The Senate’s top Republican invited President Obama to a GOP lunch at the Capitol to discuss the ongoing dispute over the debt and related issues, but the White House on Thursday rebuffed the invitation.

A day after the president at his news conference challenged Congress and especially Republicans to move quickly on the nagging question of increasing the debt ceiling, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), the minority leader, urged Obama to meet with Republicans to explain his position.

[link to www.latimes.com]