McCarthy will be hoist by his own petard. In order to become speaker he had to agree that a single member could call for a vote to have him removed. If Biden can find a few reasonable souls amongst the GOP and pull them into his fold, some MAGA hardliner will invoke that clause. That puts the Dems basically back in charge of determining if Kevin keeps the job he will do anything to keep. Biden has been playing these games for decades - how’s that negotiation working out, Kev?
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They’ve been taking notes and advice from Manchin.
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“We have never offered something different than we talked about the entire time.”
Hey, Kevin. That’s not *negotiating.” That’s a two year-old throwing a tantrum. (With apologies to all two year-olds.)
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No, this is the big problem with invoking the 14th or minting a trillion dollar coin. There will be an immediate court challenge from the House, on the basis of the Executive branch abrogating Congress’ authority to borrow money on US credit.
If the due date for lifting the debt limit passes and it’s still being dragged out in the courts, the financial markets aren’t going to wait for it to be appealed and pushed up to SCOTUS. The world economy will crash on the uncertainty. Maybe as badly as if we default, because it would be a de facto default until resolved. This is what Biden is saying here, although the phrasing is clumsy:
“The question is, could it be done and invoked in time that it would not be appealed, and as a consequence past the date in question and still default on the debt. That is a question that I think is unresolved.”
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It’s a hard line to walk if you actually support a free press.
Holding the press accountable – fact checking their bothsidesism, for example – can easily slip into seeking license for your partisans or the naked authoritarianism found behind cries of, “Fake news!”
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He really should seek therapy as it is.
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Agreed - I suspect the narrative they’re going for is that President Biden tried to negotiate in good faith but GOP unAmerican, pro-wealth extremism blocked a deal. So, reluctantly, because he takes his oath of office & duty to the well-being of the US seriously, he’s invoking the 14th.
This approach also “preps the ground” for the 2024 budget battles. Republicans were hoping to use their debt ceiling budget caps as cover for gutting programs Americans care about. They can still try to cut these programs in the budget, but they will have to put their intent in writing. And the Senate version of the budget will also help to highlight Republican budget extremism…
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Why is Biden not hammering on the fact that the debt limit is not the budget negotiations? And since many of these @$$#oles were in Congress and voted on the budget that they contend has caused the problem, why are they complaining NOW? They are the ones who approved the spending…not the president.
If there is a rightwingnut who understands how the government works, and who does what, would they please stand up? Thought so.
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I believe that he has. The only problem is that we might get the two merged, which will not solve anything. It will just make the annual budget do or die.
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"All four congressional leaders agree with me that default is not an option.’
Great, why am I reading this for the first time. I think many would like to have known this
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You are right, of course.
There are always limits…even to “good guys and gals”.
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The problem is that two of those leaders (if I am counting properly) think that the answer to not defaulting is giving them all of their toys.
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The legislative branch required the money be spent and the executive branch has done so. That the legislative branch did not require the executive branch to collect enough revenue to cover the spending isn’t really the executive branch’s fault, is it?
The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
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My beef with the Dems has always been their decision not to go after the Press more energetically
It’s like an abusive relationship where the abused keeps going back. Reagan was smart enough to go ‘directly to the American people’ instead of letting the media determine what he really said - before then letting us shulbs know. I think the president might be doing the same here. Maybe.
(so much going on)
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Perhaps we are seeing why Biden opened negotiations. He knew they would fail because of extreme GOP demands and he and his administration look better for having tried.
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I have wondered that myself. If so, it was a risky tactic, but politics (especially these days) is a risky business. It is not for the faint of heart. It will be judged on the final hand when the cards are spread out on the table.
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How on earth could there be MORE lawsuits if Biden invokes the 14th Amendment than the blizzard of lawsuits that will inevitably ensue if default occurs and creditors line up in federal bankruptcy court?
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It’s hard to argue with that logic. The simpler the better.
My gosh! It almost fits on a bumper sticker!
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Let’s be clear. It’s not just “possible,” it’s reality that the Freedom Caucus is eager to cause a default. These people are delusional warriors in that they believe they will benefit from a default catastrophe. They just don’t care about the damage to the U.S. and the world that will be done.
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Agreed…Note the location from which Biden is making the proclamation I cite below (from the article)… and to whom (All the World Tuning In).
There is nothing that Biden can do to stop the MSM from continuing to Both/Sides this for McCarthy…however, the entire planet is on to McCarthy and his Hostage-Taking…
BIDEN:
[“Now it’s time for the other side to move from their extreme positions, because much of what they’ve already proposed is simply, quite frankly, unacceptable,” Biden said at a Sunday press conference in Hiroshima, Japan where he has been attending the G7 Summit.
“I’m not going to agree to a deal that protects wealth tax cheats and crypto traders while putting food assistance at risk for nearly 1 million Americans,” Biden continued. “It is time for Republicans to accept that there is no bipartisan deal to be made solely on their partisan terms. They have to move as well. All four congressional leaders agree with me that default is not an option. And I expect each of these leaders to live up to that commitment.”]
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