From the Hill: GOP wants budget talks with Obama — not Pelosi and Reid

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Republicans want President Obama as a negotiating partner when it comes to budget talks, something Democrats are determined to avoid. With a little more than a week to prevent a government shutdown, the GOP thinks the talks should be between them and Obama since they now have control of the House and Senate.

Losing the Senate in last year’s midterm elections should force Obama to deal with them, they say. Democrats, however, are determined to keep a seat at the table — in part because they think they’ll drive a tougher bargain than Obama, whose past efforts to make deals with Republicans unnerves Capitol Hill liberals.

In this case, Obama seems likely to go along with congressional Democrats — especially after bruising fights over trade policy and the Iran nuclear deal. But Democrats are leaving nothing to chance.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) met with Obama at the White House on Thursday. At the end of the meeting, Pelosi and Reid spoke to reporters and said all agreed on their strategy moving forward. And on Monday, the White House stated its desire for Republicans to negotiate with congressional Democrats.