Mitch McConnell introduces a plan which would give Obama the power to raise the debt ceiling without congressional approval
File this story in either the “what the hell is he thinking” category or the “doesn’t he understand what the election was about” category. Last November the voters sent Barack Obama a message, and that message was that we are sick and tired of the out of control spending in Washington.
We sent the Republicans to Washington to reign in Barack Obama’s spending and this debt ceiling debate gives the Republicans the chance to force the Obama regime to make spending cuts. The negotiations have stalled as Republicans hold firm to their no new taxes pledge to the American people, so what is Mitch McConnell’s brilliant idea? To give Barack Obama the power to raise the debt ceiling without debate and on his own unless 2/3 of the House and Senate vote to veto him.
The American people elected (McConnell) to serve as a check on Obama’s appetite for out-of-control spending, not to write him a blank check to continue the binge,” said conservative activist L. Brent Bozell. “It’s these sort of shenanigans that got Republicans thrown out of power in 2006.”
That is exactly right! If this proposal ever became law the Republican party as we know it will never again be trusted by the American people and will be relegated to obscurity in the manner in which the Whigs were in the 1850’s; this will be the end of the party. Mitch McConnell is basically giving the president a blank check and we have already seen this president’s lust for spending, does anyone really think this is a good idea?
In all likelihood this proposal has no chance of becoming law, but while the Republicans have thus far remained united this can only help to undercut their efforts and provide the Democrats with fodder as the debate moves forward. The Republicans need to hold firm and force the president to be the one who has to make the tough decision; either accept the Republican proposal or accept responsibility for letting the United States default, the last thing they needed at this time was a proposal that would give Barack Obama a blank check.
What the hell was he thinking?!
America's Watchtower 
The man has obviously taken leave of his senses. Given Obama’s past history of spend, spend, spend, it escapes me as to how this could be considered a good idea by anyone with a modicum of conservative values. It’s like giving a fox the keys to the hen house.
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I can’t for the life of me figure out what he was thinking. He is now backing away from this proposal but the damage has already been done.
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This is just a method to avoid default. Obama can only spend what Congress allows, with or without a ceiling. I think the president will not accept responsibility for letting the United States default, and Americans will not blame him given his proposed compromise, it will be blamed on Republicans if it happens. That could easily put the 2012 election in trouble for Republicans.
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If the Republicans do not play this right they will be in trouble in 2012. If they back down they will lose the Tea Party and that would be disasterous for them.
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These morons cannot even pass the freakin light bulb bill. Apparently, the GOP cannot count, nor know how to pass a bill. They brought this bill up by the method of “suspension of the rules”, thus requiring a two thirds approval as opposed to a simple majority which could have passed by going throught the regular process. Didn’t anyone check to see if they had the votes? I give up.
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Sometimes you have to wonder if they have a clue and this is one of those times. Please do not give up yet, we need to keep fighting!
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The United States, due to a technical/administrative error, defaulted on about $120 billion of its bonds for a day in 1979, that accident led to a discernible increase in the cost of servicing all American debt by about 6 tenths of one percent.
I don’t know whether payments to Social Security recipients and Medicare providers will be throttled, but I’m confident that even a single day’s default will have a dramatic impact on the cost of money both for government and the rest of us. The politicians are talking about the cost to government of default – I’m worried about the cost to average Americans, those needing to get a house or a car. Money spent servicing debt is money not spent on food and other necessities, and it’s money not tucked away for retirement.
McConnell’s solution is practical and pragmatic. It lets the GOP off the hook politically, and it acknowledges the inherent wrongness of a Congress telling the administration to go spend money that isn’t there, and prohibiting borrowing. Honestly speaking, I’m pretty impressed with McConnell’s creativity and his ability to craft a compromise outside the box.
Otherwise, the whole debt limit ceiling “debate” is just a cynical scam being perpetrated on the American people.
Take good care and may God bless us all.
TGY
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Well said.
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I heard several Republicans on the radio today admitting that the debt ceiling had to be raised for reasons you stated. In the end it will be raised, the only question is who is seen as the victors. You are right about this being a huge game and it is the American people who are swinging in the breeze.
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Obama himself is a scary thought. Obama with a blank check takes fright into the stratosphere.
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I know it scares the hell out of me!
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I’m seeing some of the same differences of opinion at my site. Interesting.
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It is interesting to see how this proposal is being debated. I heard a few Republican leaders on the radio claiming that this proposal was a good idea because it puts the issue squarly in Obama’s hands, as TGY said above, but the thought of Obama with a blank check is scary to me.
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I haven’t the foggiest notion of what that man was thinking.
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I guess the theory is this; this will put the ball in Obama’s court and the Republicans can wash their hands from this if Obama fails, Obama will own it, but I simply do not think this will benefit the Republicans at all.
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I see it this way: it is very likely the economy will still stink just as bad, or worse, in a year, and that is what the election will swing on. If there’s any chance the Republicans can be seen as having made the economy worse it could ruin the election. McConnell is simply trying to unlink the ceiling debate from the larger issues of deficits and debt. That doesn’t mean he concedes those issues on all fronts, just on the ceiling debate.
He’s willing to lose this battle to win the war – I think it’s a shrewd move. Obama positioned himself very well in the public eye by offering up a big deal. Exactly as you say – let Obama own it. I think it will come back to bite him in the a$$.
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It very well could play out the way you say but if the Republicans are seen as having caved in on their promises–and actually expand Obama’s power–I don’t see how they will recover from it in 2012 regardless of how the economy is doing.
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I have serious reservations about expanding the power of a President who clearly has very little use for our constitution. I mean we’re talking about a man that is using the power of EOs to bypass the congress and the constitution. Why would we even consider expanding his powers?
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A good point, Obama has no problem expanding the power of the federal government without the GOP’s help, why would they help him along on this issue?!
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Consider the purpose and intent of the debt ceiling. It has become meaningless, as it has been raised 75 times in 50 years. If the debt ceiling had a true function, how did we get where we are. Suddenly it has a meaningful purpose again?
Imagine if your credit card company gave you a billion dollar credit limit. You would know you were broke, and paying interest through the nose, well before you hit the limit. We all know the country is broke and needs help, but there is a question of defaulting or not. Why would we default by choice at this point? If you look solely at the advantages and disadvantages of a default, and who it hurts, how will a default help our economy and increase revenues? All it will mean is more damage, and a longer road to recovery and debt reduction.
We are not Greece (yet) – we still have choices. Is giving Obama the ability to raise the debt ceiling by $2 trillion really giving him new powers? I don’t think so. It is giving him imaginary powers that might easily be turned back against him politically. It is one step back to take two steps forward.
“A ‘real solution’ to U.S. fiscal problems isn’t possible as long as President Barack Obama remains in office.” I can’t argue with that.
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I agree, there can be no real solution until Obama is gone, and I am seeing a growing number of conservatives taking the same position as you are on McConnell’s proposal. Perhaps there is something to this idea, but the thought of the Congress giving up their constitutional authority to the president is something that I simply cannot support.
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What “Constitutional authority” is the Congress giving up? The so-called “debt ceiling” wasn’t a part of Congressional activity until the early 1900s! I can’t think of any other nation that has one – that is, a legislatively-mandated limit on the extent to which the executive may borrow to meet legislated spending.
What do they expect the executive to do – hold bake sales to raise the money it’s mandated to spend?
Or is it the case that the Congress “just can’t help itself” when it comes to passing spending bills, and must somehow coerce the executive into making the hard decisions on what spending to continue and what to cut?
The executive borrows when there’s a shortfall of money in the till – it doesn’t make up its own spending agenda, but is expected to make those expenditures Congress authorizes.
What kind of hypocrisy is it to say “Go spend $5 billion on this program – oh, by the way, we know there’s only a billion dollars in the till, but you can only borrow $2 billion.”
Speaking of Constitutional authority, has anyone here considered the Constitutionality of the Congress directing the executive not to honor debt? How does such action square with the terms of the 14th Amendment?
Take good care, and may God bless us all!
TGY
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How long did it take for McConnell to go RINO? 1.2 seconds? why are some of them caving? and why is there such a “movement” among consevatives that they think that Obama is a lock in 2012? MSM influence? it’s kind of freaking me out…
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I have also thought that Obama is probably going to win re-election, but the truth is that if this economy continues to go downhill it will be very tough for him to win.
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There is also a good argument to be made that as important as debt reduction is, the economy should be the top priority, even for the debt-hawks of the tea party. Default should not be on the table as an option for that reason. If an environment for job creation can be fostered then tax revenues can increase without tax rates increasing. But again, I don’t see how that happens with Obama in office.
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