Hey, Obama can win the debt-ceiling fight
The truth of course is that it’s Congress that has incurred the debts, not the president. The only reason the president appears to be in the position of being the one seeking the increase is that any sitting administration (its Treasury Department) is the one that actually has to pay the bills. That’s a pretty sweet deal for Congress. They run up the bills, and then, when the president asks them for the money to pay off the bills that they incurred, they say no!
Obama, in my memory, never once pointed this out in 2011, but he has already done so this time around: “I will not have another debate with this Congress over whether or not they should pay the bills that they’ve already racked up through the laws that they passed,” he said on New Year’s night, after the House passed the cliff bill.
He needs to bang this home with an intensity like it’s October in a presidential campaign. First and foremost, he has to get the business world on his side, such that they’re willing at least privately to come down on the Republicans like a ton of bricks. In 2011, these titans had to hedge their positions because most of them were hoping a Republican president would be elected the next year. But Obama is in the captain’s chair for four more years. There’s no political point to such hedging now.
Second, he should use the State of the Union to drive home the absurdity of the situation, and the outrageousness of it.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Who unilaterally seized GM, GMAC and Chrysler at a loss of $40 billion again? Who signed every spending bill into law since January 20, 2009 again?
Steve Eggleston on January 5, 2013 at 5:26 PM
So the solution to the fact that we are $16,400,000,000,000 in debt is… campaigning and sacrificing every other elected representative of the people on the altar of one man’s reputation?
I was attempting to hold out for some sort of Republican victory in this whole fiscal cliff boondoggle. But you’ve sold me Mike, screw you all and your dependence upon Nanny Gubmint. Let. It. Burn.
Atlas on January 5, 2013 at 5:26 PM
Did the GOP force through Obamacare? Funny, I thought it was the other mob!
OldEnglish on January 5, 2013 at 5:26 PM
Let’s all roll over and be dead so he can do whatever he wants.
vityas on January 5, 2013 at 5:28 PM
He co-signed the debts with his autopen.
Wethal on January 5, 2013 at 5:29 PM
Slow down. That’s not slated until 2014.
Kataklysmic on January 5, 2013 at 5:38 PM
zzZZZzzzzzZZZZzzzz…
When has Congress not raised the debt ceiling? More PR for Obama.
albill on January 5, 2013 at 5:39 PM
Tomasky is a fool who consumes Obama sh*t, 24/7.
Suffocate from it, idiot. It ain’t Beluga caviar.
Schadenfreude on January 5, 2013 at 5:39 PM
Obama will win the debt ceiling fight.
gryphon202 on January 5, 2013 at 5:41 PM
Will there even be a FIGHT? We’re assuming that Republicans are going to FIGHT, instead of capitulate as they did with obama’s “cliff” bill – But, I’m not going to get my hopes up.
Pork-Chop on January 5, 2013 at 5:43 PM
Even if you were to give him the “all congress’s fault” thing (and I’m not saying Congress is wonderful), what’s his point? It’s somebody else’s fault, so he doesn’t have to do anything about it? Then why doesn’t he resign and let Smilin’ Joe handle it. Couldn’t be any worse.
Fenris on January 5, 2013 at 5:43 PM
No way bro. The Republicns are going to fight him tooth and nail and the press is going to give him hell if the debt ceiling deal doesn’t include entitlement reforms…
Kataklysmic on January 5, 2013 at 5:45 PM
Winning and losing is all that matters, right? The fate of the country is friggin’ irrelevant.
besser tot als rot on January 5, 2013 at 5:49 PM
Sickening and disgusting, isn’t it? Pyrrhic victory, and it’s the country that will suffer an ignominious defeat.
Good night, America.
Kraken on January 5, 2013 at 5:55 PM
Obama is trying to get the public to believe that was the current Congress rather than previous ones that drove up the debt. He certainly wasn’t objecting to the spending binge when Nancy was in charge.
But now that the current Congress wants to reduce spending he is trying to blame them for the current debt.
The GOP should just pass a massive spending cut bill send it to Reid and then LIB.
Charlemagne on January 5, 2013 at 5:57 PM
I, for one, have all the confidence in the world that John Boehner will fight like the tooth fairy and hand over whatever this democrat molar is worth.
vityas on January 5, 2013 at 5:57 PM
How do you propose Obama pay for the pay raises he just gave to Federal employees – Biden on down – via an Executive Order there, pal?
Resist We Much on January 5, 2013 at 6:53 PM
And, speaking of running up tabs…
Obama: Sacrifice Is For Thee, Not Me
M2RB: Elton John
‘Spose that’s Congress’ fault, too – or is it Booooooooooooosh’s?
Resist We Much on January 5, 2013 at 6:55 PM
So does the President sign off on spending or not?
I bet Tomasky gave tons of love to the GOP Congress that Clinton enjoyed./
CW on January 5, 2013 at 7:14 PM
Obama cannot negotiate his way out of a wet paper bag with sword.
The reality is that the Republicans are even less gifted in this department.
Let it Burn!
astonerii on January 5, 2013 at 7:24 PM
So I bet Tomasky just excoriates those that blame Reagan for deficit spending.
CW on January 5, 2013 at 7:35 PM
Unless the president has an (R) after their name.
Left Coast Right Mind on January 5, 2013 at 7:37 PM
Tomasky on Reagan
Consistency. /
CW on January 5, 2013 at 7:42 PM
The mind boggles. Haven’t these idiots been railing against the Bush deficits for years? Even one Senator Obama calling them unpatriotic? Now they tell us deficits have nothing to do with the president.
gwelf on January 5, 2013 at 8:02 PM
Obama has never talked about the need for more spending. Or it’s necessity for reviving the economy. Or the need to “invest” in the future.
gwelf on January 5, 2013 at 8:45 PM