THE BURNED OVER DISTRICT

This one at the reactionary extremist caucus that forced his sorry ass out of the Speaker's Chair. If he succeeds, it would be the only success he can hang on the wall of his den when he gets home.

The White House and congressional Republican leaders are close to reaching a bipartisan two-year budget agreement, rolling back some of the impending sequester cuts that would affect defense and domestic programs, sources said Monday.

A deal, which might be announced as soon as Monday, could resolve the stalemate over reauthorizing government funding, which runs out Dec. 11. It would also shift the threat of another government shutdown until after the 2016 presidential election.

Progress toward a budget accord came as a surprise to many. It would be one of the final legislative actions of House Speaker John A. Boehner, who is preparing to step down later this week after being forced by GOP conservatives to retire early.

“We’re hopeful to have something to announce tonight,” said a senior congressional leadership aide, granted anonymity to discuss the private negotiations.

After announcing his retirement, Boehner had vowed to "clean up the barn" for his successor. Resolving the budget standoff would clear one of the most divisive issues from the agenda of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who is expected to be elected as the next House speaker later this week.

The more Boehner can muscle through the testy GOP-led House in the days ahead, the smoother the transition will be for Ryan.

Boehner is also trying to wrap up an agreement on the debt ceiling, and House Republican leaders have said they expect a vote on raising the debt limit later this week. The debt ceiling bill remained on a separate track from the budget deal, the aide said, but both could come to a vote in a matter of days.

He will need a lot of Democrats, probably all of them to overcome the paucity of willing Republicans.