House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, who conferred with President Barack Obama by phone yesterday, listens during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 12,

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House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, who conferred with President Barack Obama by phone yesterday, listens during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012, following a closed-door meeting with the GOP caucu. Boehner and the other House Republican leaders are calling for Obama to come up with plan they can accept for spending cuts and tax revenue to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" of automatic tax hikes and budget reductions. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) less