled-back version of the package Mr. Obama and congressional leaders had anticipated passing after the November election… The 11th-hour strategy carries enormous risk because it leaves no margin for error in Congress’s balky legislative machinery.”