Golf Summit: President Obama and Speaker Boehner Tee Off

Obama Takes on Boehner in Golf

President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner may be at odds over taxes, the debt ceiling and the conflict in Libya, but for today at least, they are putting aside their differences for a round of golf.
The game, at Joint Base Andrews' golf course in Maryland, will give the two men four hours to socialize -- with or without discussion of the last week's tense negotiations. Both men play regularly, but Boehner is known as one of Capital Hill's best golfers. Boehner was ranked 43rd among 150 prominent Washington golfers, while Obama is 108th.
But golf isn't just a competition, it's also an opportunity to socialize.
"Four hours is plenty to know a lot about somebody. It builds camaraderie, you build a relationship," golf pro Ed Collins said.
The two men certainly have a lot to talk about. In the last week, the White House and Boehner have disputed budget cuts and the conflict in Libya, which the U.S. military is involved in without congressional permission.
They also have a difference of views about the game itself.
"The president sees golf as a way to escape Washington, and Speaker Boehner sees golf as part of the politics of Washington. It's how you raise money, it's how you get business done. And the president doesn't see golf that way," ABC News political director Amy Walter said.

Charles Dharapak/AP Photo

John Boehner, left, and Barack Obama play... View Full Size

Fore-ign Relations: Obama, Boehner Golf Summit Watch Video

Fore! Obama Almost Hit By Golf Ball Watch Video

Obama And Bloomberg Hit The Golf Course Watch Video

"At best, it's a great photo op," Walter said. "I doubt anything really substantive comes out of it. ... It can be an opportunity for two people from Washington to prove that Washington can actually get along."
Boehner invited a fellow Ohio Republican, Gov. John Kasich, to play, and Obama brought Vice President Biden. Obama and Boehner are riding in a cart together, and Biden and Kasich in another.
In another sign of bipartisanship, the White House trip director Marvin Nicholson is riding in a cart with the Boehner's spokesman Brendan Buck.
In a recent interview with ABC New's George Stephanopoulos, Boehner did not sound convinced that he and the president would be able to settle any kind of a deal in 18 holes.
"We've always had -- a very good relationship," Boehner said. "We get along -- get along fine. But we have very different visions for what America should look like and what the role of the federal government should be."
When asked if he thought they would come to an agreement any time soon, he said, "Well, no -- if the president invites me to play golf, it's the president. You don't say no to the president."
The White House described the event as a social outing, but it did not deny that it could have political implications.
"I think I can say with great confidence that they will not wrap up the 18th hole and come out and say that we have a deal," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters this week. href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/golf-summit-president-obama-boehner-tee-off/story?id=13874970">to continue