US Shutdown Day 7 No Progress

Nothing but finger pointing going on at the moment, but the Republicans must be the more nervous of the two, they are getting more relative credit for the impasse at the moment.

A default is widely regarded as a much bigger economic disaster than the shutdown of non-essential services. President Barack Obama has demanded that Congress raise the debt ceiling, and avoid default, without conditions.

But House Speaker John Boehner said Sunday there will be no debt limit increase, and no end to the partial shutdown, unless President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats negotiate with House Republicans. 

"There are not the votes in the House to pass a clean CR," the speaker said.

But Boehner also used his rare Sunday news show appearance to back away from insisting on repeal or delay of the Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare," as a condition for ending the shutdown and raising the debt limit.

Instead, Boehner said, he wants spending cuts through entitlement reform.