President Obama will deliver a speech today in which he will personally pitch for unilateral authority to raise the national debt ceiling. Reuters reports that the president wants the ability to raise the nation’s credit card limit by himself, without the “drama” of having to consult the people’s representatives in Congress.
The president is embarked on an aggressive campaign to pressure congressional Republicans to compromise on steps to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. He will argue to corporate executives that it would hurt the nation’s economy to have another protracted political fight over raising the debt limit, the official said.
“The President will highlight why it would hurt our economy and our nation’s businesses if we do not find a solution to avoid another debt ceiling crisis, and will ask the business leaders for their help in supporting an approach that resolves the debt limit without drama or delay,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The president could, of course, offer to cut spending to avoid ever reaching the debt ceiling. But that is an offer that so far he is unwilling to make. In fact, the offer he made to Congress to avoid the fiscal cliff at the end of the year included a $50 billion “infrastructure fund” that he could dole out at his discretion.
What Barack Obama is asking for is dictatorial power to spend as he sees fit, without limits and without input from Congress. In the absence of a national budget, which we have not had for more than three years, Obama’s spending power would be unlimited.
What the president needs, really, is to have his credit card taken away. But unfortunately he got it extended for another four years on Nov. 6. His remarks today reveal that he fully intends to spend as much money as possible without regard for those who will eventually have to pay off his debts.
It’s good to be da King.
It’s a shame he isn’t white, huh?
@Jumbo — And shame on you for race-baiting.
You think the moral high ground is the automatic preserve of the melanin-advantaged, apparently.
Oh whoops, my bad — wrong verb there: evidently thinking has nothing to do with it in your world.
WTF? Why would you even think that?
– stinks on ice.
He sounds like a Greek politician.
I understand the conservative mind is hardwired differently than all others – we all get that. The thing which I believe escapes you is that the debt ceiling is for spending which has ALREADY OCCURRED. It doesn’t not allow for FUTURE
@Jumbo — You’re quite impressed with your various little rhetorical flourishes, aren’t you?
You don’t allow for proper GRAMMAR. Genius.
Remember when raising the debt limit was “unpatriotic”?
The Supreme Court ruled years ago that Congress cannot cede its constitutional authority, and Congress controls the purse.
What the president needs is to be removed from office, along with every one of his fellow Party members.
Looks like the powers that be (with Obammer in the lead) wants to neuter Congress the same way the federal government in general has neutered the power of the states by arbitrarily deciding which un-enumerated powers they will exercise regardless of the Constitution.
The Roberts court has clearly shown it lacks the testicular fortitude to stop them.
The power of the purse strings is the most fundamental power Congress has under the Constitution, yet they have not responsibly exercised that power in years.
I would not put it past Obama to simply ignore any spending restrictions and spend the money anyway – after all, who really needs an approved budget from Congress?
What are they going to do about it? Condemn it via congressional resolution? Lot of good that does…
And of course the hypocritical Obamadrones will come up with all kinds of rationalizations for ignoring fundamental constitutional restrictions on the various branches of government since their guy is in power.
That’s all this is about – power, and who currently has it. Right now, ever greater amounts of that power are being concentrated more and more in the hands of fewer and fewer people.
This is so not going to end well.
Maybe you should read the Reuters article before you go off on your tangent. It doesn’t say anything about “by himself” or “unilateral.” He wants to raise the limit without the drama of last time. Which is perfectly reasonable in that he’s dealing with a bunch of children (read Tea Party) who have no idea what the debt limit is and would rather see the economy tank than raise it.
Maybe you should take a look at what he offered Boehner via Geithner before criticizing me. Obama is pitching the same thing that he had Geithner propose. It’s not my fault that Reuters chose to leave relevant facts out of its article.
Legitimate grounds, of the more minor variety. Not how the system is supposed to work.
Legitimate grounds, of the more minor variety. Not how the system is supposed to work.
Actually may be or the more major variety. There is a reason why this stuff is supposed to be in Congress’ hands. A right hard won from King’s, by Parliament, and a testament to the English nation, and it’s American offspring.
I bet the Supreme Soviet didn’t meddle with debt limits. That was for the Premier. But I could be wrong, since I don’t study communism the way, perhaps, some of the left do.