Obama-Boehner golf outing is no major, parties say

The anticipation for Saturday’s golf outing featuring President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner has in some corners of Washington overshadowed the U.S. Open tournament being contested at nearby Congressional Country Club. But the White House has warned reporters not to expect any breakthroughs on the budget after 18 holes.

“There is not an agenda. There are no talking points. This is simply an effort to get together outside of an office, outside of the normal venues that presidents and speakers of the House tend to get together and develop further the relationship that the president and the speaker already have developed,” Press Secretary Jay Carney said this week.

The powerful foursome, which also includes Vice President Joe Biden and Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich, will likely tee off at the course at either Joint Base Andrews or Ft. Belvoir, the two local military bases where the president most often plays.

Cameras will be allowed to capture at least some of the action. But Carney was coy when asked Friday if reporters would get a glimpse of the final scorecard, joking it was more likely to be put out by the White House if the president won.

“So it won’t be released,” a reporter jabbed back.

The prospect of a Boehner-Obama golf outing has been discussed in Washington from the moment the Ohio Republican claimed the speaker’s gavel. The president, who most often plays with a small circle of aides, finally extended an invitation a few weeks ago.

For all the talk of Obama’s frequent golf outings -- at least 60 as president through this spring -- Boehner ranked higher on a recent list of Washington’s top golfers by Golf Digest.

But Biden may be the ringer for the White House team, placing at 29th on the list -- 14 spots ahead of Boehner.