0 republican party is they really handed this over to the french. it means anybody who is operating under anything we can learn from a previous political playbook is wrong. there's no way to make predictions about what happens now without understanding where all this started. day 12 of the government shutdown. word that a deal may be closer, but when and how? across america from main street to the smoky mountains. the government shutdown misery index is growing. but some iconic sites may be open for business soon. reports of black berry's death greatly exaggerated? whether the hand-held devices could find new life. chris matthews tangles with bests on real-time with bill maher. good morning, everyone. welcome to "weekends with alex witt". here's what's happening right now. new this morning, house and senate members are set to meet in just hours as the government enters shutdown day 12. the president issued this new message of urgency this morning. >> i want you to remember this is not normal. our government is closed for the first time in 17 years. a political party is risking default for the first time since the 1700s. this is not normal. and that's why we have to put a stop to it. not only because it's dangerous, but because it zaps everyone's faith in our extraordinary system of self-government. >> it comes after a whirlwind of activity on friday. president obama met with senators. and he spoke by phone with john boehner. he held conference calls with business leaders and met with a group of small business owners. during the president's meeting, susan collins proposed to raise the debt limit until the end of january and reopen the good saturday morning to you. lots of talking going on yesterday. does the administration have plans for more gop members today? >> absolutely. they tell me they will be talking to lawmakers throughout the weekend. the house will be back in session at 9:00 a.m., alex. the senate will also be at work. they are inching towards a deal in part, alex, because there is so much pressure, so much public frustration and calls to get something done. if you look at the polls, the vast majority say the blame is carely on republicans. the gop trying to get something done here. they put forward an offer to extend the limit. the debt ceiling expires in just five days. he wanted to link that to budget negotiations to reopen the government. it would have been a six-week deal. president obama said, look, he is glad there is a willingness to work on something. he said six weeks just not long enough. listen to what jay carney had to say on this part. >> tying the debt ceiling for six weeks creates a dynamic very similar to the one we are experiencing now and similar to the one the country experienced back in 2011. it is the one he holds to this day. it is not the appropriate way to go. >> so here's where we stand today, alex. it appears as though a deal is coming together that would extend the nation's borrowing limit, reopen the government possibly for six months. but it would be tied to some concessions like scaling back the medical device tax. this is one of the taxes associated with president obama's health care law. it seems republicans are abandoning their initial cause to delay the president's health care law. that was a nonstarter with the president and the democrats. that is how the whole standoff began in the first place. we have good news on this columbus day weekend is. the statue of liberty will reopen as well as the grand canyon. that will get some help from private partnerships as well. so small bright things while the standoff continues. >> and so great for families who want to spend this weekend going to national treasures. you mentioned nbc news/wall street journal poll. super is low numbers in terms of republicans and the tea party. how much do you think that these numbers played in the president rejecting the six-week a offer? >> well with, i think those numbers, alex, factored heavily in a lot of the developments we have seen over the past 48 hours. i can tell you when the poll came out i was told by one lawmakers on capitol hill that literally that poll was being distributed all around the hill. republicans looked at it. obviously very discouraged by what they saw. you're absolutely right. it allowed the white house to dig in and say this is what we want out of a deal. and also to say, look, we don't want to go through this again in another six weeks based on what we are seeing from the american people. this is not what americans want. so i think you're right. it emboldened the white house. still, i think there is a lot of pressure, alex, on both parties to get something done. it shows republicans bearing the brunt right now. the longer this lasts the worse it becomes for both sides of pennsylvania avenue. >> this government by crisis has just got to stop. okay. thank you so much, kristen welker from the white house. one of the deals that could be made to raise the debt ceiling could steal thanksgiving or christmas. lyrics: 'take on me...' ♪ ♪ 'take me home...' ♪ 'i'll be gone...' ♪ 'in a day or...' man: twooooooooooooooooo! is that me, was i singing? 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