Senators, White House Break Off Budget Talks

Oh, yeah. The federal government is still broke

The small group of Republican senators who had been meeting with the White House on budget matters called it quits on Thursday. They were known as the "Dinner Caucus." In the end, they got less accomplished than the "Breakfast Club."

Their fate, though, was predictable. The goal they were pursuing – a big, blockbuster, bipartisan, budget deal – had been the goal of many in the past three years, all with similar results. No agreement on taxes. No agreement on spending cuts. Same song, different band.