Budget talks: This is getting nasty

More calls from Democrats for Obama to invoke the 14th Amendment:

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DEBT_SHOWDOWN_AMENDMENT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

I know Obama would rather have a Congressional solution, because it will then have more buy-in and support from political leaders and the American people (in theory). But maybe it's time for him to find the Democratic John Yoo, or hire Yoo himself, to find a way to make an airtight argument that the President can do whatever the hell he wants. At the least, that heads off default, or any threat of it.

I also think it's far more politically palatable than if Obama had invoked the 14th even a week or two ago. At that point, the political winds were blowing in the direction that such an action would be a sign that Obama demanded a blank check. However, I think now, given the direction polls are heading, it'll be seen as a sign of sanity -- especially if Obama follows by immediately restarting negotiations on reducing the deficit/debt.

And if Obama restarts those negotiations, and goes on a nationwide tour telling people what he wants, why he wants it, and why it's good for the U.S. Obama actually seems shyer than other presidents in hitting the road, campaign-style, to get people riled up for what he wants.

 

Obama is willing to lawyer shop. He did so to justify the military operations in Libya without seeking Congressional approval. So, he can find his John Yoo if he wants to.

And, while I could still see him doing it at the last minute, I don't think he wants to or will.

If he was going to go that route, he should have, and would have, signaled it already. This would have let the "Tea Party" know that they wouldn't be able to drive the car off the cliff.

Maybe it would have brought them to the table.

He's all but ruled it out -- and he's done so based on legal opinions. If he did it now, he'd really open himself up to criticism.

 

Oh, he definitely doesn't want to. From The New York Times: “I have talked to my lawyers,” Mr. Obama said. “They are not persuaded that that is a winning argument.”

However, that doesn't mean he won't. Using the 14th Amendment would be unprecedented, and though it would solve the immediate problem, I'm sure the first thing that would happen is Tea Partiers storming to the nearest courtroom to sue. In that case, would U.S. debt be seen as unstable because, ultimately, the issue of a debt ceiling is not really resolved?

At the least, Obama won't use the 14th Amendment until there are votes on the Boehner and Reid plans.
We all know both won't pass, but Obama can't justify butting in with presidential fiat, constitutionally protected or otherwise, unless everything is officially dead.

 

Obama's biggest mistake in this mess is thinking the tea partiers would be reasonable. You can't negotiate with those unwilling to do so.

 

He's been stabbed in the back by so many GOPers, I'm starting to feel sorry for the guy.

 

Is the problem that there isn't any leadership in Washington or that there aren't enough followers?

 

The deficit issue, in other words, is the equivalent of threatening to move your football team to Los Angeles. You do things in the name of that to get all the perks you REALLY want.

 

President: We can find a way to co-exist. Can there be a peace between us?
Alien: Peace? NO PEACE!
President: What is it you want us to do?
Alien: Die... DIEEEEEEEEEEEE

A left-wing equivalent to the teabagger position would be immediate complete nationalization of health care, massive increases in SS/MC benefits, instantaneous creation of a federal jobs program to guarantee 100% employment, mass prosecutions of Wall Street banksters, fire-drill military evacuation from the middle east, and return to the 91% top-level tax rates of the 1950s.

 

Sarah Palin says the president is "fear-mongering"

Noted without comment.

 

Awesome. Hadn't heard anything out of Caribou Bimbo lately.

 

It's all pretend arithmetic. The next big deal is the gasoline tax, which expires on Sept. 30. WHATEVER the size of the deficit, no way the House passes it again. Any "savings" in a debt ceiling bill will be immediately wiped out, and no one will care.