Obama walked out of debt talks because...

Jake Tapper seems to be one of the few reporters covering the WH who actually asks tough questions. In this case he found out that the reason Obama walked out of the debt talks is that Rep. Cantor had proposed that if they couldn't come to terms on the whole thing, the GOP would be amenable to an interim deal that would raise the debt limit a modest amount, which would give the parties time to hammer out a more comprehensive deal next year.

Apparently Obama refused Cantor's offer and stormed out, seemingly angry.

Question 1: Since most people would agree that the problem is quite conplex, and the deadline is looming, it would seem logical that an interim deal that would allow more time to hammer out a deal would be incredibly useful. Why was Obama so opposed to it?

Q2: Stripped to its essentials, doesn't this mean that Obama prefers to risk a default rather than take the time-buying interim deal?

Q3: Why in the world would any rational person do that?

Here's the exchange, as transcribed by Ace. Watch how hard Jay Carney works to avoid a direct answer to Tapper:

TAPPER: [continuing after interruption] I don't understand this ultimatum that the president brought into the room with him that this needs to extend into 2013. [sic; actually Obama's ultimatum was that even with an interim deal, he didn't want the talks to start again next year]

CARNEY: Because the kind of atmosphere that's created now that has brought us to the brink of doing something that has never been done before is unlikely to improve in an election year. And we are not, as I said before, the kind of country that wants to or should put in doubt in the global economic market -- you know, or raise the question, on a regular basis, whether or not we're going to default on our obligations. I mean, as Caren just mentioned, we have rating agencies putting us on warning. I mean, this is not good for our economy. So if we do this regularly, you can bet that it will have a negative impact on our economic prospects, on our growth and our job creation because it creates uncertainty about the economic environment that we're -- that businesses are operating in.

TAPPER: You're comparing it to extending the debt ceiling to 2013. I'm not; I'm comparing it to default. Which is worse? Because the president is saying essentially he would rather have a default than have to vote on this again next year. That doesn't make any sense.

CARNEY: He is saying that leaders should lead, and we have to do the right thing here. You can, as a piece of political analysis, have an opinion about it. The president's position is, this is not what the United States should do --

TAPPER: I’m analyzing your own statements.

CARNEY: -- and he doesn't believe we will do it. And we think -- we think we can get to an agreement that's significant. And remember, this is all because of an arbitrary connection that was established between the amount by which Congress would have to raise the debt ceiling and the amount by which –

[digression omitted]

CARNEY: We do not think that that is the way that this country should operate. The president's made it very clear.

TAPPER: What the president made clear in the meeting was that he will not --

CARNEY: Both are bad; I can't choose which is worse for you.

TAPPER: Really? They -- it -- you can't. Default might not be as bad as voting on this next year?

CARNEY: Jake, I've answered the question.

TAPPER: No, you guys are painting a very cataclysmic picture

CARNEY: Jake --

TAPPER: -- that I'm not challenging -- on how bad a default would be. I don't understand why that is preferable --

CARNEY: Because we don't have to get there. We're not going to default, Jake. We're not going to default. I think I, in the answer to two previous questions before I got to you, made clear that no one in the room thinks we're going to default and the president and the vice president don't think we're going to default. So it's a hypothetical that we don't even have to entertain.

Okay, everyone over the age of 25 knows why Obama would threaten a default rather than accept the interim deal: This issue is polarizing the public, and in a way that seems--at least for now--to be working against the Democrats. The sooner Obama can put this behind him, the better for him and his party.

And the sooner he can go back to campaigning--the thing he seems to do best.

If the transcript above is essentially accurate, it's yet another sign of how willing Obama is to place his own personal welfare ahead of the country's. Given the unknowns surrounding a default, threatening to default on the nation's debts if he didn't get his way is about as extreme a measure as one could imagine.

Now if the GOP can just hang in there a little longer. Because the MSM seems to be revving up the smear machine.