Obama Should Stop Being Reasonable---And Raise the Debt Ceiling by using 14th Amendment

[KoKo]

Obama Should Stop Being Reasonable
---And Raise the Debt Ceiling by using 14th Amendment..
With the U.S. government on the edge of default, Michael Tomasky asks why President Obama won’t do what he needs to do and raise the debt ceiling unilaterally.
Jul 27, 2011 6:41 PM EDT

The third reason the president probably won’t do it is related to the second, but it’s more personal. Unilateral action would be at odds with Obama’s image of himself. In his article, MacGillis defined thoughtfulness Obama style as “the notion that the leadership of the country should be entrusted not on the basis of résumé and platform, but on the prospect of applying to the nation's problems one man's singularly well-tempered intelligence.” This is pretty obviously a dead-on description of Obama’s view of himself and his potential as president.

Again, the idea was once appealing. But Obama badly overestimated his abilities here. The contemporary American right ain’t the Harvard Law Review, where he was once able to get conservatives and critical race theorists to sit in the same room and reason together. Does he still really believe he can do this with today’s Republican Party? He apparently does. It’s hard to figure out why else he would have used Monday night’s speech to continue to argue for a “balanced” approach that was already off the table. He really must have thought Republicans would be inundated by constituent phone calls, come to their senses, and realize that, by golly, they’d better sit down and reason with Mr. Reasonable.

If Obama thinks that, then he is caught up in mere egoism, and he is paradoxically harming the republic he believes he is protecting by behaving so reasonably and responsibly. In that case, reasonably trying to lead good-faith negotiations will have morphed into unreasonably permitting a catastrophe to happen for the sake of holding on to a naive belief. His responsibility now is to the citizens and taxpayers, not to some civic ideals and a self-image that reality has long since mooted.
What seems likeliest to me now is a short-term extension and more of this torture. But that could well still lead to a bond downgrading. Whereas if Obama moved forcefully and said. “I am the president, and I met them here and here and here, and they wouldn’t budge, and I’m finished with them, and now is the time to act,” I have little doubt that the markets—and the people—would react positively. That would prove that he’s a leader, and it would force him to choose sides. It’s high time he did both.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/07/27/obama-s-reason-fetish-leaving-him-defenseless-on-the-debt.html

[MadMaddie]

1. He will use the Constitution if he has too

He didnt' start this fight but what has occurred over the last two weeks is that Boehner is shown to be a wimpy, crybaby liar.

The Teabaggers look uninformed and ignorant.

All AMericans are starting to get it that they would be impacted if it's not passed and they know who to blame. The very people that started this fight in the first place.

[ProSense]

2. Ironic title

implies that using the 14th Amendment isn't "reasonable."

Still, I suspect that option will be available if Congress fails to act.

[asjr]

3. 14th is a tricky business. Some

say it is viable; some say no. It might lead to the nuts trying to impeach him which is what they would like to do anyway. There is absolutely no way the Republican/Tea party can be trusted. I feel they are bordering on treason but it's not my call.

[KoKo]

5. Agree...he could do this and end up like Clinton..with some RW Mellon-Scaife going after him...

It's a long shot for him to stake his Presidency on this.

On the Other Hand...there's a part of me that wishes he would TRY... So, I'm kind of conflicted on this one... :-(

[KaryninMiami]

4. Knowing how the Obama team operates, it's quite possible that they will

And quite possible, that this has been the plan all along should it come to being needed. They are setting the stage so that they can clearly demonstrate having done EVERYTHING possible to bend over backwards to the GOP- including offering to give in on the "big 3"- knowing full well that it would still not fly with the teabaggers (although it pissed off many on our team to think that this was ever even a remote possibility). Regardless of if we're thrilled with everything he does or disappointed with some of the decisions made, please remember that he is brilliant- he beat the Clinton machine for starters and his team is extremely smart. So, while we are dealing with some clearly out of control, delusional members of congress, I'm sure the Obama team knows what they are up against and is carefully and is playing this out on their terms, knowing that they have the final trump card which is in the constitution and the 14th Amendment. They just cannot mention the possibility of using it yet- not until he's positive that the country is truly on his side.

Be patient and watch how this all unfolds. Lawrence O is usually right on target and I believe he's right about this too.

[babylonsister]

6. I agree: the long game seems to be working. I hope I see some

chagrin if and when that happens, but I doubt it. :)

[KoKo]

7. You are vry hopeful...on this...

We shall see....how it all comes down.