Caterpillar Inc. CEO Douglas Oberhelman, left, walks with Merck & Co. CEO Ken Frazier and Archer Daniels Midland CEO Patricia Woertz, obscured, as they arrive at the White House to attend a meeting of business leaders with President Barack Obama and Vice President Biden at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles, co-chair of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, is pursued by reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012, following a closed-door meeting House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. pauses as he meet with reporters on Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012, following a Democratic strategy session. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Optimism that a budget deal will be reached in Washington sent stocks modestly higher Thursday. A pair of economic reports also brightened the mood. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 36.71 points to close at 13,021.82. The stock market took a brief turn lower when …
