President Obama is taking the position that he will not negotiate over raising the debt ceiling again. He has the backing of a group of Democratic lawmakers, who want him to go further and take action that could ultimately throw the entire debt debate out of the elected branches of government and into the courts.
Democrats in Congress argue Obama should not feel constrained by the 1917 debt limit law, which the federal government is projected to hit in late February, because it conflicts with other laws.
“The president I think has the authority under the Constitution and under the various statutes that are passed — if nothing is done — he must do something about paying the bills,” said Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.). “That issue may well go to the courts in our system.”
“He’s got two different statutes telling him different things and he can resolve — multiple statutes telling him different things — he can resolve that issue,” Udall added.
Udall and other Democrats say Obama has the discretion to arbitrate among conflicting laws.
Udall believes the debt limit, which was created by the Second Liberty Bond Act of 1917, clashes with landmark legislation such as the Social Security Act of 1935, the Medicare Act of 1965 and various appropriations laws that direct the executive branch to spend federal funds on an array of priorities.
They also argue that the 14th Amendment gives Obama authority to ignore the debt limit. That’s specious: The 14th Amendment was passed to make sure that Southern lawmakers could not use their power in Congress to repudiate America’s Civil War debt. It’s not about defaulting on the national debt.
What these Democrats want to do is lawless and immature. They want to punt the consequences of decades of overspending, a habit which has gotten much worse since 2006 when Democrats took over Congress and then Obama’s election in 2008, over to the courts because they don’t have the courage or judgement to sort it out themselves.
A message to John Roberts, Supreme Court justice, fool–they discovered that pressure works, thanks to you. They’ll do it again, and on every issue, and if not challenged by ruling adversely when adverse rulings are needed the Court will be a nullity.
If they wish to punish the Court if they do not get their way–an effort you yielded to before–then next time make them place their money on the table, instead of getting things for free. Reflect on the early history of the Church–the Apostles are saints not because they gave in to strength, but because they held to their beliefs.
As to Art I Sect 8, “To borrow money on the credit of the United States”–Framers and ratifiers could have placed this clause in Article II if they wished, and certainly history was full of instances of the monarch borrowing money. But in the Anglo-American tradition, this was no longer the practice, since it was felt to allow for unchecked executive authority. Thus, the clause is in Article I for a *reason*, not the result of a random number generator that came up “1″.
All monies must come from Congressional acts, not executive. Else we have a king.
And this all brings up my basic argument for how you should look at the Constitution–things are in it not because the 1787 equivalent of Larry Sabato had a pet theory on what is the most ideal in the best of all possible of possible pure worlds, but because there was something of historical happenstance that was trying to be prevented from ever being a problem or pitential threat again.
In other words, the clause in Article 1 Section 8 about borrowing is in response to real occurences that were considered to be incompatible with the American Project. They of the Founding Generation might not have talked much about it, but that is because the argument had been had a century before and settled. I seriously doubt any motion or amendment to move the borrowing clause to Article II would have even vern taken up on the floors for debate–or that the motioning member would have ever have been elected to anything again. Because there was a common understanding of the reasoning vegind the placement. Borrowing had to come from Congress, lest we get Stuart kings. The Age of Absolutism. Lous XIV.
What we are clearly seeing from Demcrats is a desire to turn the United States into the Principate, just as long as a Democrat is in charge.
Errata–
Pitential—>potential
vern—>been
vegind—>behind
My apologies for Old Anglo-Saxon Day.
As a final thought–The United States Constitution, as amended in the First Congress, is the final, best, and culminating practical answer of the Age of Enlightenment to the Age of Absolutism. It’s benefits should not be tossed off lightly.
And it should be noted that all–*all*–of the calamitous wars in the West since the Age of Absolutism–Napoleonic, both World Wars, and the Cold War–have had their roots in the nations that embraced the tenets of unchecked executive authority. There is nothing positive to be gained by going down that path.
And the one war that did not–the American Civil–had its roots in a faction thinking it could do as it wished in regards to other men.
– but eventually may have them one to many times.
This is Central Planning on full display for all the world to witness (even in the USA) how dysfunctional this practice is.
“A 19-year-old socialist became an official member of the Red Bank Regional High School Board of Education in Monmouth County, N.J., last week.
Pat Noble defeated incumbent Nilsa Samol in the November 2012 election. He is a graduate of The Academy of Allied Health & Science, a vocational high school that emphasizes health occupations and the hard sciences.
Noble divides the bulk of his time working at his job as a clerk in a local pharmacy and promoting the Socialist Party of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, which he co-founded, reports NJ.com. He opines enthusiastically about a host of issues ranging from taxation to foreign policy to education.”(fromDC1/8/2012) Aside: Remember, America places 25th in the world in educational prowess.
Finally, a Marxian/socialist with the “intestinal fortitude” willing to say exactly what We The People have known all along and have been railing against since FDR in the 1920′s and 30′s,i.e., Central Planning, collapse of America’s economy (he issued 3,466 Executive Orders), greed, power and ultimately corruption on a massive scale (Morgan, Rockerfeller, Rothchilds, et al)…geez, today’s crony-capitalism. Funny, history has this nasty habit of repeating itself.
Ever since Ottoman Empire’s collapse (remember, Central Planning)and Eastern and Western European political fortunes uniting under a “more equity for the working man” banner (bourgouise and proletariat fight) giving rise to Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky and Mao The Western World has been held hostage to this tried and failed existential philosophy of taking from the “working class and
redistributing it to the upper class” (We The People know this isn’t what Marx said, but is in actuality what really happens)…look at Argentina in 2012, Japan the last 20 years, Greece, Portugal, Spain, France, England, Ireland all products of this young mans Cloward-Piven/Marxian/Alinskyite folly. China is following this model with 5 and 10 year Central Plans (now tell me there’s no “greed, power and corruption in China!!!”).
Now, Obama is trying the same futile central planning. Brazil just went thru this maze of “crawling peg” phenomena with a totally disasterous result in 1988, collapse of its economy and a new constitution (darn if they’re not repeating this mantra all over again in 2013, under communist Dilma). Obama is printing money, monetizing USA’s debt and implementing “crony-capitalism” just like this young man is advocating…with the same outcome in sight…collapse of America’s economy. It is Central Planning’s built-in disaster. Only one true measure of any economy in the world is”price of goods bought and sold at the individual level…period.” Ludwig Von Mises Nobel winning thesis…the “Business Cycle” and unfettered capitalism.
America’s religious, educational, financial and governing sectors of its economy are staffed and led by Fabian Socialists who believe in every single word and futile philosophy uttered and spewed by the likes of this young american ever since the founding of the ACLU and their progressive activists in the late 1900’s. Wake-up America…failure (greed, power and corruption)is on its way…Big Time. Pray. Amen.
I want some reporter to stand up and ask Obama, Reid and Pelosi if they’ll STILL support this maneuver, when a REPUBLICAN is back in the White House?