The golf green was the place to not only tee-off but to discuss the federal budget between the shots for President Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden, Ohio Governor John Kasich and the Republican House Speaker John Boehner.
President and Boehner Win
The four power players teamed up into pairs, with each team including one member of each party. Together Obama and Boehner were able to win the game over Biden and Kasich. They played at a course on a military base just outside Washington, DC.The golf game was played during the debate over the legality of the United States’ role in the civil war in Libya as a NATO leader, which is going on between the White House and the Republican-led Congress.
Republicans Question US Involvement in Libya
Last week Mr. Boehner informed the White House that the support which the US has given to the NATO mission in Libya is in violation of a US war powers law designed to limit military involvement if there is no congressional approval within 60 days.The response of the White House was that it did not need approval from the legislature because the scope of the US military involvement was limited.This position, however, was taken by the White House despite advice from two senior administration lawyers to the contrary.
Budget Woes, Too
There is also a push by the Republican congress to get a grip on the astronomical budget deficit which has reached a record of $1.4 trillion.