It’s scheduled to begin at 2pm. You can watch it live here (Update: the presser is now over but you can still watch it below; it begins around 34:27):
How Chait advises Obama to tweak his messaging:
Yesterday, reporters asked Obama adviser Gene Sperling if he would accept a short-term debt-ceiling hike. Sperling replied that yes, he would. Reporters — okay, Politico reporters — portrayed this as a crack in the wall of Democratic unity. …
Opening up the issue of a short-term debt-ceiling hike solves Obama’s messaging problem by giving him something to negotiate over. Do Republicans want to negotiate the length of a debt-ceiling increase? Let’s talk! He’ll negotiate how much to increase the debt ceiling, he’ll negotiate when the vote takes place, he’ll negotiate what snacks are served when they meet. So much to negotiate. Just no concessions. But the point is, this is a different public message: Yes, let’s negotiate the debt ceiling itself, but let’s not hold it hostage. Sperling probably didn’t mean to make news any more than John Kerry did when he proposed eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons. In both cases, an unplanned offhand comment is the perfect lifeline.
The Dish 