I disagree with you, but appreciate the direct answer. I don't think Obama needs a constitutional fight at this point. He can simply not borrow more money (afterall without an offical debt ceiling agreement lenders won't lend at current rates) continue to service the debt out of the revenue, and begin cutting non-essential services. It puts Obama in a similar position as you opine, but without the constitutional fight.
But the bigger point we both agree on, I think, is that the Democrats mantra of "we will default (on Aug. 2nd) if we don't raise the debt ceiling" is bogus !!
Originally Posted by Whirlaway
1. Obama wants a deal which will enable him to be unshackled from the Constitution. He really wants the McConnell plan...but I think the 100 Tea Partiers in the House called him out on it. Once free of Constitutional controls, he can therefore start using Executive Orders to govern and make Congressional law irrelevant. He can cite THIS example to seize other powers.
2. There is sufficient revenue coming in to service the national debt. More than sufficient. There is also sufficient revenue to pay full Social Security/Medicare, military active duty, veteran's disability, as well as government civil service employees. There will be a significant amount left over, much of what is spent on hardware, travel, given away as grants, given out as "income support", subsidies, maintenance, fuel, dining out, business trips, and go through all of these departments. (I understand that military and civil service retirement pensions are actually paid from a trust fund, which came up the last time we were "shut down".) There will be no DEFAULT unless Obama orders little Timmy to stop payments. But the short fall will occur in all of these miscellaneous programs....but Obama wants to cut Grandma off, but keep sending money to projects in Kenya?
3. Social Security and other payments will only cease if someone orders them halted. The beauty of computers....they automate everything. So someone had to make that choice.
4. It's clear the threat of stopping Social Security and Medicare payments are designed to scare that segment of the population to action to encourage Republicans to go along with this government who is eating 25% of the economy (and increasing) and impose a massive tax increase...because he can use that as COVER and rally the hard Left back to his side. The idea is to make 25% or higher government PERMANENT. I don't believe it's catching on....and I believe Obama will blink first next week. This will effectively end the Obama Regime and his program of bloated government.