Speaker Boehner spotted 'having a good time' downing margaritas and Mexican food hours after White House fiscal cliff meeting

A witness told MailOnline about John Boehner's night out Friday
Drinks came hours after he left tense Oval Office meeting
Meanwhile Senator leaders met all day Saturday to try and hash out a plan

PUBLISHED: 17:09 EST, 29 December 2012 | UPDATED: 10:11 EST, 30 December 2012

In the midst of a grueling, final-hour push by Congress to rescue the economy from the looming fiscal cliff, House Speaker John Boehner sought brief reprieve with an evening of margaritas and Mexican fare in Arlington, a source told Mail Online.

Dressed in a festive, bright red sweater, a cheery Boehner arrived through a side door at Guapo's in Shirlington around 7:15 p.m. Friday - about three hours after he left stone-faced from a meeting at the White House with other congressional leaders and President Obama - according to a diner who happened to arrive at the restaurant around the same time.

Accompanying Boehner to his table Friday were about six men - all security detail - who stood behind him for about 30 seconds and then sat down at a table nearby, said the diner, who works in government and said she wished to remain anonymous.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, was spotted at Guapo's Restaurant in Arlington Friday evening drinking margaritas with a group of three

After his night at Guapo's, Boehner returned to Capitol Hill, where senators were working on a solution to avert the fiscal cliff

Boehner was drinking margaritas while most of his party - two men and one woman - were drinking beer and sangria, the source said.

They were all chomping on chips and salsa at the table.

Other diners in the restaurant recognized the House Speaker and approached his table to say hello, the source noted.

Boehner was 'very friendly to anyone that went up and spoke to him,' she said.

Despite the long weekend of work ahead of him, 'He and his group were laughing and having a good time,' the source said.

Several times throughout the evening Boehner stepped outside - through the side door - to take smoke breaks with some of his security detail, she added.

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'We saw him walking out when we were leaving at 8:30,' she said. 'We passed two of his detail driving away then so we assumed he was leaving for the night, but it could have just been another smoke break.'

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Senate leaders were working feverishly in private for a last-hour budget solution that could prevent the fiscal cliff - a package of tax increases for the middle class tax and deep spending cuts - from being triggered at dawn on New Year's Day.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, are trying to find a solution in time for votes Sunday night by both houses.

Whatever manages to pass in the Senate, with its Democratic majority, would then face a second test in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Boehner arrived at the restaurant through a side door about three hours after he left a White House meeting on the fiscal cliff, and he'd changed out of his work clothes and into a festive red sweater

Boehner and his party at Guapo's were 'laughing and having a good time' - a far cry from how he appeared after his meeting at the White House hours earlier

Boehner, a Republican speaker who has struggled recently with anti-tax rebels inside his own party, said through an aide that he would await the results of the talks between the Senate and White House.

With the deadline for action fast approaching, Obama reiterated his demand for Congress to strike a deal that would prevent taxes from rising on the middle class.

'It's a balanced plan — one that would protect the middle class, cut spending in a responsible way, and ask the wealthiest Americans to pay a little more,' Obama said in his weekly radio address.

'And I'll keep working with anybody who's serious about getting a comprehensive plan like this done — because it's the right thing to do for our economic growth.'

Obama is expected to renew his demands during a rare appearance on NBC's 'Meet the Press' on Sunday.

In a rebuttal to Obama on Saturday, Republicans held their ground on their view of how the fiscal cliff should be resolved.

'The president's proposal to raise taxes on the top 2 percent of Americans won't even pay one-third of the annual interest that's now owed on this massive $16 trillion debt,' Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, said. 'We still can avoid going over the fiscal cliff if the president and the Democrat-controlled Senate step forward this week and work with Republicans to solve this problem and solve it now.'

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Get over it people. There is no difference between either party.

- texas fin , Houston USA, 30/12/2012 22:11

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I personally feel that the very wealthy should pay their fair share in taxes!! They pay less than my husband and I who pay 37% on our investments so why shouldn't they pay the same on their investments. The GOP needs to keep the tax ceiling where it is or all of their campaign backers will leave them, well you know what if my husband and I can pay our taxes at the going tax rate then so can everyone else!!!! All of you spouting off about not wanting the taxes raised, I assume are in the $250,000 and over bracket????? If not, then you don't have a dog in this fight if you make less than $250,000 a year your taxes will not go up!! End of story. We are in a much higher tax bracket and we do not mind paying out taxes, after all it's the American way! Put the taxes back up on the wealthy, leave the taxes alone for the middle class (this is Obamas stand) if you say anything different you are wrong, sorry!!

- Over this , GA, United States, 30/12/2012 22:03

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It's a crime because he's holding things up and enjoying it. Why, cause nothing they pass will effect him or them cause they are exempt from a lot that we suffer through

- msmickied , southern belle, 30/12/2012 21:59

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Whats your point here? I am a taxpayer willing to go over the cliff, and i was out partying all day and night yesterday!!

- navyborn , Cherry Hill NJ USA, 30/12/2012 21:59

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We lost billions on this stupid war. That's why we are struggling!!!!! End that and we would be find.

- msmickied , southern belle, 30/12/2012 21:57

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To Resident, somewhere in America.....nice diatribe. Read a book yourself. Socialism: (in Marxist theory) A transitional social state between the overthrow of capitalism and the realization of communism. Obama has already covered your definition of socialism: GM....remember? Obamacare, for another.

- Becca , Texas, 30/12/2012 21:29

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Sorry but why would we be interested in how a politician spends his leisure time?

- slybele , colorado, 30/12/2012 20:00

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Obamanation!!! Socialist, progressive, liberal, tax and spend, take from me and give to another, blame someone else, media controlled bias, government dependency. Nope sorry, not for me. Ill keep my money, my guns, and my values.

- RightWingDad , usa, 30/12/2012 19:55

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NO BUDGET and there is STILL not enough money for obama to spend!! UNBELIEVABLE. We "must" raise the taxes on the rich to feed obama's spending problem!! To top it off, it's the republican's fault for standing in the way of obama's spending! If it weren't TRUE, it would be hilarious!

- SaySo , Here, 30/12/2012 19:45

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This taxation makes as much sense as having to pay a different amount for a food order at a restaurant based on how much you can afford. It's illogical and will serve as a disincentive, because you get penalized for success.

- Disgusted , Hereandthere, 30/12/2012 19:19

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