Both Democrats and Republicans fault Obama for failing to address deficit

The Headline in The Hill newspaper: "Dem, GOP suggest at hearing that Obama is failing to lead in budget crisis"

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said Thursday that his panel might have to take the lead in solving the nation’s long-term budget problems.
Conrad's comment that solutions “may fall to this committee” came shortly after Sen. Jeff Sessions (Ala.), the ranking Republican on the Budget panel, ripped President Obama’s State of the Union speech for failing to tackle the nation’s budget problems.
“I don’t think he rose to the occasion … it was a timid speech,” said Sessions, who criticized the president for not being honest with the public about the kinds of dramatic measures needed to balance the budget.
Significantly, Conrad, who has announced he will not seek reelection in two years, did not defend Obama when he spoke. He said his panel might have to take the lead on the budget if the White House did not conduct a budgetary summit with lawmakers.
“It may fall to this committee … if there is not going to be a summit, if there is not going to be some kind of negotiation,” Conrad said. . . . .