Barack Obama actually said...

"When we are this close simply because of politics, and we are prepared to put whatever resources are required in terms of time and energy to get this done, but that's what the American people expect. ..."

"It would be catastrophic to the United States. Default by the United States would precipitate a crisis worse than the one we just went through."

"The challenge is to do it in a way that doesn't hurt future economic growth and hurt investment in the United States."

"The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end."