Obama to Hill: Fiscal cliff is 'urgent business'

The roadblocks to a deal may come from Obama's left flank as much as they do from his conservative GOP rivals. Liberal Democrats are adamant that the measure not touch Social Security or raise the eligibility age for Medicare. Both ideas were in the mix when Obama negotiated with Boehner last summer, but top Senate Democrat Reid insists that ideas like a lower inflation adjustment for Social Security are off the table now.

On Friday afternoon, Obama will continue his efforts to build a coalition of support for his position when he and Vice President Joe Biden meet with leaders of civil rights and other organizations. The president has already met with leaders of labor and liberal organizations as well as corporate CEOs who have backed his call for greater tax revenue.

Associated Press writer Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this report.