Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – President Barack Obama is coming out often to express his opinion as it happened on Friday when he showed optimism on the ongoing budget negotiations with Congress.

Speaking at the Rose Garden in the White House, Obama called his meeting on Thursday with leaders of both Republican and Democratic parties in Congress as “good,” adding, “And while real differences remain, we agreed to work through the weekend and meet back here on Sunday.”

According to White House sources, there is a letting-go of political rhetoric from both sides with an atmosphere of tackling the grave budgetary problems facing the country.

Another factor: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who was ignored during last year’s tax deal and budget bill earlier this year, was back at the White House on Friday as Obama brought her back to the bargaining table.

Answering one parting question about his meeting with Pelosi, President Obama said, “It was good.”

Another source confided to All Headline News the arrival of Pelosi can enhance Democratic values such as safeguarding Medicare and Social Security, which have been tossed around as subjects of cuts by some of the negotiating leaders.

Asked to comment on President Obama’s position on these social programs, White House spokesman Jay Carney said, “The approach that the President suggests, even as we need to find savings in these programs, is to do it in a way that strengthens the core commitments that the programs make, and ensures their integrity farther into the future rather than ending them in order to pay for tax cuts or deficit reduction.”

Earlier, members of Congress had reacted sharply to reports that President Obama had included Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security as subjects that could be bargained on.

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) on Friday introduced a resolution urging the House of Representatives to reiterate protections for Social Security and Social Security benefits.

“The United States is in danger of defaulting on paying its debts because of ridiculous Republican policies that have protected irresponsible corporations, as well as millionaires and billionaires, from paying their fair share of revenues,” said Ellison, who co-chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

“The Social Security program does not contribute to the country’s deficit problem. In fact, the trust fund has actually loaned us money. There is no reason that the approximately 35 million people who rely on an average $14,000 annual payment should have to worry about their benefits,” noted Rep. Ellison.

During his address, President Obama again urged Congress to “advance trade agreements that will help businesses sell more American-made goods and services to Asia and South America, supporting thousands of jobs here at home,” saying, “That could be done right now.”

“There are bills and trade agreements before Congress right now that could get all these ideas moving. All of them have bipartisan support. All of them could pass immediately,” said Obama, adding, “And I urge Congress not to wait.”

Asked to comment on this call, Carney told journalists, “One of the things that the President has that’s unique is a rather substantial bully pulpit. And he utilized that today, as he has in the past, to press Congress to act on these measures.”

On the Sunday evening scheduled meeting on continuing budget negotiations, Carney said, “Those participants should expect to then engage in some pretty hard bargaining so that we can move the ball forward, we can come closer to reaching an agreement.”

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