Biden can't solve the debt ceiling standoff with a pen and a phone

As things stand, therefore, we have a standoff. The Republican caucus wants to use fear of a default to reduce spending at a time when the U.S. debt has reached a once unthinkable level — $31 trillion. And the desire/need to show hardliners that the caucus and its leadership are made of sterner stuff than previous incarnations militates against compromising much.

Meanwhile, Democrats see the possibility of a win-win if they don’t compromise. Either they get the ceiling raised without cutting spending or Republicans get blamed for the economic consequences of a default, shifting responsibility for a poor economy from Joe Biden to the GOP. As always, the mainstream media takes the side of the Democrats.