There was more squabbling in Washington on Thursday as the nation prepared to go over the latest fiscal cliff � $85 billion in budget cuts.

The White House defended days of warnings about the so-called �sequester.� Press Secretary Jay Carney stressed that thousands of Americans will soon feel the effects, CBS 2?s Jessica Schneider reported.

�The effects of sequester will be real,� Carney said. �Ask the family whose child will not have a slot in Head Start if they think it�s real. Ask the civilian defense department employee who�s already gotten notification that � he or she will be furloughed.�

Here in New York, it would mean deep cuts to many things, including senior centers and hot meals for the elderly, CBS 2�s Marcia Kramer reported.

�Don�t starve our seniors,� Councilwoman Jessica Lapin (D-Manhattan).

That was the emotional plea from Lapin, who said New York City�s elderly population would be devastated if the budget cuts known as �sequester� go into effect.

They include:

* 136,000 meals for the home-bound elderly would be on the chopping block

* 261,000 fewer meals service at senior centers this year

* 106 senior centers might have to close

And with time running out for a way to avoid the budget cuts � they go into effect at 12:01 a.m. � President Barack Obama began softening his rhetoric about the impact.

�This is not a cliff, but it�s a tumble downward,� the president said.

Still, he said the cuts will hurt.

�This is going to be a big hit on the economy,� Obama said.

And Congress being Congress, there was squabbling and dysfunction on Friday. On the one hand a Senate bill called for tax hikes; on the other a House bill offered a different way to apportion the cuts, but without a tax increase. Both were dead on arrival.

Both sides seem to agree on just one thing: the cuts will go into effect Friday.

(Source: WCBSTV)