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Because, when you get down to it, the debt ceilings very existence was always a political threat. Joel Send a noteboard - 09/08/2011 05:02:12 PM
I'm honestly curious about that. From what I understand, the debt ceiling has been increased something like 100 times in the last 60 years. It's absolutely routine. Bush Jr's administration for example raised the debt limit by several trillion dollars. Clinton raised the limit, Bush Sr raised it, Reagan raised it, and on and on. The issue is more the ability to meet the interest payments, no?

And yes, taking on less debt is an integral first step in wrangling with the payments, but as you say, clearly the ceiling had to be raised again at this juncture. But given how commonplace such a procedure has been, why is that in itself such a talking point?

I mean, to be brutally honest, the only real surprise here is not that Republicans finally decided to pull the trigger on that threat, but that they waited so long (of course, the fact that most Presidents in the last 30 years have been Republicans and they would've been bludgeoning their party leaders budgets might've helped. ;)) Now, IMHO, the statute itself has been alarmist theater from the beginning, and that it HAS been routinely raised so many times is a good argument it was always pointless as anything BUT a political weapon that should therefore never have been enshrined in US law to begin, but that's why it's a big deal: It was designed to be.
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US Credit Rate Downgraded - Obama should resign..... trzaska2000 - 06/08/2011 04:12:48 AM 1333 Views
Que tonterías. Larry - 06/08/2011 04:23:49 AM 860 Views
How... foolish? Ghavrel - 06/08/2011 05:13:30 AM 885 Views
Sip Larry - 06/08/2011 05:38:15 AM 854 Views
I took it to translate to "argument." *NM* rebelaessedai - 08/08/2011 01:27:55 AM 441 Views
A mí me parece que él no merece que le digas "usted", tampoco. Legolas - 06/08/2011 11:03:22 AM 676 Views
Verdad Larry - 06/08/2011 04:09:52 PM 806 Views
Really? Amelia Pond - 06/08/2011 05:05:48 AM 914 Views
Leaders have to lead..... trzaska2000 - 06/08/2011 05:18:21 AM 737 Views
Cuts aren't up to him, though. Great Lord of Chaos - 06/08/2011 05:37:50 AM 785 Views
Yeah, sure, the President has no say or control.....good grief..... *NM* trzaska2000 - 06/08/2011 06:13:49 AM 446 Views
I did not say that. Great Lord of Chaos - 06/08/2011 06:51:35 AM 852 Views
S&P didn't demand cuts, they demanded fiscal responsibility. Joel - 06/08/2011 03:18:10 PM 1016 Views
Obama caved spectacularly to avoid a default. Great Lord of Chaos - 06/08/2011 04:37:21 PM 827 Views
Obama caved spectacularly to ease re-election. Joel - 06/08/2011 05:34:04 PM 1006 Views
and haters gotta hate..... *NM* Aisha - 06/08/2011 05:49:25 AM 427 Views
I admit it, I hate what Obama is doing to our country..... *NM* trzaska2000 - 06/08/2011 06:12:39 AM 438 Views
It's not Obama, but the Tea Party Amelia Pond - 06/08/2011 06:16:38 PM 864 Views
The biggest? why that is pretty damn big!!! random thoughts - 09/08/2011 06:29:24 PM 794 Views
you, it was the tea party republicans that caused this Roland00 - 06/08/2011 05:57:16 AM 865 Views
Your momma is more to blame than the Tea Party..... trzaska2000 - 06/08/2011 06:12:05 AM 748 Views
S&P demanded more DEFICIT REDUCTION. Joel - 06/08/2011 03:55:19 PM 924 Views
As ever your disinterest in facts seems to be central to your posting. snoopcester - 06/08/2011 11:34:20 AM 828 Views
Which would be less annoying if so much of Congress didn't suffer from the same delusions. Joel - 06/08/2011 03:48:04 PM 752 Views
Does Timmy G play sax like his brother Kenny? *NM* TaskmasterJack - 06/08/2011 01:11:17 PM 425 Views
Fun fact - I dated in HS Kenny G's niece..... trzaska2000 - 06/08/2011 03:13:52 PM 730 Views
Re: Fun fact - I dated in HS Kenny G's niece..... TaskmasterJack - 06/08/2011 04:50:35 PM 838 Views
Sadly, not that niece!!! *NM* trzaska2000 - 06/08/2011 06:40:39 PM 429 Views
S&P specifically cited GOP refusal to raise taxes among their reasons. Joel - 06/08/2011 03:10:22 PM 899 Views
Of course one could just read the actual S&P report Isaac - 06/08/2011 04:01:07 PM 900 Views
Sure. Joel - 06/08/2011 04:53:47 PM 908 Views
Right, ABC new's summary of the report is not the report Isaac - 06/08/2011 07:02:46 PM 1200 Views
Link works, but I'm not sure why you think it refutes snoops assessment or mine. Joel - 06/08/2011 08:35:10 PM 999 Views
It doesn't refute it, it just isn't this simple distillation you're offering Isaac - 06/08/2011 09:23:33 PM 829 Views
It's more than half a sentence; I quoted several paragraphs. Joel - 06/08/2011 09:56:31 PM 716 Views
Well yes, after I gave you the report, I think I'm pretty obviously refering to before that Isaac - 06/08/2011 11:02:17 PM 726 Views
Before you and Joel continue on with dragging my name into this snoopcester - 06/08/2011 11:47:00 PM 829 Views
That's the trouble with a highly partisan environment: Joel - 07/08/2011 01:37:57 AM 855 Views
Before that I was referring to the paragraphs quoted in the ABC report. Joel - 07/08/2011 01:21:18 AM 1129 Views
not really random thoughts - 06/08/2011 10:15:32 PM 791 Views
"the mix of spending and revenue measures" Joel - 06/08/2011 10:23:06 PM 856 Views
So you read the statement that they take no posistion as they take the dem position? random thoughts - 07/08/2011 04:51:58 AM 861 Views
I read a "mix" to be a mix. Joel - 09/08/2011 12:14:35 AM 767 Views
So in other words you just ignore the actaull words and read it say what you want it to say *NM* random thoughts - 09/08/2011 02:07:57 PM 488 Views
A mix of something and nothing is impossible; one thing is one thing, not a mix. Joel - 09/08/2011 04:56:00 PM 948 Views
Would 99.99% to 0.01% be a mix? random thoughts - 09/08/2011 06:25:08 PM 1035 Views
Yup, but 100% to 0% is not. Joel - 09/08/2011 06:35:13 PM 857 Views
They should all resign Praziquantel - 06/08/2011 05:47:56 PM 886 Views
US politicians are too busy fighting over who gets to play the fiddle. *NM* Nate - 06/08/2011 05:53:32 PM 441 Views
You are either really naive or just stupid. Which is it? *NM* everynametaken - 06/08/2011 06:31:58 PM 418 Views
Reply to everyone whining about the Tea Party..... trzaska2000 - 06/08/2011 06:58:40 PM 921 Views
When did Boehner agree to $800 billion in revenue increases?! Joel - 06/08/2011 08:49:51 PM 868 Views
Wait Wait Wait.... Dominic - 07/08/2011 05:31:20 AM 863 Views
In Jersey The Doctor - 07/08/2011 06:13:23 PM 961 Views
would him resigning really help? Yunalesca - 07/08/2011 10:24:00 AM 823 Views
not as long as he has the high functioning moron Joe Biden as VP. random thoughts - 08/08/2011 12:34:32 AM 812 Views
In reality, its Congress (BOTH parties) AND the President who are to blame. MrFarstrider - 08/08/2011 01:59:13 AM 831 Views
40% is not a small tax increase and a small spending cut Roland00 - 09/08/2011 04:20:28 AM 711 Views
Why are people making a deal about the debt ceiling increase? Nate - 09/08/2011 03:42:13 PM 748 Views
We do have a debt ceiling for a reason random thoughts - 09/08/2011 04:05:59 PM 773 Views
Because, when you get down to it, the debt ceilings very existence was always a political threat. Joel - 09/08/2011 05:02:12 PM 720 Views
Ultimately, I'm forced to agree completely. Joel - 09/08/2011 05:09:19 PM 799 Views
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