US President Barack Obama hosted congressional leaders at the White House to discuss a path to end the impasse on a temporary spending plan that has shut down the US government; they didn’t find one.  And it’s because conservatives are trying to tank the US Affordable Care Act, which brings low cost healthcare to millions of uninsured people.

Republican lower house leader John Boehner was first to emerge and announce no progress was made, claiming the President refused to negotiate.  Boehner has presented a wish-list of conservative goals to the White House which could never get through congress in its current configuration.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid accused Republicans of trying to hold the president hostage over Obamacare, which was passed by congress, signed by the President, and ruled Constitutional by the Supreme Court a long time ago.

Meanwhile, the congressional conservative failure to keep the federal government running is threatening the safety of the United States, according to America’s spy chief.

“I've been in the intelligence business for about 50 years. I've never seen anything like this,” said Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, “This seriously damages our ability to protect the safety and security of this nation and its citizens.  The damage will be insidious.”

Clapper says the shutdown has created a “dreamland” for foreign governments to recruit spies inside the U.S. government and has left many threats against the homeland unaddressed.