I took a brief break from gardening to provide my perspective on the reports of stalled negotiations between President Joe Biden and Kevin McCarthy over increasing the debt limit. I answer the following questions: What is the debt ceiling? Why has it become a crisis?
President Biden should not give one inch. Invoke the 14th Amendment and declare the debt ceiling unconstitutional and continue to pay the nation's bills. The Constitution plainly states that public debt of the United States, authorized by law. . . shall not be questioned. Prof. Lawrence Tribe explained better than I could why the debt ceiling is illegal and unconstitutional. Biden should not give into the MAGA terrorists. They just want to see what they can get. The answer should be NOTHING!!!
Ever the optimist I voted for Joe Biden because of his experience, especially with coming to consensus in sticky situation. I expect he will do just that with the crazies in the House who are holding all of us hostage. I sure don’t want him to give in to the magas! I sure hope he doesn’t.
You ask the question Who’s to blame? I’ve been thinking about this a lot since reading your May 22 entry. Since then I’ve been asking myself what kind of people are we who seem to just shrug about this vile and unconstitutional and contrived situation. What kind of leaders (ok they’re not leaders at all) play such a game with peoples lives? What kind of religious leaders don’t call this whole thing immoral, sinful, unethical. Why aren’t hordes of us breaking down the gates of the capital to say what kind of pathetic, spineless, pitiful, selfish, often lying elected officials hold these seats. I’ve heard educated voices say, well if we invoke the 14th amendment it’ll go to court for years. Well fucking let it. I can read and it’s clear to me. This is what brave people do rather than let the people of this country pay painfully for this hostage taking. For it will go on forever. As many have said the Washington Post needs to get rid of its tag line, Democracy dies in darkness. It’s dying in front of our eyes as we watch. Watch “The Movement and the Madman” and see how it was done to slay the lying dragons who relished their warmongering roll of that time. So glad I’m old.
Have to assume there is no way Biden’s best alternative to a negotiated agreement is default. I fully expect the Biden team to completely outclass, outthink, outmaneuver Kevin Mc Carthy and his ilk.
I’m so angry. I was born in 1970. Grew up with nomadic hippy mostly absent parents & poor. I’ve been on my own since I was 17 and I had an incredibly hard young life trying to find a pathway to make it in this world of ours. It was rough, but I am not complaining. I wouldn’t change any of it. The struggles, pain, fear, and worry made me the woman I am today. I’m 52 now and my children are in their early 20s. They are all good people. I have been fortunate, I paid my own way through nursing school, then my Master’s, earned well and socked all I could away maxing out my 401K since I was 26 so my children would never have to worry about money to care for me in my old age.
Who do they think they are to toy with all of our life’s hard work, blood, sweat & tears like this? I’m disgusted. How shameful. Do these people not have friends or family to tell them to knock this shit off? (Excuse the profanity, in this instance I think it’s warranted.)
Steve, I’m so thankful for you and all that you do! Your perspective understanding and experience is a greatly needed voice in today’s landscape so thank you for all that you do! I look forward to your content immensely, and you are my only paid subscription on Substack. And, your incredible perspective and voice is being drowned out by you’re very sub par audio. Please please work on your audio issues get a good microphone, and have it closer to your mouth.
Newt Gingrich is to blame. This is the latest phase in the natural progression of his spectacle-and-fear brand of political one-upsmanship. There’s no end to the childishness when shame no longer exists.
sigh. I don't do podcasts so you may have made this point. But if not:
At first I was disappointed in Biden's agreeing to "negotiate" because it seemed like a cave-in in a hostage situation. Now I'm not so sure. I think it is quite savvy, strategically.
He has a clear view of what McCarthy CAN do given his caucus. All he has to do is offer something less--which isn't hard and is perfectly reasonable. If McCarthy bites, fine. But more likely this will hit default--and now the blame game begins.
What would the public, who still mixes up the debt ceiling with the budget and the debt with the deficit, think if we plunged into chaos or near chaos (pending adjudication of a 14th Amendment action) while Biden took a "no negotiation" stance? If things get bad who would it blame? But the "I've negotiated in good faith and you haven't" line has a least great potential for switching the blame game back to the GOP where it belongs. Neither the House nor Biden "got things done" but Biden has made a very good show of trying.
2024 is IMPORTANT, folks.
I'm also distressed by the infection of liberals on this matter by the deadly "either/or" "on/off" thought pattern. EITHER Biden holds to non-negotiable (which by rights it should be) OR he's a complete cave in betraying the Dems in favor of the Freedom Caucus. That's not the way it is. Liberals really should recognize that any complicated problem comes in all shades of grey.
"OK, I'll agree to cut X (something small) if you agree to cut tax loopholes, particularly things like fossil fuel subsidies." That sounds like a bargain, actually. And of course, he knows he knows they'll never agree, so again in public he has made a reasonable offer and been rejected by the "my way or the highway" GOP.
The debt ceiling is an archaic remnant of bygone times and shouldn't be a thing, and the delusional, opportunistic and manipulative GOP believes us as a body to be dull and suggestible; it is high time we circumvent that lot.
Steve, great piece! Would like your take on the background play House Democrats have been working and would love your take on if POTUS could invoke the 14th Amendment and if that has a chance to succeed with a court fight sure to be brought by the maga loons and buffoons.
President Biden should not give one inch. Invoke the 14th Amendment and declare the debt ceiling unconstitutional and continue to pay the nation's bills. The Constitution plainly states that public debt of the United States, authorized by law. . . shall not be questioned. Prof. Lawrence Tribe explained better than I could why the debt ceiling is illegal and unconstitutional. Biden should not give into the MAGA terrorists. They just want to see what they can get. The answer should be NOTHING!!!
Ever the optimist I voted for Joe Biden because of his experience, especially with coming to consensus in sticky situation. I expect he will do just that with the crazies in the House who are holding all of us hostage. I sure don’t want him to give in to the magas! I sure hope he doesn’t.
You ask the question Who’s to blame? I’ve been thinking about this a lot since reading your May 22 entry. Since then I’ve been asking myself what kind of people are we who seem to just shrug about this vile and unconstitutional and contrived situation. What kind of leaders (ok they’re not leaders at all) play such a game with peoples lives? What kind of religious leaders don’t call this whole thing immoral, sinful, unethical. Why aren’t hordes of us breaking down the gates of the capital to say what kind of pathetic, spineless, pitiful, selfish, often lying elected officials hold these seats. I’ve heard educated voices say, well if we invoke the 14th amendment it’ll go to court for years. Well fucking let it. I can read and it’s clear to me. This is what brave people do rather than let the people of this country pay painfully for this hostage taking. For it will go on forever. As many have said the Washington Post needs to get rid of its tag line, Democracy dies in darkness. It’s dying in front of our eyes as we watch. Watch “The Movement and the Madman” and see how it was done to slay the lying dragons who relished their warmongering roll of that time. So glad I’m old.
Have to assume there is no way Biden’s best alternative to a negotiated agreement is default. I fully expect the Biden team to completely outclass, outthink, outmaneuver Kevin Mc Carthy and his ilk.
I’m so angry. I was born in 1970. Grew up with nomadic hippy mostly absent parents & poor. I’ve been on my own since I was 17 and I had an incredibly hard young life trying to find a pathway to make it in this world of ours. It was rough, but I am not complaining. I wouldn’t change any of it. The struggles, pain, fear, and worry made me the woman I am today. I’m 52 now and my children are in their early 20s. They are all good people. I have been fortunate, I paid my own way through nursing school, then my Master’s, earned well and socked all I could away maxing out my 401K since I was 26 so my children would never have to worry about money to care for me in my old age.
Who do they think they are to toy with all of our life’s hard work, blood, sweat & tears like this? I’m disgusted. How shameful. Do these people not have friends or family to tell them to knock this shit off? (Excuse the profanity, in this instance I think it’s warranted.)
Steve, I’m so thankful for you and all that you do! Your perspective understanding and experience is a greatly needed voice in today’s landscape so thank you for all that you do! I look forward to your content immensely, and you are my only paid subscription on Substack. And, your incredible perspective and voice is being drowned out by you’re very sub par audio. Please please work on your audio issues get a good microphone, and have it closer to your mouth.
Newt Gingrich is to blame. This is the latest phase in the natural progression of his spectacle-and-fear brand of political one-upsmanship. There’s no end to the childishness when shame no longer exists.
Manufactured Lunacy
sigh. I don't do podcasts so you may have made this point. But if not:
At first I was disappointed in Biden's agreeing to "negotiate" because it seemed like a cave-in in a hostage situation. Now I'm not so sure. I think it is quite savvy, strategically.
He has a clear view of what McCarthy CAN do given his caucus. All he has to do is offer something less--which isn't hard and is perfectly reasonable. If McCarthy bites, fine. But more likely this will hit default--and now the blame game begins.
What would the public, who still mixes up the debt ceiling with the budget and the debt with the deficit, think if we plunged into chaos or near chaos (pending adjudication of a 14th Amendment action) while Biden took a "no negotiation" stance? If things get bad who would it blame? But the "I've negotiated in good faith and you haven't" line has a least great potential for switching the blame game back to the GOP where it belongs. Neither the House nor Biden "got things done" but Biden has made a very good show of trying.
2024 is IMPORTANT, folks.
I'm also distressed by the infection of liberals on this matter by the deadly "either/or" "on/off" thought pattern. EITHER Biden holds to non-negotiable (which by rights it should be) OR he's a complete cave in betraying the Dems in favor of the Freedom Caucus. That's not the way it is. Liberals really should recognize that any complicated problem comes in all shades of grey.
"OK, I'll agree to cut X (something small) if you agree to cut tax loopholes, particularly things like fossil fuel subsidies." That sounds like a bargain, actually. And of course, he knows he knows they'll never agree, so again in public he has made a reasonable offer and been rejected by the "my way or the highway" GOP.
The debt ceiling is an archaic remnant of bygone times and shouldn't be a thing, and the delusional, opportunistic and manipulative GOP believes us as a body to be dull and suggestible; it is high time we circumvent that lot.
Steve, great piece! Would like your take on the background play House Democrats have been working and would love your take on if POTUS could invoke the 14th Amendment and if that has a chance to succeed with a court fight sure to be brought by the maga loons and buffoons.
Thanks for this clear explanation of what is going on, Steve. Always look forward to what you have to say.
How to access?
I am not being allowed to comment. I don't understand what's going on.