WHOA: Dick Durbin Calls Barack Obama a Liar

Rumor on the Hill has it that Senator "Little" Dick Durbin (D-IL) is the single most despised member of the U.S. Senate of either party. He is said to have lied repeatedly to other Senators during a variety of critical negotiations. Now he is embroiled in a tête-à-tête with the White House. It began when he alleged that an unnamed Republican insulted President Obama to his face.

Allegation:

A top Senate Democrat said that a leading House Republican told President Obama that they could not ‘even stand to look at you’ during negotiations over the government shutdown...

Denial:

...Spokesmen for both Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor say neither official said or remembers anyone else saying they couldn’t stand to look at President Obama at a White House summit during the government shutdown, as Democratic senator Dick Durbin of Illinois alleged...

Annnnd here’s the confirmation of the denial from… the White House:

JACKIE CALMES, NEW YORK TIMES: Just to follow up on that. In terms of the president talking to Republicans, can you rule out — there was the number two Senate Democrat, Dick Durbin, said on his Facebook page that someone in recent exchange with the president said he can’t even stand, this member of Congress, that he can’t even stand to look at the president. Can you say whether that happened?

JAY CARNEY: I will say this, I spoke with somebody who was in that meeting and it did not happen.

Update: “Sen. Durbin stands by his comments,” says spokesman, after WH says no GOP rep. insulted president. http://t.co/SCTD7rXBIH via @WSJ

— WSJ Washington Wire (@WSJwashington) October 23, 2013

*Crunch* *Crunch* *Crunch*

Hey, pass the popcorn, Nahanni!


Hat tip: BadBlue News (seriously, there's no better place for breaking news).