UPDATED 4:37 AM EST, December 12, 2012
WASHINGTON (AP) — As the "fiscal cliff" deadline edges closer, it's getting trickier for President Barack Obama to balance his public pressure campaign on Republicans with his private negotiations with GOP leaders.
The White House is loath to abandon its two-pronged strategy. Advisers see both elements as key to winning concessions from Republicans on taxes and reaching a deal to avert the series of year-end tax hikes and spending cuts.
