THE CONSERVATIVE REVIEW - October 15, 2013

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* Sen. Bob Corker: No 'good productivity' in talks *
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said there hasn't been "good productivity" this weekend in discussions to end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling.

Senate Majority leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., met Saturday to discuss a resolution to the impasse, but no deal was reached.

In an appearance on Fox News "Sunday," Corker said things looked promising in discussion Friday, but he thinks "things are not moving now."

"A couple of nights ago, it looked like there maybe was a way to go forward. I think the Senate Democrats have pulled back at the regrets of the White House and now may be trying to look at sort of busting the budget caps that were established back in 2011. So I think we're in a status quo. I do think we will see our way through this. But the last 24 four hours have not been good," he said. "I do hope that over the next week, we'll reach a conclusion. And I think we will. But ... [over] the last 24 hours, there's not been good productivity on this issue."

Corker said he thinks Democrats are overreaching by trying to raise the sequester levels, automatic spending cuts as part of the Budget Control Act in 2011, much like he said the Republicans are trying to overreach by tinkering with the Affordable Care Act.

"Republicans started off in a place that was an overreach. And to try to change a law that was central to the president's, you know, agenda was not something that was achievable," he said. "Now, I think the Democrats are on the verge of being one tick too cute. As they see the House possibly in disarray, they now are overreaching."

"And I think that what we've got to do is get this back in the middle of the road, act like adults, deal with these issues in an appropriate way," Corker added.

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