Boehner wants another debt-ceiling showdown. Ezra:
So of course Boehner will try and use the debt ceiling as leverage again. And again. And again. It’s pretty clear that, at this point, there’s no going back to the time when debt-ceiling increases came smoothly. If I were the market, I’d take the fact that the leader of one of the two parties has publicly said that he “welcomes” debt-ceiling showdowns as evidence that the United States is almost certain to default on its debt — if only temporarily — within the next decade or so.
The question is what, aside from complain, Democrats and the business community will do to stop him. Somehow, the debt ceiling needs to be taken off the table once and for all, either because Republicans forced a default in a way that they were blamed for the consequences and scared into never doing it again or because the president successfully pulled off one of the more creative maneuvers suggested during last year’s showdown (Bill Clinton, for instance, argued that Obama should invoke the Fourteenth Amendment — which says “the validity of the public debt of the United States … shall not be questioned” — to raise the debt ceiling unilaterally).
“Net neutrality” and the Republicans (Capitalists). The Republicans want the tax percentage on earned and unearned income lowered and all deductions eliminated. But only if all that lowering and eliminating results in tax “net neutrality.” Meaning that in the end the same amount in taxes would be collected as were collected to begin with. “Net neutrality.” The Republicans want to apply this same scheme when raising the debt ceiling. Boehner wants budget cuts in the same amount that the debt ceiling is raised. They call that “net neutrality.” But, it isn’t really unless you say it fast. If you cut the budget (not spend) by $1.2 trillion dollars and you raise the debt ceiling by $1.2 trillion dollars it sounds fantastic. Except that if you don’t spend that $1.2 trillion dollars in the first place (Boehner’s budget cuts) why would you need to raise the debt ceiling at all? The whole concept of economic “net neutrality” is a Republican (Capitalist) exercise in smoke and mirrors.
that Obama should … raise the debt ceiling unilaterally
Unilaterally? Obama? Do something more than vote “present” and fork over cash to big campaign contributors? /*Hysterical laughter ensues*/
In all seriousness? I think he’s delighted to have the Repubs be loose cannons. Watch his poll numbers inch up the more they act like toddlers with scissors.
Who was it who said you can only be conned if you want to be?