Obama: Default Is Worse than Shutdown

Stubbing your toe is worse than the shutdown, though

President Obama broadened his focus in the budget battle Thursday, saying a government default on its debts would hurt the economy worse than the ongoing government shutdown.

"As reckless as a government shutdown is … an economic shutdown that results from default would be dramatically worse," Obama said during an appearance at a construction company in Rockville, Md.

Obama also called on House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, to put a "clean" spending bill on the floor with no health care restrictions, predicting it would pass and "the shutdown would end today."

Boehner "won't even let the bill get a yes or no vote because he doesn't want to anger the extremists in his party," Obama said.