Outside the Beltway

Obama And Boehner To Meet In Golf Summit

Doug Mataconis · Saturday, June 4, 2011 · 4 comments

Ever since John Boehner became Speaker, reporters have wondered when he’d be joining the President for a day on the links. Well, wait no longer:

President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) will finally hit the links for a round of golf – and al fresco negotiation – on June 18, a White House official told POLITICO.

Obama’s offer — and Boehner’s acceptance — comes six months after White House press secretary Robert Gibbs suggested the bipartisan pair could work out their differences on the course. Both men are passionate golfers; Obama prefers to hit public courses with a handful of friends and White House staffers while Boehner favors private courses, golf fundraisers and schmoozing sessions with other pols.

The game will be at a course in the Washington area, but exactly where – and the names of the other two duffers rounding out the foursome – are yet to be determined, a person familiar with the situation said.

Word of the golf summit also came on a day when Boehner blasted the president for failing to get more directly involved in tense bipartisan talks over the budget and debt ceiling.

“I think there’s a lot of progress that’s been made in the Biden talks,” Boehner said of talks being led by Vice President Joe Biden.

[Obama], he added “could take a more active role. He’s had this hands off approach for the last several months while this conversation has raged on,” Boehner added. “If he wants this agreement done by the end of the month, better get going.”

Perhaps they can get it worked out on the 13th hole.