With the debt ceiling fiasco, Repubes are playing their favorite game: Pin the Blame on the Donkey.

[LaMouffette]

They want the US to default and the US economy to tank so that they can point their grubby fingers at Biden and say, "Look! Biden wrecked the economy!"

So they are making ludicrously unreasonable demands that Biden won't agree to so that they can whine, "Look! Biden won't negotiate!"

That's why Biden, rather than taking the 14th Amendment route, is making it clear that he is more than willing to negotiate, turning their game into Pin the Blame on the Elephant, a much larger and more fault-worthy target, with apologies to actual elephants everywhere.

Then if Biden does use the 14th Amendment, he will be able to show that he had to do so as a last resort, thanks to the game-playing Repubes, who would not negotiate in good faith.

[Walleye]

1. And if the Republicans appeal the 14th amendment decision and

And throw the country into recession, it will be their fault. Problem is most Republicans are so dumb they’ll believe anything

[agingdem]

2. the House Dems have done one hell of job

publicly shaming idiot Kevin and tying him and his MAGA caucus to the debt ceiling "crash the economy to own the libs" debacle...and Joe is a master at humiliating powerless ol' Kev every chance he gets...add to that, progressive podcasters "broadcasting" the House critters stupidity in almost real time makes it impossible for the MAGA morons to escape blame...

[Walleye]

4. Even if Kevin gets a deal, is it gonna take him 15 votes to pass anything?

[The Unmitigated Gall]

3. Damn good point.

Appealing the 14th Amendment move is a direct appeal to chaos. Much harder if not impossible to shirk responsibility. Biden has to show, however that he made every effort to negotiate with the sewer rats before he makes that move.

Every democratic president since Johnson has had to deal with an opponent who would rather harm the nation than risk/accept a fair defeat.

[Walleye]

5. Your last sentence there is true and depressing

[LaMouffette]

6. Excellent points, Walleye. It will be their fault, but how can Republican voters ever be convinced

that it's not the Democrats' fault after decades of being trained by FoxNews that everything from inflation to the deficit to Covid is because of Democrats? If Trump did shoot someone on 5th Avenue, they would find a way to blame that on Democrats, too.

I'm starting to think that the R's in Congress and in state legislatures would have to openly welcome Russian paratroopers who were dropping to the ground and shooting up people, à la the Red Dawn movie, for Republican voters to finally turn their backs on the Republican Party. Maybe that would work.

[Johonny]

7. Most Conservatives have money

And tanking the US economy hurts them every bit as much as it hurts Libs.

I don’t think Wall Street is all in on owning the libs on this. There are probably some stupid CEOs that will blame Biden. But the smart money will be pissed at the right people.