Obama presses Congress to avoid shutdownWASHINGTON (AP) — Prodded by an insistent President Barack Obama, Congress' top two lawmakers sought to reinvigorate compromise talks Tuesday aimed at cutting tens of billions in federal spending and averting a partial government shutdown Friday at midnight.There was at least a hint of flexibility, accompanied by sharply partisan attacks and an outburst of shutdown brinksmanship.According to Democrats, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, suggested at a White House meeting that fellow Republicans might be able to accept a deal with $40 billion in cuts. That's more than negotiators had been eyeing but less than the House seeks.The speaker's office declined comment, and Boehner issued a statement saying, "We can still avoid a shutdown, but Democrats are going to need to get serious about cutting spending - and soon."For his part, Senate Majority leader Harry Reid sounded an accusatory note. "I hope the Republicans do what the country needs, not what they believe the tea party wants," he said at the Capitol"I mean, it seems that every step we take, it's something just to poke us in the eye," he said.Boehner and Reid met privately later in the day.